---
title: "How to Use the AI Catalog"
slug: "shadow-ai-how"
status: "update"
updated: 2026-09-07T08:31:16Z
published: 2026-09-07T08:31:16Z
canonical: "docs.verax.ai/shadow-ai-how"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.verax.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to Use the AI Catalog

The **AI Catalog** provides a centralized inventory of AI tools detected and supported by Verax.

It helps administrators discover AI usage, understand the risk associated with each tool, and control which AI tools are available to users.

The catalog includes both tools supported by Verax and AI tools discovered through user activity.

> **Note**
> 
> AI tool discovery requires AI traffic to be routed through Verax. Tools that do not pass through Verax cannot be detected or monitored.

---

## AI Tools

The **AI Tools** page lists all AI tools known to Verax.

For each tool, Verax displays information such as:

| Field | Description |
| --- | --- |
| **Name** | AI tool or service name. |
| **Vendor** | Organization providing the tool. |
| **Overall Risk** | Verax's calculated risk rating for the tool. |
| **Categories** | One or more categories describing the tool's primary capabilities. |

Some tools may also display badges such as **New**, indicating recently added catalog entries.

---

## Active Tools

The **Active tools** indicator shows how many AI tools were used during the selected time range.

This helps distinguish between:

- The complete AI catalog maintained by Verax.
- AI tools actively used within your organization.

---

## Risk Assessment

Each AI tool receives an overall risk rating based on multiple factors, including:

- Vendor characteristics
- Data handling practices
- Security posture
- Available governance controls
- Other risk indicators maintained by Verax

The risk score helps administrators prioritize which tools require additional review or governance.

---

## Filtering the Catalog

You can filter the catalog by:

- Tool
- Overall risk
- Vendor

Additional filters may be available depending on your deployment.

---

## Managing AI Tools

Selecting an AI tool opens a detailed view containing additional information, including:

- Tool description
- Supported capabilities
- Categories
- Risk information
- Connected MCP servers (when applicable)
- Additional governance information

---

## Relationship to Policies

The AI Catalog provides visibility into AI tools available within your environment.

Rules determine **how** users interact with those tools.

For example, you can create rules to:

- Restrict access to specific tools.
- Apply different policies to different user groups.
- Control file uploads or generated content.
- Enforce content inspection and data protection policies.

---

## MCPs

The **MCPs** page provides an inventory of Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers available in your environment.

For each MCP server, Verax displays:

- Available tools
- Risk level
- Number of users
- Usage statistics
- Last activity

Selecting an MCP server displays the available MCP tools and their capabilities, including action type, data domain, risk level, whether the action is destructive, and whether its effects extend outside your organization's boundary.

---

## Summary

The AI Catalog provides a centralized inventory of AI tools and MCP servers available within your environment.

By combining discovery, risk assessment, and governance, Verax helps organizations understand their AI landscape and make informed decisions about AI adoption and control.