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Orchestrivo supports connecting to any Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. This lets you extend your agents with specialized tools, internal services, or any MCP-compatible API.
Orchestrivo already has 50+ pre-built MCP servers for popular services like GitHub, Slack, Notion, HubSpot, and more. These work out of the box with agents. Browse available integrations before setting up a custom server.

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Adding a custom MCP server

Setting up a custom MCP server takes just a few steps.
1

Go to Connectors

Select Customize in the left sidebar, then the Connectors tab. Click Add Custom MCP in the top-right corner of the page. The Connect MCP Server dialog opens.
Connectors settings page with Discover, All, and Connected tabs, a Search all connectors field, and an Add Custom MCP button in the top-right corner
2

Enter the server URL

Enter your server’s address in MCP Server URL, then click Connect.If your organization has a Managed Tunnel and you can manage tunnels, the dialog first asks for a Connection type:
Connect MCP Server dialog with connection type and server URL
3

Configure authentication

Orchestrivo probes the server and shows the Detected Auth method. If the server supports OAuth, click Authenticate and sign in to connect your account. Otherwise, open the Authentication dropdown to supply a token, API key, or custom header instead.
Configure dialog showing detected OAuth 2.0 authentication
4

Add it to your agent

Open your agent and click + Add in the Connectors section. In the Add Connectors dialog, search for the server you just added in Search connectors, click + next to it, and click Save.You can also click Add Custom MCP at the top of the dialog’s left sidebar to connect a new server without leaving the agent.
Add Connectors dialog with an Add Custom MCP button at the top of the left sidebar, a Search connectors field, and connectors listed with a plus button to add each one to the agent
Team vs Personal credentials: You can store credentials at the personal level (only you can use them) or team level (shared with your team). Choose the appropriate scope when setting up. Learn more about credentials here

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Requirements

Custom MCP servers must meet these requirements:
Local MCP servers won’t work. You must deploy your server to a publicly accessible URL. Services like Cloudflare Tunnels or ngrok can expose local servers if needed.
On Enterprise? Managed Tunnels reaches MCP servers inside your network without opening inbound ports or running your own tunnel. Each becomes an organization-wide Proxied MCP rather than a personal credential.

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Authentication options

Orchestrivo supports multiple authentication methods:
  • Bearer tokens: Standard OAuth/API key authentication. When you provide an Access Token / API Key, Orchestrivo sends it as an Authorization: Bearer <token> header with every request to your MCP server.
  • Custom headers: For services requiring specific header formats. The Additional Header field accepts a single header in Header-Name: value format (for example, X-API-Key: my-secret-key). This is useful for MCP servers that expect authentication in a non-standard header.
  • OAuth discovery: Automatic OAuth flow discovery (RFC 8414) for compatible servers

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Using custom MCP servers with agents

Once configured, you can add your custom MCP servers to any agent. The agent can discover all available tools and use them naturally in conversation.
1

Open Agent Configuration

Go to your agent’s settings and find the Connectors section.
2

Select MCP server

Click + Add in the Connectors section, search for your configured MCP server in Add Connectors, add it, and click Save.
3

Use your agent

Your agent now has access to all tools from the MCP server. It automatically discovers and uses them based on conversation context.
What agents give you:
  • Conversational context: The agent maintains conversation history and can use tools across multiple turns
  • Automatic tool selection: The agent chooses the right tool based on your request
  • Multi-server support: Connect multiple MCP servers and let the agent orchestrate between them
  • Available everywhere: Use immediately in chat, Slack, or embedded pages

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Model-specific differences

Custom MCP servers work across all models in Orchestrivo, but how they run depends on the provider:
  • Native MCP: The provider (OpenAI/Anthropic) connects directly to your MCP server and executes tools.
  • Backend connector (Orchestrivo executes tool calls): Orchestrivo connects to your server and presents tools as regular function calls. When the model invokes one, Orchestrivo executes it and returns the result to the model.

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Header handling by model

Anthropic models don’t forward custom headers. If your MCP server relies on a custom header (for example, X-API-Key), use the Access Token / API Key field with a Bearer token instead, or choose OpenAI, Gemini, or Groq.

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Security considerations

Information in your prompts may be sent to your MCP server. Be mindful of sensitive data and review your server’s data handling policies.
All tools exposed by your MCP server are immediately available to the AI. There are no approval prompts before tool execution. Use appropriate authorization scopes to limit access.
When using multiple MCP servers, consider that data retrieved from one server could be passed to another. Design your prompts accordingly.

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Troubleshooting

Test with discovery first. Ask your agent to “list available tools” to verify the connection is working before relying on it.

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Further reading