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Secure & Govern · Prompt

Explain a control to the client

A plain-language explanation and talk track for any control, using the client's real situation.

ControlMap
Requires MCPby Greg Brydon · Solutions Engineer

Needs an LLM client connected to ScalePad MCP — Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf or similar. Without it the assistant cannot call the recipe's tools.

User prompt

2 inputs to fill
Explain [CONTROL] to [CLIENT NAME]'s leadership in plain language. Using ControlMap, include:
- What it requires, in one sentence
- Why it matters to a business like theirs, with a realistic example of what goes wrong without it
- Where they stand today (status, evidence, open action items)
- What "done" looks like for them, and a rough effort

Then give me a three-sentence talk track for the meeting.

How to work with the ControlMap API (ScalePad MCP):
- Find the client with GET /controlmap/v1/clients/health and use its tenant ID (for example "dundmif") in every request. Some clients have no UUID.
- Send the header Content-Type: application/json on every POST, PUT and PATCH, including searches.
- Use page_size of 50 or less and follow next_cursor. The "fields" parameter is ignored, so responses are large.
- Judge controls by "status", not the "compliant" flag. Objective lists include sub-objectives, so take totals from objective_summary.
- Use framework-level scores and labels. The overall score_label on client health can be wrong.
- Older policy sections may be URL-encoded twice: decode them and use the highest version of each section.
- If a call returns 502 or fails to connect, wait a few seconds and retry once. If it still fails, tell me exactly which data is missing.

# Explain a control to the client

Hook: A plain-language explanation and talk track for any control, using the client's real situation.

When to use it

Before a client meeting, or when a client pushes back on a requirement.

What you get

A short explanation, the business risk, and what good looks like for them.

Fill in the details

  • [CONTROL]: Control or requirement (e.g. CIS 6.5 Require MFA for admin access)
  • [CLIENT NAME]: Client name (e.g. Acme Dental)

Status

Tested against the ControlMap API on October 16, 2026. Only asks for what the API supports.

GBAuthorGreg BrydonSolutions Engineer · ScalePad

Recipes are starting points. Adapt them to your environment and validate the output before putting one into practice.

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