---
title: "MCP servers"
description: "MCP servers give the assistant tools. Where Integrations let the assistant read your documents, MCP servers let it do things — open a Linear issue, post in Slack, push to a Noti…"
url: "https://sotaagents.ai/manual/using-sotaagents/mcp-servers"
generated_by: "sotaagents-ldp"
docs_index: "https://sotaagents.ai/manual/llms.txt"
locale: "en"
---

# MCP servers

MCP servers give the assistant **tools**. Where Integrations let the assistant _read_ your documents, MCP servers let it _do_ things — open a Linear issue, post in Slack, push to a Notion database, run a query in your internal API. "MCP" stands for _Model Context Protocol_: an open standard for exposing tools to AI agents.

Typical providers: Linear · Notion · Slack · GitHub · Asana

Setup: workspace admin

Use: every workspace member

### Integration vs MCP — what's the difference

| Aspect | Integration | MCP server |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What it does | Brings the system's documents into the knowledge base. | Gives the assistant tools to act in the system. |
| The assistant can… | _Read_ the content and cite it in answers. | _Do_ things — create, update, query live data. |
| Data freshness | A snapshot from the last sync; re-sync to update. | Live — the assistant calls the system in the moment. |
| Use it when | You want answers grounded in your team's documents. | You want the assistant to perform tasks, not just answer. |

### For workspace admins — register an MCP server

1. #### Open MCP servers

   From the workspace console choose _MCP Servers_. The screen lists every server connected to this workspace.

![The MCP Servers screen: a list of connected servers on the left and, on the right, the selected server with its status, transport, auth type and tool inventory](/manual/assets/product/ws-mcp-20260813.webp)
_The list shows every registered server; selecting one reveals its transport, auth and the tools it exposes._

2. #### Add a server

   Click _Add server_. Fill in a **Name**, the server's HTTPS **URL**, and an **Auth method** (OAuth for SaaS apps, API key for internal tools, or None).

![The add-MCP-server dialog with a name, server URL, transport selector and, under Advanced, the authentication method and a prompt hint](/manual/assets/product/ws-mcp-add-20260813.webp)
_Adding a server needs its URL and transport; authentication and a prompt hint sit under Advanced._

3. #### Authenticate

   For OAuth servers, click _Connect_ and approve the scopes in the browser. For API-key servers, paste the key into the form — it's encrypted and never shown again.

4. #### Test and refresh tools

   Use the _Test_ button to confirm the connection. Then click _Refresh tools_ to pull the server's tool catalog into the workspace.

5. #### Allow tools per workspace

   The tools are available to the assistant automatically once the server is connected. You can restrict which tools appear by toggling them off here. Anything toggled off is invisible to the assistant.

### Common MCP servers

| Server | What the assistant can do | Auth |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Linear | Create / read / update issues, comments, and assignees | OAuth |
| Notion | Search pages, create pages, update database rows | OAuth |
| Slack | Post messages, read channels, look up users | OAuth |
| GitHub | Read PRs, leave comments, search code, trigger workflows | OAuth or PAT |
| Asana | List tasks, create tasks, update status | OAuth |
| Internal HTTP MCP | Whatever your engineers expose | API key |

> [!WARNING]
> Be deliberate about what you allow
>
> The assistant will use any tool you give it when it thinks it's helpful. Don't expose destructive tools (delete, drop, force-push) unless the assistant's role explicitly needs them.