Cadence IP Cadence IP Docs

Settings

AI & MCP

Cadence IP's intelligent features — the AI assistant, email drafting, document placeholders, summaries and data extraction — run on an AI provider you connect here. This page also controls how much the AI is allowed to do on its own, an email address that turns forwarded mail into proposed actions, and a way to connect external AI assistants to your matters.

Connecting an AI provider

On the AI section's Provider tab, connect the provider that powers every AI feature. This is organisation-wide.

Connect a provider and choose a primary and a fast model.
  • Provider — choose Anthropic, OpenAI or Google, then paste that provider's API Key.
  • Primary Model — the more capable model, used for the AI assistant, email drafting and document placeholders.
  • Fast Model — a lighter model used for background work such as email summaries.
  • Auto-generate summaries — automatically summarise incoming email as it arrives.

A green Connected status confirms the key works. Disconnect removes the key and switches AI features off. Changing provider resets the model choices to that provider's recommended defaults.

Organisation-wide AI guidance

The AI Guidance tab holds free-text instructions included in every AI request across all matter types. Use it for firm-wide direction — tone of voice, standard practices, terminology, how to address clients, standard deadlines and rates.

Firm-wide guidance is prepended to every AI request.

This is broad, always-on guidance. For instructions specific to one workflow, see per-matter-type AI Guidance.

Action approval mode

When the AI proposes a change to your data, it is collected as an AI Action rather than applied straight away. The AI Actions & MCP section sets how much the AI may do before you approve. This is organisation-wide.

Choose how data-changing AI actions are approved.
  • Require approval for all changes — safest, and recommended. Every change waits for you.
  • Let the agent decide — the AI applies routine changes and holds back the ones it judges significant.
  • Run automatically — changes apply immediately, without review. Use with caution.

Note

Read-only actions — where the AI only looks something up — always run immediately and are never gated, whatever mode you choose. Only data-changing actions are held for approval. Review pending items on the Approvals queue.

The email assistant

The Email assistant gives you a forward-to address that turns a forwarded email into proposed AI actions. Forward an email — say an examination report — with your instructions typed at the top, and reference templates by name.

Forward email with instructions to create AI actions for your review.
  • Put the matter reference in the subject (for example, MID1234) so it lands on the right matter.
  • Reference a template in your instructions with an @ — for example, report this to the client using @Reporting.
  • The resulting actions appear in your Approvals queue and are private to you, not shared with the whole firm.

Connecting external AI assistants (MCP)

The MCP server lets an external AI client — such as Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or VS Code — connect to Cadence IP and help you manage matters. Connections are personal to your account.

Connect an external assistant with a one-click sign-in — no API keys to copy.

Copy the Connection URL into your AI client as a remote (HTTP) MCP server, or use the one-line Claude Code command shown. Connecting is a one-click sign-in flow, so there are no keys to paste. Your connected clients are listed under Your connections, where you can Refresh the list or Disconnect any client. Anything a connected assistant does still respects your organisation's action approval mode.

To work with the assistant inside a matter, see AI Assistant.