Feature MCP Servers

Feature: MCP Servers

The MCP Servers feature allows you to extend the capabilities of your agent by connecting it to standard Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers.

What is an MCP Server?

An MCP Server is a lightweight application that exposes Resources, Prompts, and Tools to an MCP Client (this extension). Examples include:

• Filesystem Server: Allows the agent to read/write files on your computer.
• PostgreSQL Server: Allows the agent to query a database.
• GitHub Server: Allows the agent to create issues or read repositories.

Managing Servers

You can manage your connected servers from the Options Page under the MCP Servers tab.

Adding a Server

1. Click New Server.
2. Server Name: Give your server a recognizable name.
3. Transport Type: Select the transport protocol:
   • SSE (Server-Sent Events): For streaming, long-lived connections.
   • Streamable HTTP: Persistent HTTP connections with streaming capabilities.
   • Stateless HTTP: Each request is independent with no persistent connection state.
4. MCP Server URL: Enter the URL where your MCP server is running (e.g., http://localhost:3000/mcp).
   • Note: You must run your MCP server independently (e.g., in a terminal) and expose it via HTTP.
5. Connection Type: Choose between:
   • Direct: Connects directly to the MCP server (requires CORS configuration on the server).
   • Proxy: Routes through the MCP Inspector Proxy server.
6. Click Save.

Authentication

The server dialog supports multiple authentication methods:

• Custom Headers: Add one or more custom HTTP headers (e.g., Authorization: Bearer <token>). Each header can be individually enabled or disabled. Headers can be configured via a form view or raw JSON editor.
• OAuth 2.0: Configure OAuth authentication with:
  • Client ID
  • Client Secret (optional)
  • Scope (space-separated)
  • The extension handles the OAuth flow and stores the resulting token.

Advanced Configuration

Each server can optionally configure inspector-level settings:

• Request Timeout: Client-side timeout for MCP requests (default: 300,000 ms).
• Max Total Timeout: Maximum total timeout for a request (default: 60,000 ms).
• Reset on Progress: Whether to reset the timeout when progress notifications are received.
• Proxy Address: Address of the MCP proxy server.
• Proxy Auth Token: Authentication token for the proxy.

Server Status

The dashboard shows the status of each server:

• Connected: The extension is successfully communicating with the server.
• Disconnected: The connection failed or was closed.
• Tools Count: How many tools this server is providing to your agent.
• Inspect: Click the Inspect button on a connected server card to open the MCP Inspector for that specific server, where you can view its resources, prompts, tools, and JSON-RPC message logs.

Using MCP Tools in Chat

Once a server is connected, its tools automatically become available to the agent in the Side Panel. You don't need to manually invoke them; simply ask the agent to perform a task.

Example: If you are running the Filesystem server locally at http://localhost:3000/mcp:

1. Connect it in the Options page.
2. Ask the agent: "Please list the files in my Documents folder."
3. The agent will see the list_directory tool provided by the server and use it.