What is MCP?
Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard for connecting AI models to external data sources and tools. MCP servers provide a standardized way for your agent to:- Access external services
- Execute tools and actions
- Retrieve contextual information
Connecting an MCP Server
Step 1: Get Server Details
You’ll need:- Server URL — The HTTP/HTTPS endpoint of the MCP server
- Transport Protocol — How to communicate (Streamable HTTP or SSE)
- Headers (optional) — Any authentication headers required
Step 2: Add the Server
- Go to Integration > MCP Servers
- Click Add Server
- Fill in the connection details:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Server Name | A friendly name (e.g., “my-api-server”) |
| Server URL | The MCP endpoint URL |
| Transport | Streamable HTTP (recommended) or SSE |
| Headers | Optional auth headers in Key: Value format |
Step 3: Test Connection
Click Test Connection to verify the server is reachable and responding correctly.Step 4: Save
Once the connection test passes, save the server configuration.Transport Protocols
Streamable HTTP (Recommended)
The modern transport protocol for MCP. Use this unless you have a specific reason to use SSE.SSE (Server-Sent Events)
Legacy transport protocol. Some older MCP servers may only support SSE.Managing Connected Servers
View Connected Servers
All connected servers appear in a list showing:- Server name
- Connection status
- Number of available tools
- Enable/disable toggle
Enable/Disable Servers
Toggle a server on or off without removing it. Disabled servers won’t be available to your agent.View Available Tools
Click the expand arrow on any server to see its available tools. Each tool shows:- Tool name
- Description of what it does
Edit Server
Click the edit button to modify:- Server URL
- Transport protocol
- Headers
Delete Server
Remove a server entirely by clicking the delete button.Configuring Tools
After connecting a server, you can fine-tune which tools your agent can use:- Go to Actions > MCP Servers
- Find your server in the list
- Expand to see individual tools
- Toggle specific tools on or off
Pre-Built Integrations
Crow includes pre-built support for popular services:Notion
Connect your Notion workspace via Knowledge Base > Notion. This uses MCP under the hood to provide real-time access to your Notion content.Coming Soon
- Slack
- GitHub
- Google Drive
Building Custom MCP Servers
If you want to build your own MCP server to expose custom tools:- Implement the MCP protocol specification
- Host your server at a publicly accessible URL
- Add the server URL in Crow
Best Practices
Use Descriptive Names
Name your servers clearly so you can identify them later:- Good:
customer-data-api,order-management - Bad:
server1,test
Secure Your Endpoints
- Use HTTPS for all MCP server URLs
- Include authentication headers when required
- Don’t expose sensitive operations unnecessarily
Test After Connecting
Verify in the Sandbox that your agent can discover and use the MCP tools correctly.Monitor for Changes
If your MCP server adds or removes tools, Crow will discover changes automatically when tools are fetched.Troubleshooting
Connection Test Failed
- Verify the server URL is correct
- Check that the server is running and accessible
- Ensure any required headers are included
- Try the other transport protocol
Tools Not Appearing
- Expand the server to trigger tool discovery
- Check server logs for errors
- Verify the server implements tool listing correctly
Agent Not Using MCP Tools
- Enable the server in the MCP servers list
- Enable specific tools in Actions
- Test with queries that should trigger the tools