MCP servers

MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. It is an open standard for giving AI agents new abilities.

Because it is a standard, tools built for it work with C5 without anyone writing special code for each one. If someone publishes an MCP server for a service, your agents can use it.

What an MCP server gives you #

Each server adds a set of abilities. There are servers for things like:

• Working with a particular database
• Using a specific company's service
• Reading a certain kind of file
• Talking to an internal system your team runs

Adding one #

1. Go to Settings.
2. Open the Integrations tab.
3. Choose Add MCP server.
4. Give it a name and the command or address it runs at.
5. Add any keys or settings it needs.
6. Save.

C5 connects and lists the abilities the server offers. You then choose which ones your agents may use.

Checking it worked #

After adding a server, C5 shows its state:

• Connected — working, and its tools are available.
• Connecting — still starting up.
• Failed — could not connect. C5 shows the reason.

If it failed, the usual causes are a wrong command or address, a missing key, or the server needing something installed first.

Turning individual abilities on and off #

A server might offer ten abilities when you only want two. You can switch them on and off one by one, so agents only get what you meant to give them.

Start with less. Turn on more when you find you need it.

Permissions still apply #

Adding a server does not bypass your rules. Anything an MCP tool does still goes through the same permission checks as everything else, and still gets recorded. See Permissions.

Removing one #

Open Integrations, find the server, and remove it. Its abilities disappear right away. Work that already finished is unaffected.

Where to go next #

• What tools do — the basics.
• Integrations — connecting services you already use.