---
title: Connect MCP Servers to Roboto
sidebar:
  order: 32
---
## Overview

This guide shows how to connect an external service to Roboto's AI via the [Model Context Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io), so the AI can use that service's tools in your conversations. For the underlying concepts, see [MCP Connections](/docs/learn/ai/mcp).

## Prerequisites

- An MCP server available to your organization. Roboto registers these; if the server you want isn't listed in your settings, contact [support@roboto.ai](mailto:support@roboto.ai).
- An account on the external service — connections are per user, and the AI acts with your access.

## Connect a server

1. In the Roboto web app, go to **Settings → AI**.
2. Find the **Personal MCP Connections** section (expanded by default). Each server available to your organization appears as a card showing its connection status.
3. Click **Connect** on the server you want. A popup opens with the external service's sign-in page.
4. Sign in and authorize access. When authorization completes, the popup closes and the card shows **Connected**.

If your browser blocks the popup, the sign-in page opens in the current tab instead. After you authorize, a confirmation page appears; navigate back to **Settings → AI** to see the updated connection status.

Org admins: the **Connect** button stays disabled until you add AI context for the server — see the next section.

## Add organization context (org admins)

Org admins see an **AI Context** section on each server card with an edit (pencil) control. The context is a short plaintext note (up to 4,000 characters) describing how your organization uses the service (for example, "Our firmware issues live in the `firmware` repo; ignore the archived `legacy-fw` repo"). Roboto includes the context in the AI's instructions for every conversation in your organization — even for users who haven't connected the server yet, in which case the AI may suggest connecting it.

If you're an org admin, add the context first: the **Connect** button on a server stays disabled until the server has context. Non-admin members see the saved context on the card (read-only) and can connect regardless.

## Use external tools in a conversation

No further setup is needed after connecting. The AI knows which servers you've connected and fetches their tools when a conversation calls for them. Example prompts:

- "Check GitHub for open issues mentioning this error message."
- "Search our knowledge base for the calibration procedure for this sensor."
- "Is there a ticket tracking this failure already?"

External tool calls and their results appear in the conversation just like built-in tools.

## Disconnect

Return to **Settings → AI → Personal MCP Connections** and click **Disconnect** on the server's card. This removes your authorization, so the AI can no longer call that server's tools on your behalf. You can reconnect at any time.

## Troubleshooting

- **The Connect button is disabled** — org admins must add AI context for the server first; the card shows a warning and the button's tooltip says "Add AI context before connecting". Add the context, then connect.
- **A server is missing** — it may not be available to your organization yet. Contact [support@roboto.ai](mailto:support@roboto.ai).
- **Authorization expired** — external services expire tokens; the card shows an **Expired** chip and a warning. Click **Reconnect** to re-authorize.
- **The AI doesn't use a tool you expected** — each server has a tool allowlist. If a server marks any of its tools read-only, only its read-only tools are enabled by default. Contact [support@roboto.ai](mailto:support@roboto.ai) if a tool you need is blocked.