Free Northbeam MCP: compare attribution in Claude & ChatGPT

  • Free forever plan: unlimited connected accounts, up to 30 days of history (15 days in AI chats) and 100 automation credits a month.
  • A key you control: a Northbeam API key and Data-Client-ID you create, revocable anytime.
  • Every model in one answer: attribution models, windows and accounting modes side by side, next to Shopify and your ad accounts.
  • Safe for live accounts: spend records, models and settings stay exactly as you set them in Northbeam.
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By Kashmala Malik · Last updated November 5, 2026

Capabilities

Compare Northbeam attribution from your favorite AI chat

Porter Metrics connects Northbeam to Claude, ChatGPT and other AI clients through one MCP server built for attribution reporting. MCP is the Model Context Protocol, the open standard AI apps use to reach other tools. Ask which channels each model credits, what a first-time buyer costs or which campaigns pay back on LTV, and Claude answers from a fresh Northbeam export.

Attribution and revenue

  • Attributed revenue: Attributed Rev, ROAS, Transactions and MER by platform, campaign, ad set and ad, by day.
  • Models side by side: Attribution Model, Attribution Window and Accounting Mode come as columns, so Claude compares Clicks-Only, Clicks + Modeled Views and other models in one table.
  • Meta’s own number beside Northbeam’s: FB ROAS (7D Click, 1D View) and other platform-reported metrics as Northbeam imports them.
  • Shop channels: Web Shop Revenue, Meta Shop Revenue and TikTok Shop Revenue apart.

Every metric and dimension Porter reads is in the Northbeam fields list.

Customers, CAC and LTV

  • New vs returning: Rev (1st time), Rev (Returning), CAC (1st time), Transactions (1st time) and Customers (New).
  • Lifetime value: LTV ROAS, LTV CAC and LTV Attributed Rev, so a slow first week doesn’t hide a campaign that pays back.
  • Forecasts: Forecasted Attributed Rev (30d), (60d) and (90d), Northbeam’s own revenue forecasts.
  • Repeat buying: Customer Repurchase Rate (90d) and Orders Per New Customer (90d).

Northbeam next to your marketing

  • Attribution next to the store: weekly Attributed Rev beside Shopify Total Sales, through the Shopify MCP.
  • Ad platforms in the same chat: Northbeam’s Meta numbers next to Ads Manager’s, with the Meta Ads MCP and the Google Ads connector for Claude.
  • Every client in one question: agencies connect each Northbeam client with its own key, and Claude tells them apart with the Client field.

Reports and alerts

  • Live dashboards: one link that stays current, with nothing to export. Browse the free dashboard templates to start.
  • Scheduled delivery: a dashboard emailed to you or your team on the day and hour you pick.
  • Weekly summary: which platforms gained or lost credit, what new buyers cost and what to check next, written in the chat.
Reference

Northbeam MCP reference

One server, every Northbeam client: Porter connects Northbeam to the AI clients, fields and workflows media buyers already use. The same Porter server URL works in Claude, ChatGPT and any MCP client that supports remote servers. Porter runs Northbeam’s data export each time Claude asks, so every answer reflects Northbeam at that moment.

AI clients

Works in: Claude (Claude.ai, Claude Desktop, Cowork and Claude Code, with any model from Opus to Sonnet and Haiku), ChatGPT and any MCP client that supports remote servers.

Northbeam metrics

Spend and revenue: Spend · Rev · Attributed Rev · ROAS · MER · Transactions · Visits

New and returning: Rev (1st time) · Rev (Returning) · ROAS (1st time) · CAC · CAC (1st time) · Customers (New) · Transactions (1st time)

Lifetime value: LTV ROAS · LTV CAC · LTV Attributed Rev · Customer Repurchase Rate (90d)

Forecasts: Forecasted Attributed Rev (30d) · Forecasted Attributed Rev (90d) · Forecasted ROAS (90d)

Platform-reported: FB ROAS (7D Click, 1D View) · FB CAC (7D Click, 1D View) · Google ROAS · TikTok ROAS

Porter has 647 ready-made Northbeam fields, 632 metrics and 15 dimensions. Each one is in the full Northbeam field reference.

Dimensions and segments

Time: Date

Attribution: Attribution Model · Attribution Window · Accounting Mode · Touchpoint Kind

Media: Platform · Platform (Northbeam) · Campaign · Ad Set · Ad · Status

Account: Client

Connected workflows

Send work from Claude or ChatGPT to: email on a schedule

Turn answers into: live dashboards · weekly summaries · client-ready reports

Same chat, more sources: Shopify, ad platforms and GA4 from all Claude connectors

Northbeam returns one row for each model, window and accounting mode. Name one of each in your question, or group by all three, so Claude never adds the same revenue twice.

Security and trust

Safety and security

Porter’s Northbeam MCP connects with the API key and Data-Client-ID you create, and reports on your account without changing it. Claude reads attribution, spend and customer metrics while your models, spend records and settings stay exactly as you set them in Northbeam. You can delete the key whenever you like.

Safe for live accounts

Every Northbeam question is a report. Budgets live in your ad platforms and settings live in Northbeam, where you change them as usual.

An API key you create

In Northbeam, open Settings → API Keys and create a key to see it with your Data-Client-ID. Every request needs both, sent as headers, per Northbeam’s Data Export API docs.

Claude goes through Porter

Porter runs Northbeam’s export only when Claude asks a question, and Claude never connects to Northbeam directly.

Nothing stored between questions

Porter runs a fresh export on every question and keeps no copy of your attribution data. Every dashboard load reads Northbeam again.

Revoke access anytime

Delete the key in Northbeam and Porter’s access ends at once. You can connect a new key later.

Setup

How to set up Northbeam MCP

Porter’s Northbeam MCP uses one server URL in every AI client, plus a Northbeam API key and Data-Client-ID you paste once. Claude takes Porter as a plugin or a custom connector. ChatGPT takes it through the Porter Metrics app or developer mode. Both read the same Northbeam clients, with the same fields.

https://mcp.portermetrics.com/mcp

How to install Northbeam MCP in Claude

Use the Claude plugin for the guided setup. Claude keeps the Porter plugin synced when new tools ship.

  1. Open Claude Settings → Customize → Plugins.
  2. Click Add → Add marketplace → Add from a repository.
  3. Paste portermetrics/porter.
  4. Confirm Use portermetrics/porter.
  5. Keep Sync automatically turned on.
  6. Install the Porter Metrics card from the Directory.
  7. Connect the Porter connector, then paste your Northbeam API key and Data-Client-ID.
  8. Ask Claude for Spend, Attributed Rev and ROAS by platform for last week.

Anthropic’s guide to custom connectors using remote MCP walks through the same path, and custom connectors work on Free plans with a limit of one.

Create the API key in Northbeam
  1. Open Settings → API Keys in Northbeam.
  2. Choose Create new API key.
  3. Copy the key and your Data-Client-ID.
  4. Paste both into Porter’s Northbeam form, with a client name you’ll recognize.
Watch the Claude demo

Click-by-click Northbeam to Claude demo:

Use manual MCP setup in Claude

Use manual setup when Claude asks for a custom connector instead of a plugin.

  1. Click + in the chat composer.
  2. Open Manage connectors.
  3. Click + to add a connector.
  4. Choose Add custom connector.
  5. Name the connector Porter.
  6. Paste https://mcp.portermetrics.com/mcp.
  7. Click Add, then return to the chat.
  8. Ask for your Northbeam clients and follow the prompt to paste your key.

How to install Northbeam MCP in ChatGPT

Use the Porter Metrics app for the fastest ChatGPT route.

  1. Open the Porter Metrics app in ChatGPT.
  2. Click + or Add files and more.
  3. Choose Add sources.
  4. Select Porter Metrics.
  5. Allow ChatGPT to use Porter Metrics.
  6. Connect Northbeam with your API key and Data-Client-ID.
  7. Ask a Northbeam question, like “Show Spend and ROAS by Platform (Northbeam) for last week on Clicks + Modeled Views, 7-day window, accrual.”
  8. Click Allow when ChatGPT asks permission to read your data.

OpenAI documents connected apps in ChatGPT and custom MCP servers in ChatGPT developer mode.

Watch the ChatGPT demo

Click-by-click Northbeam to ChatGPT demo:

Use advanced MCP setup in ChatGPT

Use developer mode when you want the full Porter setup in ChatGPT: connector plus skill.

  1. Open ChatGPT Settings → Connectors → Advanced.
  2. Enable Developer mode.
  3. Create a new app.
  4. Name the app Porter Metrics.
  5. Paste https://mcp.portermetrics.com/mcp as the MCP Server URL.
  6. Download https://mcp.portermetrics.com/skill.zip.
  7. Upload skill.zip to your ChatGPT project.
  8. Ask ChatGPT for a model comparison, a first-time CAC ranking or an LTV payback check.

Official Northbeam MCP server URL

Northbeam hosts its own server, included in every Northbeam plan:

https://mcp.northbeam.io

Northbeam’s guide to connecting Claude says each user signs in with their own Northbeam login and the connection is read-only. Use Porter’s URL for attribution next to Shopify and your ad accounts, with one key per client, live dashboards and scheduled emails.

Guides and videos

Try this one once you’re connected:

Using Northbeam, show Spend, Attributed Rev and ROAS by Platform (Northbeam) for the last 7 days on the Clicks + Modeled Views model, 7-day window, accrual accounting.
Skills

Northbeam skills

Each Northbeam skill in Porter’s MCP is a ready-made prompt for one attribution question media buyers get every week. A skill turns a live Northbeam export into a model comparison, a CAC ranking, a payback check or a scheduled email. Copy a prompt into Claude or ChatGPT, then change the dates, model, window or platforms to fit your account.

Reporting skills

Connection test

List my connected Northbeam clients, then show Spend, Attributed Rev and ROAS by Platform (Northbeam) for the last 7 days on Clicks + Modeled Views, 7-day window, accrual accounting.

Models side by side

For the last 30 days, show Spend, Attributed Rev and ROAS by Platform (Northbeam) and Attribution Model, for Clicks-Only, Clicks + Modeled Views and Last Non-Direct Touch, 7-day window, accrual accounting. Which platforms change rank the most between models?

First-time CAC by platform

For the last 30 days on Clicks + Modeled Views, 7-day window, accrual, rank Platform (Northbeam) by CAC (1st time) and show Spend, Rev (1st time), Transactions (1st time) and Customers (New). Flag any platform whose CAC (1st time) is more than double the account’s.

LTV payback

For campaigns with Spend over $1,000 in the last 60 days on Clicks + Modeled Views, accrual, compare ROAS on the 7-day window with LTV ROAS and LTV CAC, and add Forecasted Attributed Rev (90d). Which campaigns look better on LTV than on 7 days?

Cash vs accrual

For last month on Clicks + Modeled Views, show Attributed Rev and ROAS by Platform (Northbeam) and Accounting Mode, 7-day window for accrual. Which platforms differ most between cash and accrual?

Ad-level winners

For the last 14 days on Clicks + Modeled Views, 7-day window, accrual, list the 10 Ads with the highest ROAS and Spend over $500, with Campaign and Ad Set.

Research skills

Northbeam vs Ads Manager

For the last 14 days, list Meta campaigns with Spend, ROAS on Clicks + Modeled Views, 7-day window, accrual, and FB ROAS (7D Click, 1D View). Sort by the gap between the two and explain the 3 largest gaps.

Attributed share of Shopify

For the last 8 weeks, show Northbeam Spend, Attributed Rev and MER by week on Clicks + Modeled Views, cash accounting, next to Shopify Total Sales by week. What share of Shopify sales does Northbeam attribute each week?

Spend check against Meta

For the last 14 days, put Northbeam Spend for Platform (Northbeam) Facebook Ads by Date next to Meta Ads Amount spent by Date on Clicks + Modeled Views, 7-day window, accrual. List the days they differ by more than 5%.

Client comparison

Compare every connected Northbeam client by Spend, Attributed Rev, ROAS and CAC (1st time) for the last 30 days on Clicks + Modeled Views, 7-day window, accrual, worst ROAS first.

The Shopify and Meta skills blend Northbeam with those accounts, so connect Shopify or Meta Ads in Porter first.

Automation skills

These run on a schedule and send what they find, while your Northbeam account stays as it is.

Monday attribution email

Build a Northbeam dashboard with Spend, Attributed Rev, ROAS and CAC (1st time) by Platform (Northbeam) and week for the last 8 weeks on Clicks + Modeled Views, 7-day window, accrual, and email it to me every Monday at 8 a.m.

Monthly LTV recap

On the 1st of every month, email my team a dashboard with last month’s Spend, LTV ROAS, LTV CAC and Forecasted Attributed Rev (90d) by Campaign on Clicks + Modeled Views, accrual.

Live client dashboard

Build a live Northbeam dashboard with Spend, Attributed Rev, ROAS and MER by Platform (Northbeam) for the last 90 days on Clicks + Modeled Views, 7-day window, accrual, and give me its link.
Who this is for

Who this is for

Media buyers and e-commerce marketers who move budget on attribution get the most from Porter’s MCP. Paid media teams, agencies, CMOs and marketing analysts use it to turn a Northbeam question into a model comparison, a first-time CAC ranking or an LTV payback check in one chat.

Marketers who move budget on Northbeam and report it next to the platforms it measures.

Paid media and growth marketers

Your CMO isn’t asking for Northbeam’s ROAS. They’re asking which channel to cut.

  • Model check: which platforms only look good under one model, before you move budget.
  • First-time CAC: what a new buyer costs per platform, not a blended CAC returning buyers flatter.
  • Payback: campaigns that look weak at 7 days and strong on LTV.
  • Monday email: the attribution dashboard arrives without anyone building it.

Agencies and freelancers

  • Every client in one chat: one prompt answers for all of them, with Client as a column.
  • Client reports: a live link the client opens on Monday, already current.
  • ROAS arguments settled: Northbeam’s number next to Ads Manager’s, with a reason for each gap.
  • One subscription: each Northbeam client bills as one account, with no per-seat fee.

CMOs and marketing directors

  • One weekly table: attributed revenue next to Shopify sales, so the meeting starts from the same numbers.
  • Budget calls: spend, CAC and LTV ROAS by platform in one answer.
  • Forecasts: Northbeam’s 90-day revenue forecast beside this week’s spend.

Marketing analysts

  • Field-level access: 647 named fields, so every report uses Northbeam’s own definitions.
  • Clean totals: model, window and accounting mode as columns, never summed twice.
  • Fresh numbers: a new export on every question, nothing cached.
  • Live dashboards: one link per report, with no export to rebuild.

When to use Northbeam’s own instead

You want an assistant to read a specific order, list your saved Northbeam dashboards or see product-level attribution. Northbeam’s own server covers those jobs, and you can run it next to Porter.

Comparison

Official Northbeam MCP vs. Porter

Northbeam hosts its own MCP server at mcp.northbeam.io, included in every Northbeam plan. Northbeam’s MCP server FAQs say it reads the same data as the Northbeam dashboard, including performance, attribution, orders and product-level attribution when enabled. Porter covers attribution reporting and adds your other marketing sources, live dashboards and scheduled emails.

Northbeam’s MCP hands your AI your Northbeam dashboard. Porter’s MCP hands it your attribution next to the store and platforms it measures.

Both are hosted, both are read-only, and both answer spend, ROAS and attribution questions. Here is where they part.

PorterNorthbeam’s MCP server
Same job, different reach
ServerHosted by Porter at mcp.portermetrics.com/mcpHosted by Northbeam at mcp.northbeam.io
Sign-inAn API key and Data-Client-ID, pasted once in PorterEach user signs in with their own Northbeam login
DataSales Attribution export: 647 fields by platform, campaign, ad set and adDashboard data: performance, attribution, orders and product-level attribution when enabled
Models and windowsEvery model, window and accounting mode as columns in one tableAs your Northbeam dashboard shows them
AccountsEvery connected Northbeam client, compared in one answerThe dashboards your login can access; you name one per question
PriceIncluded in every Porter plan, the free plan tooIncluded in every Northbeam plan
Only one side
Shopify, Meta Ads and Google Ads in the same answerYes, from Porter’s 30+ data sources—
Live dashboards at their own linkYes—
Scheduled reports by emailYes—
Single orders and saved dashboard views—Yes
Product-level attribution—Yes, when enabled

Northbeam’s column follows Northbeam’s MCP documentation (as of November 2026).

Use Northbeam’s own if you want orders, saved dashboards or product attribution in the chat. Porter’s rows under Only one side are what happens when attribution is one view among your store and ad numbers. Both servers can sit in the same Claude account.

Which Northbeam MCP do you need?

“Northbeam MCP” names a few different setups. The job decides which one you want.

  • Northbeam’s hosted server: your own Northbeam dashboards, orders and attribution in any AI tool with custom connectors.
  • Northbeam’s Data Export API: bulk exports and pipelines; MCP answers questions, it isn’t a data pipeline.
  • Porter: your Northbeam attribution next to Shopify and your ad platforms, in any MCP client.

And the third-party Northbeam MCPs?

Plenty of them rank for this search, and they split three ways.

  • Open-source servers: free to download and yours to host. You keep the key and patch it when Northbeam changes the API.
  • Connector directories: they wrap Northbeam’s API behind their own sign-in and billing.
  • API catalogs: they describe Northbeam’s API and leave the setup to you.

Porter reads Northbeam next to your marketing from one hosted server, starting on the free plan. Browse all marketing MCP servers Porter runs.

What it costs

Every Porter plan includes the Northbeam MCP at no extra cost, the free-forever plan too. Porter bills Reporting per connected data source account, and each Northbeam client counts as one. Northbeam questions are reads, so they use no automation credits. Full details are on Porter pricing.

What you useWhat you payWhat is included
Northbeam MCPIncluded in every planThe server URL, Claude and ChatGPT setup, reports, skills and scheduled emails
ReportingFrom $12.50/mo per data source account, billed annuallyReports and dashboards across Northbeam and your other sources. The free plan keeps unlimited connected accounts, up to 30 days of history and 15 days in AI chats
AutomationBy creditsApproved changes on your other sources, such as pausing an ad. Write actions wait for your approval. The free plan includes 100 credits a month

Northbeam MCP pricing calculator

  1. Open the calculator on the pricing page.
  2. Choose Reporting, Automation or both.
  3. Enter the Northbeam clients you want to use with the MCP.
  4. Add Shopify or ad platforms only when you need them next to Northbeam.
  5. Estimate credits only for approved changes on those other sources.
  6. Start the 14-day trial: everything unlimited, no card.

Free means usable: the free plan connects unlimited Northbeam clients, keeps up to 30 days of history and gives you 100 credits a month.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an official Northbeam MCP?

Yes. Northbeam hosts its MCP server at https://mcp.northbeam.io, read-only and included in every Northbeam plan, with each user signing in with their own login. Porter’s Northbeam MCP runs at https://mcp.portermetrics.com/mcp and puts Northbeam attribution next to Shopify and your ad accounts. You can connect both in Claude.

What is the Northbeam MCP server URL?

Porter’s Northbeam MCP server URL is https://mcp.portermetrics.com/mcp, and Northbeam’s own server is https://mcp.northbeam.io. Paste one into Claude, ChatGPT or another AI client as a custom connector. Porter’s route takes a Northbeam API key and Data-Client-ID in Porter, while Northbeam’s asks each user to sign in.

Is the Northbeam MCP free?

Porter’s Northbeam MCP is included in every Porter plan, the free-forever plan too. The free plan covers unlimited connected accounts, up to 30 days of history, 15 days in AI chats and 100 automation credits a month. Paid Reporting starts at $12.50 a month per data source account, billed annually, and the 14-day trial needs no card.

Which attribution models and windows can Claude use?

Claude uses any of Northbeam’s attribution models your export offers. Windows run 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 90 days plus LTV, and exist only in accrual accounting. Name the model in every prompt, and the window when you use accrual.

Can I connect several Northbeam clients?

Yes. Each Northbeam client, with its own API key and Data-Client-ID, connects and bills as one account. Agencies add each brand the same way, then ask one question across all of them. Claude tells the brands apart with the Client field.

How do I connect Claude to Northbeam?

Install the Porter plugin from Claude Settings → Customize → Plugins. Add the portermetrics/porter marketplace, install Porter Metrics from the Directory and paste your Northbeam API key and Data-Client-ID when the connector asks. Then ask Claude for last week’s ROAS by platform.

What is MCP? Is MCP an agent?

MCP is the Model Context Protocol, an open-source standard for connecting AI applications to external systems like Northbeam. MCP isn’t the agent. Claude and ChatGPT are the agents, and Porter’s MCP is how they reach your Northbeam clients.

Troubleshooting

Why don’t the numbers match Northbeam?

Claude’s numbers match the Northbeam dashboard when both use the same client, date range, timezone, attribution model, window, accounting mode and level. Recent days still shift while Northbeam processes orders, so compare a range that ends yesterday. Meta’s own ROAS differs for reasons Northbeam’s guide to ad performance discrepancies explains.

Why do Northbeam totals look too high?

Ask for one attribution model, window and accounting mode, or group by all three. Northbeam returns one row per combination and Porter passes every row to Claude, so adding them up counts the same revenue several times. Northbeam’s accounting modes explain why cash and accrual differ.

Why does a Northbeam question take a minute?

Ask for several metrics in one question. Porter runs a Northbeam export for each question, which takes a few seconds to several minutes, and Northbeam allows 60 export requests per minute (Northbeam’s Data Export API rate limits).

Start free

Connect Northbeam to Claude or ChatGPT and start with model comparisons, first-time CAC rankings and dashboards that land in your inbox.

Start free: unlimited connected accounts on the free-forever plan, or a 14-day trial with everything unlimited and no card.

Start free
  • Paid media and growth marketers: every model’s view of each platform in one answer.
  • Agencies: every Northbeam client answers to one prompt.
  • CMOs: attributed revenue and Shopify sales in the same weekly table.
  • Marketing analysts: 647 named fields, counted once.

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Destinations

Data Warehouse

Reporting

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Chat

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Connectors

Templates

Resources

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