# Overview

## Overview

AI and automation are useful when they help you find context faster, summarize a review, or repeat a well-defined check. They should not replace accountant judgment, client approval, or Kick's built-in permission controls.

Use Kick automation for:

* Finding the right client workspace before reviewing data.
* Pulling transactions, reports, chart of accounts data, and activity history.
* Summarizing unusual activity, missing context, or possible follow-up questions.
* Drafting client-friendly questions from source transactions.
* Repeating month-end, catch-up, or advisory review checks.

### The three surfaces

**Kick web app** is the right place for visual review, client collaboration, approvals, and everyday bookkeeping.

[**MCP**](https://github.com/KickApp/kick-accountant-help-center/blob/main/ai-and-automation/mcp) connects an AI assistant to Kick tools. Use it when you want to ask natural-language questions like "Which January transactions still need review?" or "What changed since the last close?"

[**CLI**](https://github.com/KickApp/kick-accountant-help-center/blob/main/ai-and-automation/cli) runs Kick commands from a terminal. Use it when you want repeatable commands, exports, scripts, scheduled checks, or workflows where another tool reads structured output.

### What cannot be bypassed

MCP and CLI requests still use Kick authorization. The connected credential must have the right workspace access, token scope, and route permission before Kick returns data or changes anything.

AI assistants and scripts also cannot make professional decisions for you. Treat their output as a draft until an accountant reviews the source data and confirms the next step.

### Recommended first step

Start with read-only access and a narrow review question:

> Confirm the active Kick workspace, then list 10 recent transactions that need bookkeeping review. Do not change any Kick data.

After that works, decide whether your next workflow belongs in [MCP](https://github.com/KickApp/kick-accountant-help-center/blob/main/ai-and-automation/mcp) or [CLI](https://github.com/KickApp/kick-accountant-help-center/blob/main/ai-and-automation/cli).


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