Add a remote MCP provider
Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that lets AI applications connect to external tools and data sources. Connect Opal to a remote MCP server to extend it with tools and data from an external system. Optimizely Opal administrators add and manage remote MCP servers on the External Providers tab.
After an administrator registers a remote MCP provider and adds the tools, a tile becomes available on the Connectors tab. Opal users and agent builders use the tile to authenticate with the MCP provider. They can then call Opal tools that use the remote MCP server.
Prerequisites
To add a remote MCP provider to Opal, you must have the following:
- The Opal administrator role.
- The MCP server URL.
- Either a bearer token or the OAuth credentials the MCP server requires.
Register a remote MCP provider
Registering the provider is the first step in connecting Opal to an MCP server. To register a remote MCP provider, complete the following steps:
- Go to Connectors > External Providers.
- Click Add Remote MCP Provider.
- Enter the MCP Server URL.
- Select Bearer Token or Discover OAuth Endpoints as your authentication method.
- Go to the corresponding section to complete authentication.
Authenticate with a bearer token
If you select bearer token, complete the following steps:
- Enter your bearer token.
- Click Next.
Bearer token authentication does not use scopes, so there is no scope bundle to approve. Continue to the Add the tools section to grant access to specific tools from your MCP provider.
Authenticate with OAuth
If you select Discover OAuth Endpoints, complete the following steps:
- Review the Found OAuth endpoints and Scopes.
- Click Next.
- Enter a Provider Name. The provider name must be globally unique.
- (Optional) Enter a Description.
- Review the OAuth Credentials. The remote MCP server determines which fields are populated and which are required.
- Enter any required fields.
- Click Register. Opal displays a confirmation message.
- Click Close.
Approve the scope bundles
A scope bundle is a named, reviewable set of OAuth permissions. Administrators approve it once, and users consent to it when they connect a tool.
- Go to Connectors > External Providers.
- Expand the external provider added in the Register a remote MCP provider section.
- (Optional) Click More > Edit.
- (Optional) Enter a Display Name for the provider. The display name does not need to be globally unique.
- (Optional) Paste the Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) representation of the Icon.
- Click Save Changes.
- Click More > Approve. This lets Opal users and agent builders connect and log in to the remote MCP server.
Add the tools
After you Register a remote MCP provider, you choose which of the provider's tools to make available to Opal users. To do so, complete the following steps:
- Go to Connectors > Connectors.
- Click Connect for the provider you added in theRegister a remote MCP provider section.
- Log in to the remote MCP server.
- Grant Opal the access it requests.
- Click Continue.
- (Optional) Deselect any tools you do not want to add to Opal.
- (Optional) Update the Display Name for the tools.
- Click Finish.
The tools are now available in your Opal instance.
To use the tools, Opal users and agent builders go to Connectors > Connectors and click Connect. They log in to the MCP server with their own credentials.
Enable the tools in Opal Chat (Optional)
If you want the tools available in Opal chat, enable them.
- Go to Connectors > Tools.
- (Optional) Select Remote MCP from the Tool Type filter drop-down list.
- Toggle Enable for Chat on.
Opal can now reference the tools in Opal Chat.
Note
If you use Opti ID, administrators can turn off generative AI in the Opti ID Admin Center. See Turn generative AI off across Optimizely applicationsTurn generative AI off across Optimizely applications.