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MCP servers in agents

Give agents tools from outside MCP servers

An MCP server is an outside service that offers tools over the Model Context Protocol. Once you add one and sign in, the assistant and your agents can call its tools in chat.
This page is about MCP servers that PipesHub uses. To connect an AI client such as Claude or Cursor to PipesHub, see PipesHub MCP server.
MCP servers are on by default. An admin can turn them off in Workspace → Labs with Enable MCP Servers.

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Team servers and your own servers

Your MCP servers also lists the team servers your admin added, so you can sign in to them.

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Add a team server (admin)

  1. Go to Workspace → MCP servers.
  2. Pick a server from the catalog, or select New server to add a custom one.
  3. Fill in the server details:
    • Name and Description.
    • Transport: Streamable HTTP or STDIO (command). A new custom server can’t use SSE; only catalog servers and servers added earlier may use it. HTTP and SSE servers need a URL. A STDIO server needs a Command, its Arguments and any Required env variables.
    • Auth mode (see below).
  4. Optional: under Timeouts, set Connect timeout (seconds) and Tool call timeout (seconds). Leave them blank for the defaults.
  5. Optional: add the sign-in under Credentials (optional) now, or save and connect later: reopen the server with Manage and select Connect.
The catalog includes servers such as GitHub, Linear, Notion, Slack, ClickUp, Box, Exa, Atlassian Rovo, Gmail, Google Drive and Google Calendar. You can add more than one instance of a catalog server.
A custom STDIO server runs a command on the PipesHub server, with the service’s privileges and network access. These servers stay off unless the operator sets MCP_ALLOW_CUSTOM_STDIO=true in the deployment environment (Docker Compose .env, or config.mcpAllowCustomStdio in Helm). Until then the server shows Disabled on this deployment and agents can’t use its tools. Catalog servers and remote (HTTP) servers are not affected.

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Add your own server

  1. Go to Workspace → Your MCP servers and select New server.
  2. In Add an MCP server, pick a server from the catalog, or select Custom server to connect any remote MCP server by its URL.
  3. Fill in the details and save, then select Connect to sign in.
Only you see and use servers you add this way.

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Authentication

Each server uses one Auth mode: For OAuth 2.0, PipesHub checks whether the server supports dynamic client registration. If it does, leave the client fields blank: PipesHub registers itself. If it doesn’t, register an OAuth app with the provider using the Callback URL PipesHub shows, then enter its client ID and client secret. A custom OAuth server can also take an Authorization URL, a Token URL and Scopes.

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Shared sign-in for a team server

For a team server with API token or Custom header auth, an admin can turn on Use shared admin authentication for all users. The admin enters the credential once and everyone uses it. The server then shows Shared admin auth. Without a shared sign-in, each user signs in to the server from Workspace → Your MCP servers with Connect.

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Connection status

A server card shows its state, for example Connected, Not connected, Reconnect needed, Needs auth or Can’t reach server. If a sign-in expires, select Reconnect or Reauthenticate. Disconnect removes your saved sign-in but keeps the server’s settings and approval rules. Changing how a server is reached or signed in to removes the credentials people and agents saved for it. Everyone has to connect again.

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Tool approvals

You decide what happens when the assistant or an agent wants to call a server’s tool in your chats.
  1. Go to Workspace → Your MCP servers.
  2. On a server card, select Tool approvals.
  3. Set a rule for each tool:
    • Pre-approved: the tool runs without asking.
    • Allow on approval: the chat shows Needs your approval and waits for you to select Allow or Deny.
    • Deny: the tool never runs.
Tools are grouped as Read-only, Changes data and Can’t be undone. Until you set a rule, a read-only tool is pre-approved, a tool that changes data asks first, and a tool that can’t be undone is denied. A tool whose name contains a deleting word such as “delete”, “remove” or “drop” counts as one that can’t be undone, whatever the server says about it. In chat, an approval request expires after a while. You can also select Don’t ask again for this tool. Each person’s own rules apply.

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Use MCP servers in an agent

  1. Sign in to the server first. In the agent builder palette, a server you haven’t signed in to can’t be added.
  2. In the palette, open MCP servers and drag a server onto the canvas.
  3. Choose which tools the agent may use, or turn on All tools. All tools also includes tools the server adds later.
  4. Connect it to the MCP servers section of the Agent node and save.
Some rules apply:
  • An agent can use one server of each type.
  • Every MCP server on the agent needs at least one tool, or All tools.
  • Your own servers can’t be added to an agent that is shared with your organization or runs as a service agent.
  • On a service agent, use the key icon next to the server in the palette to store the agent’s own credentials.