MCP Servers

MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers extend Operator's AI with external tool capabilities. By connecting MCP servers to your ERP.net instance, you give the AI access to additional tools and services beyond the built-in capabilities.

Overview

MCP servers are remote endpoints that expose tools via the Model Context Protocol standard. When activated, these tools become available to the AI during conversations, allowing it to interact with external systems, custom APIs, or specialized services.

Managing MCP Servers

MCP servers are managed per ERP.net instance. Only Power Users and Instance Admins can add, edit, or delete MCP servers.

Accessing the Management Page

Navigate to MCP Servers from the ERP instance submenu in the chat sidebar. This option is only visible when:

You are connected to an ERP.net instance
Your instance role is Power User or higher

Adding a Server

Click Add Server and fill in:

Field	Description
Name	Display name shown to users (e.g., "Warehouse Scanner")
Server Label	Unique identifier used internally — auto-generated from name
Description	Explains what the server does — shown to the AI to help it decide when to use the tools
Server URL	The remote MCP endpoint URL
Auth Mode	`No authentication` or `Send user's instance token` — controls whether the user's ERP token is forwarded
Allowed Tools	Optional comma-separated list to restrict which tools are exposed
Enabled	Toggle to activate/deactivate the server

Authentication Modes

No authentication: The MCP server is called without any credentials. Use for public or internally-secured endpoints.
Send user's instance token: The user's ERP.net access token is included in the Authorization header. Use when the MCP server needs to act on behalf of the user in ERP.net.

Activating MCP Servers for Base Agents

When using built-in agents (Business Specialist, Advisor, System Architect, etc.), you can activate MCP servers from the Capabilities page:

Navigate to the Capabilities page
Scroll to the MCP Servers section (visible when connected to an instance that has MCP servers)
Toggle individual servers on or off

Activations are per-user — each user chooses which MCP servers they want active for their sessions.

MCP Servers in User-Defined Agents

When creating or editing a custom agent, the MCP Servers tab offers two modes:

Run on any instance (default): The agent works regardless of which instance is connected. No MCP servers are attached.
Bind to current instance and add MCP servers: The agent is locked to a specific instance and can use selected MCP servers from that instance.

When bound to an instance:

The agent will only work when that specific instance is connected
You can select which MCP servers the agent should have access to
A warning indicates the instance requirement

How It Works

During a conversation, Operator automatically:

Checks which MCP servers are active (via user activations for base agents, or pinned servers for custom agents)
Injects them as available tools for the AI
The AI discovers and uses the tools as needed, requesting approval before each use
If the server requires authentication, the user's instance token is forwarded automatically

All MCP tool calls require explicit user approval before they run.