Protocol

What is MCP?

The open standard that lets AI assistants control desktop applications like InDesign.

In short

Sidekick speaks a protocol, not a product. That is why it is not tied to any one assistant.

Model Context Protocol

MCP is an open standard that lets AI assistants interact with external tools and applications. Instead of only chatting, an assistant can actually do things — read files, query databases, or in Sidekick's case, drive InDesign.

Think of it as a shared language between assistants and desktop applications. Sidekick implements an MCP server that turns what you ask for into InDesign commands.

What is MCPB?

MCPB (MCP Bundle) is Claude's native extension format for one-click installation of an MCP server. Double-click an .mcpb file and it is installed — no terminal required.

Not every MCP client supports MCPB yet. If yours does not, you can install Sidekick manually instead.

Clients that work

Sidekick works with any application that speaks MCP. These are the common ones.

Claude Desktop Anthropic's desktop app. Supports MCPB, so installing is a double-click. Recommended Cursor AI-powered code editor. Use the standalone installer. Windsurf Codeium's AI IDE. Use the standalone installer. Continue Open-source AI code assistant for VS Code and JetBrains.

See the full list of MCP clients on the official MCP site.