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

# Skills served over MCP

> Add an MCP connector once, including an MCP gateway you already run, and agents call it as a skill with the same approvals, credentials and record as any other skill.

Agents reach skills served over MCP with the same approvals, credentials and record as any other skill. Register the MCP connector once, then add it to agents like any skill. For the other direction, people using your skills from their own AI clients, see [MCP gateway](https://docs.xpander.ai/run/integrations/mcp-gateway.md).

![Skills settings on the MCP servers tab listing servers with Shared with and Authentication](https://mintcdn.com/xpanderai-099931d1/wqIIXSsh0kqA2hZ_/images/verify/settings-skills-mcp-servers.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=wqIIXSsh0kqA2hZ_\&q=85\&s=9942b70a47d6b4199fd0c9618b3f4276)

Settings > Skills > MCP servers with Add server. Shown with sample data.

## Where to register an MCP connector

| Where | Who it is for |
| - | - |
| **Settings > Skills** > **MCP servers** tab > **Add server** | Any member. **Shared with** **Private** or **Organization** |
| **Agent settings > Skills > Add skill > Custom skill > MCP Connector** | An agent's owner. **Add to organization registry** makes it a shared entry. See [Add a skill](https://docs.xpander.ai/connectors/add-a-skill.md) |
| **Platform > Agents > Skills registry** > **Add item** > **MCP server** > **Add a server** | Admins, for the whole organization. Lands as **Optional** |

> [accordion] Server fields
>
> Every place takes the same fields: **Name**, **Server type** (**Remote** or **Local**), **Server URL**, **Transport** (**HTTP** or **SSE**), **Authentication** (**None**, **API key**, **OAuth2**, **Headers** or **Signed-in user (SSO)**), and an optional **Health check**. For **Signed-in user (SSO)**, **Token sent** is **Access token**, **ID token** or **Exchange for an audience** (with an **Audience**).

## Set how it reaches agents

In the Skills registry, **Off** removes it everywhere. **Optional** leaves it for each agent to add. **Auto-injected** and **On by default** put it on every agent in its audience. Its actions can be gated for approval like any skill's. Local stdio entries (a `uvx ...` command) work on Air-Gapped too.

## Whose credential the MCP connector receives

| Authentication | What the MCP connector receives |
| - | - |
| **OAuth** | Each person authorizes their own account, so the agent acts with their permissions where the system allows. A token can be shared across a person's agents. Setup with your identity provider: [Per-person sign-in](https://docs.xpander.ai/run/integrations/mcp-per-person-sign-in.md) |
| **Signed-in user (SSO)** | The asking person's SSO token as `Authorization: Bearer`, for endpoints behind an identity-aware gateway. No separate sign-in |

See [whose credential a shared agent uses](https://docs.xpander.ai/use/agents/permissions.md#whose-credential-a-shared-agent-uses).

![Add server panel in Settings > Skills > MCP servers with Name Inventory, Shared with Organization, Server type Remote, a Server URL, Transport HTTP, Authentication Signed-in user (SSO), Token sent Exchange for an audience, Audience api://inventory, and Health check (optional)](https://mintcdn.com/xpanderai-099931d1/tjdmWPJVKNkOK7Du/images/verify/mcp-add-server-sso.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=tjdmWPJVKNkOK7Du\&q=85\&s=586e3744d3dab5d1cd6fc5102487cb0e)

Add server with Authentication set to Signed-in user (SSO), Token sent set to Exchange for an audience, and an Audience. Shown with sample data.

## How calls behave

* Remote MCP connectors use HTTP or SSE. Local stdio entries run in the agent's workspace and are tested at save time.
* When an MCP connector asks for input (MCP elicitation), the person answers in the chat, or an app answers [over the API](https://docs.xpander.ai/use/approvals.md#answering-a-question-from-an-mcp-server).
* Long-running operations (MCP Tasks) run in the background.
* A dropped session reconnects. **Connected** means a real call worked.

## An MCP gateway you already run

Add its endpoints to the registry as above. Both its policy and xpander's controls apply to xpander's calls. Its other clients stay outside xpander. It must be reachable from the cluster's pods, not only the browser.

## Next steps

> [card] [Add an MCP skill to an agent](https://docs.xpander.ai/connectors/add-a-skill.md)
>
> Step by step.

> [card] [Let each person sign in](https://docs.xpander.ai/run/integrations/mcp-per-person-sign-in.md)
>
> Act as whoever asks.

> [card] [Give people your skills](https://docs.xpander.ai/run/integrations/mcp-gateway.md)
>
> The MCP gateway for AI clients.


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.