• USER DATA
  • DEVICE DATA
  • KEY DATA
  • HUMAN ACTION

How to audit tailnet users and devices with your AI

Connect Tailscale to your AI client to get a real-time view of your network. You can instantly check who is connected and what devices are active.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

How can I audit my Tailscale tailnet using AI?

Your AI client pulls user lists, device inventories, and active authentication keys directly from your Tailscale account. You can then ask it to find specific users or suspicious devices. This breakdown shows you how to run those checks.

Audit outcomes

What you'll find

The AI scans your Tailscale data to surface these specific insights.

USER DATA

Identify active users

The AI pulls a list of everyone with access. You can quickly see if any unexpected accounts are present.

DEVICE DATA

Inventory all devices

Get a full list of every machine on your tailnet. This helps you track hardware you didn't authorize.

KEY DATA

Check auth keys

Your AI inspects active authentication keys. You'll know exactly which keys are currently valid for adding new nodes.

HUMAN ACTION

Manual cleanup

The AI identifies the issues, but you decide which users or devices to revoke. You maintain total control over network changes.

The workflow

What your AI does when the audit starts.

The AI uses specific Tailscale tools to gather the facts before giving you an answer.

  1. Gather user info

    The AI pulls a list of everyone currently in your tailnet to establish a baseline of who has access.

    list_users

  2. Map the hardware

    It scans the network to see every connected device, providing a snapshot of your active endpoints.

    list_tailnet_devices

  3. Inspect credentials

    The AI looks at your authentication keys to see what's active and what might be stale.

    list_auth_keys

  4. Deep dive on users

    If you find a suspicious account, the AI pulls specific details about that individual user.

    get_user

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts to begin your audit.

Starting points

These are opening lines. Swap out names like 'admin' or 'dev-laptop' with your actual user or device names.

Tailscale Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_rCjYDxccyBQHR5o8xMpQrvp3OV1s24bpVdqdPLwd/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — Tailscale capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tailscale-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_rCjYDxccyBQHR5o8xMpQrvp3OV1s24bpVdqdPLwd/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • List all users in my Tailscale tailnet and tell me if any look out of place.

  • Show me all devices currently connected to my tailnet.

  • Are there any active auth keys that I should be worried about?

  • Get the details for the user named 'engineering-lead' and tell me what devices they are using.

  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Start here

Connect Tailscale once, then ask.

Just link your Tailscale account to the MCP. Your credentials stay encrypted, and you can immediately start asking questions about your network.

Connect Tailscale to your AI

FAQ

How the audit behaves

  • 01

    Can the AI delete users from my Tailscale account?

    No. The AI can only read data. You must log in to the Tailscale admin console to delete users or revoke keys.

  • 02

    Can the AI add new devices to my tailnet?

    No. The AI can list existing auth keys, but it cannot use them to register new devices.

  • 03

    Does the AI see my actual network traffic?

    No. The AI only sees metadata about users, devices, and keys provided by the Tailscale API.

  • 04

    How often does the AI see new devices?

    The AI sees whatever is currently visible in your Tailscale account at the moment you ask the question.

  • 05

    Can I use this to find unauthorized devices?

    Yes. By comparing the device list provided by the AI against your known hardware, you can identify unauthorized machines.

  • More questions about Tailscale? The Connector page answers them. See everything the Tailscale Connector can do

Connect Tailscale to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more