Adding custom MCP servers

Admins only

This screen is in Organization → Connectors, under Add → Custom MCP server, and only admins can see it.

A custom MCP server is a server your company has or uses that isn’t in nouter’s catalog. You load it once and it shows up for everyone as just another connector; each person connects with their own account. You can have up to 10.

Add it

1. In Organization → Connectors, click Add → Custom MCP server.
2. Fill in the Name, the URL and a short Description.
3. Click Add.

When you save, nouter tests the URL before storing it: it has to answer like an MCP server. If it doesn’t, it isn’t saved and the notice explains why. It moves to “Setting up…” and in about half a minute to Available to everyone.

Caution

The Name sets the server’s id (mcp-<name>), which goes into the callback URL: it can’t be changed afterwards. For another address, remove the server and add a new one.

If the server doesn’t accept automatic registration

Many MCP servers accept dynamic client registration and need nothing else. If yours has a whitelist of callback URLs, or doesn’t accept dynamic registration:

1. Edit the server you just added and open OAuth client. There’s the Callback URL: your workspace’s address, the server’s path and /oauth.

2. Register the client in the provider with that URL, or add it to its whitelist.

3. If the provider gives you a client, paste the Client ID and the Client secret and Save. The secret stays as “Loaded” and is never shown again.

Caution

Changing the URL or the Client ID disconnects everyone: the connector is recreated and the connected accounts are deleted. With a new URL, the Client secret has to be typed again (the saved one is only valid for the URL it was loaded with).

Edit and remove

• Edit… changes the URL, the description or the OAuth client.
• Remove deletes it for everyone, along with its accounts and tokens, after a confirmation.

Common errors

What you see	What happened	What to do
“Enter the server’s https URL. Addresses on private networks aren’t allowed.”	The URL isn’t https, has a user or password, or points to a private network	Use the server’s public https URL
“That URL doesn’t answer like an MCP server. Check it, and that the server is up.”	It didn’t answer initialize or ask for a Bearer login	Check the path (many end in /mcp) and that the server is up
“There’s already a connector with that name. Use another one.”	Another custom server, or one from the catalog, already uses that id	Use another name
“You already have 10 MCP servers. Remove one to add another.”	You hit the limit of 10 custom servers	Remove one you don’t use to add another
“Couldn’t set it up”	The workspace update failed, or the saved secret can’t be read anymore	Save again (and paste the secret if it asks)
When connecting, the server rejects the registration	It doesn’t accept automatic registration, or doesn’t have your callback URL in its whitelist	Edit the server and load the OAuth client