Article Summary
MCP (Model Context Protocol) lets you connect external tool servers directly to AutoRFP's agent, giving it secure access to data and actions inside the tools your team already uses. AutoRFP comes with a catalogue of predefined connectors — GitHub, Grain, HubSpot, Intercom, Linear, Notion, and Slack — and also supports any custom MCP-compatible server.
Setup has two stages: an Admin configures and activates a connector once for the whole organization, then each user connects their personal account to start using it.
Estimated Time
Admin setup: 5–15 minutes per connector (depending on the provider)
User connection: 2–3 minutes per connector
Prerequisites
For Admins:
Admin access to AutoRFP
Admin access (or OAuth app registration rights) for the service you want to connect
For Users:
An account with the connected service
The MCP connector activated by your Admin
Supported Connectors
AutoRFP currently supports MCP connections with:
Predefined connectors:
GitHub — Repositories, issues & pull requests
Grain — Meeting recordings and notes
HubSpot — CRM data
Intercom — Customer conversations
Linear — Issues and projects
Notion — Docs and databases
Slack — Channels and messages
Custom connectors:
Any MCP-compatible server via the Add Custom MCP Server option
Step-by-Step Instructions
Part 1: Navigate to Agent MCP Servers
Step 1: Open MCP server settings
Click the Organization tab in the left navigation menu
Click the Integrations tab
Select Agent MCP Servers from the menu
You'll see a grid of cards — one for each predefined connector, plus an Add Custom MCP Server card at the end.
Part 2: Check If Your Connector Needs OAuth Credentials
Connectors fall into two categories, which determines your setup path:
1) Connectors with automatic registration (no credentials needed)
These support Dynamic Client Registration (DCR) — AutoRFP handles everything automatically. You'll skip straight to the sign-in step.
2) Connectors that require OAuth credentials
These ask you to register an OAuth app with the provider first (GitHub is a common example). You'll need to generate a Client ID and Client Secret before continuing.
Note: You won't know for certain which category your chosen connector falls into until you open the wizard. If the first wizard step asks for a Client ID and Client Secret, follow Part 3. Otherwise, skip to Part 4.
Part 3: Register an OAuth App (Only If Required)
If the wizard's first step asks for OAuth credentials, you'll need to register an app with the provider before continuing.
Step 1: Retrieve the AutoRFP redirect URI
In the setup wizard's first step, find the box labelled "When registering your OAuth app, use this redirect URI"
Click the copy icon to copy the URI to your clipboard
‼️ Important: The redirect URI must be pasted exactly into the provider's OAuth app settings — even a trailing slash difference will cause authentication to fail.
Step 2: Create the OAuth app with the provider
Click the Create OAuth app in [Provider Name] link in the wizard — this opens the provider's developer settings in a new tab
Create a new OAuth app following the provider's instructions
Paste the AutoRFP redirect URI into the callback/redirect URI field
Save the app
Step 3: Copy your credentials
Copy the Client ID into AutoRFP
Generate and copy the Client Secret into AutoRFP
‼️ Important: Most providers only display the Client Secret once. Store it securely before navigating away — if you lose it, you'll need to generate a new one.
Part 4: Complete the Setup Wizard
The wizard has up to three steps, depending on the connector type: Server Details → Sign In → Configure Tools.
Step 1 of 3 — Server Details (skipped for some predefined connectors)
For predefined connectors, the Name and Server URL are pre-filled and cannot be changed.
For custom MCP servers, you'll need to enter:
Name — a unique name used as a namespace for tools (max 100 characters)
Server URL — the MCP server endpoint URL
Description (optional) — helps users on the Connections page understand what the connector is for
If the connector requires OAuth credentials, additional fields will appear:
Client ID — from your OAuth app
Client Secret — from your OAuth app
For custom servers, you can optionally expand the Advanced section to manually provide credentials if the server doesn't support automatic registration.
Click Continue when the form is complete
Step 2 of 3 — Sign In
This step authenticates once so AutoRFP can discover which tools the server exposes.
‼️ Important: Your credentials are not stored. Signing in here is a one-time discovery step so AutoRFP can learn what tools are available. Each of your users will connect their own account separately later.
Click Sign in to [Provider Name]
A popup window will open, redirecting you to the provider's OAuth screen
Authorise the connection
Once complete, the wizard will confirm: "Signed in successfully" and show the number of tools discovered (e.g., "We found 24 tools available on [Provider]")
Click Continue
‼️ Important: If the popup is blocked, you'll see a message asking you to allow popups for this site. Update your browser settings and click the button again.
Step 3 of 3 — Configure Tools
You'll see a full list of tools the server exposes, each labelled:
read (green) — tools that retrieve data (e.g., list records, read files)
write (orange) — tools that create, update, or delete data
other (grey) — tools that don't fit either category
By default:
Read tools are enabled
Write tools are disabled
To configure:
Toggle individual tools on or off based on what your users should access
Click more on any tool description to read the full details before enabling it
If you enable any write tools, an orange warning banner will appear: "Write tools can create, update, or delete data in the connected service"
At least one tool must be enabled before you can save
Click Save
Part 5: Activate the Connector
After saving, the connector card will appear in your MCP Servers grid showing:
Count of enabled read tools (green chip)
Count of enabled write tools (orange chip), if any
To make the connector available to your users:
Toggle the card ON
Note: The toggle will be disabled if no tools are enabled on the connector. Click the ⚙️ settings icon on the card, enable at least one tool, save, then return to activate.
Once activated, the connector becomes visible to all users on the Connections page in their personal account settings.
Part 6: Edit or Update a Connector (Admin)
Once set up, you can adjust a connector at any time.
Click the ⚙️ settings icon on the connector card
From the Edit MCP Server dialog you can:
Update the Name (custom connectors only) and Description
Update the Client ID and Client Secret — leave the secret blank to keep the existing one
Enable or disable individual tools
Click Re-auth & Refresh Tools if the provider has added new tools you want to make available
Delete the connector (custom connectors only) — this disconnects all users and removes it from your agents
Part 7: Connect a Personal Account (Users)
Once an Admin has activated a connector, each user needs to connect their own account individually.
Step 1: Navigate to Connections
Click your profile avatar on the bottom left toolbar
Click My Connections in the menu
You'll see cards for every MCP connector your Admin has activated. If the page shows "No personal connections have been configured for your organisation yet," your Admin hasn't activated any connectors — reach out to them first.
Step 2: Connect your account
Locate the card for the connector you want
Click Connect
A popup window will open, redirecting you to the provider's OAuth screen
Log in to the service (if not already) and authorize the connection
The popup closes and your card updates to show a green Connected chip
The Available tools list on the card shows exactly what the Admin has allowed for this connector.
‼️ Important: If the popup is blocked, you'll see a message: "Popup was blocked. Please allow popups for this site and try again." Update your browser settings and try again.
Step 3: Start using the connector in the agent
Your connection is now active. Open any project, start a conversation with the agent, and it will automatically have access to the connector's enabled tools.
Part 8: Disconnect Your Account
If you need to remove a connection at any time:
Navigate to Account Settings → Connections
Click Disconnect on the connector card
Confirm by clicking Disconnect in the dialog: "Your connection to this server will be removed."
Access is revoked immediately. You can reconnect at any time by repeating Part 7.
💡Tips & Best Practices
Start with read tools only when activating a new connector — you can always add write tools later once you're confident in how the agent uses them
Review write tool descriptions carefully before enabling them, as they can create, update, or delete real data in the connected service
Use the Description field on custom connectors to help users understand what the connection is for on their Connections page
Create dedicated OAuth apps specifically for AutoRFP (rather than using a personal account's app) so ownership doesn't depend on one individual — particularly useful at scale
Refresh tools regularly — providers frequently expand their MCP offerings, so use Re-auth & Refresh Tools periodically to see what's new
✋🏼 Common Mistakes to Avoid
Entering the wrong redirect URI in the provider's OAuth app — it must be copied exactly from the AutoRFP wizard
Generating a Client Secret without immediately copying it — most providers only show it once, so you'll need to regenerate if you navigate away
Activating the connector before enabling any tools — the toggle won't turn on until at least one tool is enabled
Forgetting that each user needs to connect their own account — Admin setup doesn't automatically connect users; they must each complete Part 7 individually
Enabling write tools before the team is ready — these can modify real data in the connected service, so roll them out deliberately
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