What is an MCP Server?

An MCP Server (Model Context Protocol Server) is a service that makes tools from third-party platforms seamlessly discoverable and usable by AI agents. It follows a standard format that allows AI to automatically recognize what tools are available through a platform’s server, understand how to use them, and interact with them to perform tasks—like pulling data from a CRM, running searches, or publishing information to external systems.

Note: Remote MCP Servers are becoming increasingly popular across many apps and platforms. However, not all providers offer one. If you want to connect to a specific source, you’ll need to check their documentation or support to confirm the following:

• Whether they support a Remote MCP Server
• What tools are available through it

When should I leverage an MCP Server instead of other Tool Options?

When you want to give your Agent a new capability—like publishing a datapoint to HubSpot or sending a Slack message—you generally have two options:

• Leverage an MCP Server
• Create a Custom Action with Agent Builder Bob

Rule of Thumb: Use an MCP Server if available
If the source offers a compatible Remote MCP Server, use it! These tools are ready-made, require no manual configuration, and can be immediately used by your Agent—as long as they meet our platform’s authentication and server requirements.

Use a Custom Action when:

• The source doesn’t support a Remote MCP Server
• The tools provided by the server don’t meet your specific needs

In those cases, Agent Builder Bob can help create a custom integration via a Custom Action.

The Remote MCP Server Requirements

Before we get into how to set one up, here’s how to determine whether a third-party Remote MCP Server is compatible with our platform:

Must be a Remote MCP Server (i.e., accessible via a URL)

• Local/self-hosted servers or those without a public URL are not supported.

Must support one of the following authentication types:

• None
• Bearer Token
• Custom Authorization Headers
  • Note: Sources that require Oauth are not currently supported

Must support one of these streaming protocols:

• Streamable
• SSE (Server-Sent Events)

Adding an MCP Server to your Agent

1. Navigate to the Agent Builder on an individual Agent
2. Navigate to the General tab, scroll down and select "Add Remote MCP Server"
3. A popup modal will appear with the following required information:
   1. Name: Friendly display name
   2. Server URL: Full remote MCP server endpoint
   3. Authentication Type: Choose from None, Bearer Token, or Custom Headers
      1. Token/Header values (if applicable)
4. Click "Connect."
5. If connected successfully, then all available tools will populate. Enable only the ones you need for that Agent to avoid hitting tool limits (see below).

Once connected, the platform will automatically discover the available tools and display them for you within that MCP Server listing in your Agent Builder for that Agent. All of the available tools are now available to the Agent for use during task execution.

Note: when using an OpenAI model with your Agent, there is a max number of 128 tools that can be added to any individual Agent. This includes tools via MCP Servers, Custom Actions and our Premade Tools. If you hit this limit, you will experience an error.