MCP Data Sources

Overview

This guide covers the complete lifecycle of working with MCP (Model Context Protocol) data sources in Integration Designer—from initial setup through ongoing tool management. Once configured, the MCP server’s tools become available for use in Custom Agent nodes within your workflows.

Prerequisites

Before adding an MCP data source, ensure you have:

Access to Integration Designer with appropriate permissions
MCP server URL and connection details
Authentication credentials (if required)
Knowledge of which tools you want to enable

Ensure you have the necessary permissions to access Integration Designer and manage data sources.

Adding an MCP server

Step 1: Access Integration Designer

Open FlowX Designer and navigate to General Settings.
Select Integration Designer from the menu.
Click Add Data Source.

Step 2: Select MCP server type

In the data source type selection, choose MCP Server.
A configuration form appears with required fields.

Step 3: Configure basic information

Enter Name

Provide a unique name for the MCP server connection.

Add Description

(Optional) Provide a description of the MCP server’s purpose and the tools it provides.This description is displayed in the MCP server details page and helps team members understand the integration’s purpose.

If not provided, the description will be autofillled after test connection is successful.

Configure Server URL

Enter the base URL of the MCP server.Requirements:

Required: URL cannot be empty
Format: Must be a valid URL (e.g., https://api.example.com/mcp)
Multiple Connections: You can create multiple connections to the same MCP server with different configurations

Example URLs:

https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/
https://mcp.figma.com/mcp
https://mcp.intercom.com/sse

Step 4: Configure authentication

Select the appropriate authentication method for your MCP server:

None
Service Account

No authentication required. The MCP server accepts requests without credentials.Use Case: Development environments, public MCP servers, or servers with network-level security.Configuration: No additional fields required.

OAuth 2.0 service account authentication using the client credentials flow.Use Case: Production environments requiring secure authentication.

Currently, only the OAuth 2.0 client credentials flow is supported. Other OAuth flows will be added in future releases.

Required Fields:

clientId

string

required

The OAuth 2.0 client identifier provided by your identity provider.

clientSecret

string

required

The OAuth 2.0 client secret. This is encrypted and stored securely.

identityProviderUrl

string

required

The URL of your OAuth 2.0 authorization server (e.g., https://auth.example.com/oauth/token).

Step 5: Test connection

Before saving the MCP data source, test the connection to verify it’s configured correctly.

Click Test Connection button.
The system attempts to connect to the MCP server using the provided configuration.
Wait for the connection test result:

Success Response:

{
  "status": 200,
  "message": "Connection successful"
}

If the connection test succeeds, you can proceed to save the data source. If it fails, review the error message and verify your configuration.

Step 6: Save and view tools

After a successful connection test, click Create.
The MCP server is persisted as a data source.
You are automatically redirected to the MCP server details page, where available tools are displayed.

By default, all tools exposed by the MCP server are enabled. You can turn off specific tools from the MCP server details page.

MCP server details page

After successfully adding an MCP server, the details page displays:

Header Information

Title: The name you assigned to the MCP server
Subtitle: Description and server URL (trimmed to one row)
- Click to view full description in a modal

Tools tab

The Tools tab displays all available tools from the MCP server and allows you to manage which tools are available for use in Custom Agent nodes.

Understanding tool information

Each tool in the MCP server displays the following information:

name

string

The unique identifier for the tool. This name is used when the AI agent invokes the tool.

description

string

A brief description of what the tool does. This helps users understand the tool’s purpose and when to use it.

status

boolean

Indicates whether the tool is currently enabled (available to AI agents) or disabled (not available).

Enabled: Tool can be used in Custom Agent nodes
Disabled: Tool is hidden from Custom Agent node configuration

Viewing tool details

To view complete details about a tool:

Click on any tool row in the Tools tab
A modal window opens displaying:

Tool Name

The complete name of the tool as registered in the MCP server.

Description

Full description of the tool’s functionality, including:

What the tool does
When to use it
Expected behavior

Input Schema

JSON Schema defining the expected input parameters for the tool.Example:

  {
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "customerId": {
        "type": "string",
        "description": "The unique identifier for the customer"
      },
      "includeOrders": {
        "type": "boolean",
        "description": "Whether to include order history",
        "default": false
      }
    },
    "required": ["customerId"]
  }

The input schema is used by AI agents to understand what parameters the tool expects and how to format requests.

Output Schema (Optional)

JSON Schema defining the structure of the tool’s response.Example:

  {
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "customer": {
        "type": "object",
        "properties": {
          "id": { "type": "string" },
          "name": { "type": "string" },
          "email": { "type": "string" }
        }
      },
      "orders": {
        "type": "array",
        "items": {
          "type": "object",
          "properties": {
            "orderId": { "type": "string" },
            "total": { "type": "number" }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }

Output schemas are optional. If not provided, the AI agent will work with the actual response structure returned by the tool.

Enabling and disabling tools

You can control which tools are available for use in Custom Agent nodes by enabling or disabling them. Enable/Disable Individual Tools:

Access Tool Menu

In the Tools tab, locate the tool you want to enable or disable.

Toggle Tool Status

Click the three-dot menu (⋯) at the end of the tool row
Select Enable or Disable from the menu

Confirm Change

The tool’s status updates immediately. Enabled tools show a green status indicator, while disabled tools show a gray indicator.

Disabling tools that are currently in use by active workflows may affect those workflows. Always verify that tools are not in use before disabling them.

Authorization tab

The Authorization tab displays the current authentication configuration:

Authentication Type: None or Service Account
Configuration Details: Client ID, Identity Provider URL (sensitive information like secrets are hidden)

Changes to authentication settings require re-testing the connection and may affect existing workflows using this MCP server.

Managing tools

Refreshing tools from MCP server

Tools are automatically synchronized from the MCP server when you:

Initially connect the MCP server
Re-test the connection from the Authorization tab
Manually refresh the tools list

To manually refresh tools:

Navigate to the MCP server details page
Go to the Authorization tab
Click Check for Updates
If successful, return to the Tools tab to see any new or updated tools

Tool definitions (name, description, schemas) are read-only and managed by the MCP server. You can only control the enabled/disabled status from Integration Designer.

API endpoint for tool management

Tools can also be managed programmatically using the API: Enable/Disable Tool API:

PATCH /api/resource/app/{appId}/app-version/{versionId}/rt/system/ri/{systemResourceId}/integration/api/systems/ri/{systemId}/tool/{toolId}/enable

Request Body:

{
  "enabled": true
}

Response:

{
  "status": 200,
  "message": "Tool status updated successfully",
  "tool": {
    "id": "67d816adacc8b761ebf769e5",
    "name": "get_customer",
    "enabled": true
  }
}

For complete API documentation, see MCP API Reference.

Monitoring tool usage

To understand which tools are being used in your workflows:

Navigate to the Run Logs section after running a workflow
Check the Tools tab (visible when MCP tools are used)
Review which tools were invoked and their execution details

Managing multiple MCP connections

You can create multiple connections to the same MCP server with different configurations: Use Cases:

Different authentication credentials for different environments
Separate tool configurations for different use cases
Testing vs. production instances

Example:

- CRM Production (https://api.crm.com) - Service Account Auth
- CRM Development (https://api.crm.com) - No Auth
- CRM Testing (https://api.crm.com) - Different Service Account

Validation rules summary

Name Validation

Required: ✅ Yes
Unique: ✅ Within project
Allowed Characters: Letters, numbers, [], (), ., _, -
Error Message: “Name must be unique inside the project.” or “Name can only contain letters, numbers and the following special characters [] () . _ -”

Description Validation

Required: ❌ No
Max Length: No explicit limit (trimmed in UI display)

Server URL Validation

Required: ✅ Yes
Unique: ❌ No (multiple connections allowed)
Format: Valid URL with protocol (http/https)

Authentication Validation

Required Fields: Depends on authentication type selected
Service Account: All three fields (Client ID, Client Secret, Identity Provider URL) are required

Best practices

Data source setup

Test Before Saving: Always test the connection before saving an MCP data source to ensure the configuration is correct.

Use Descriptive Names: Choose clear, descriptive names that indicate the MCP server’s purpose and environment (e.g., “CRM-Production”, “Analytics-Dev”).

Document Purpose: Add detailed descriptions to help team members understand what the MCP server provides and when to use it.

Secure Authentication: Use Service Account authentication for production environments to ensure secure access.

Tool management

Start with All Enabled: By default, all tools are enabled. Review the available tools and disable only those you don’t need.

Regular Audits: Periodically review enabled tools to ensure they’re still needed and being used effectively.

Security Considerations: Disable tools that provide access to sensitive data or operations if they’re not needed for your use case.

Workflow impact considerations

Before disabling tools, consider the following:

Check Tool Usage: Verify if the tool is currently used in any active workflows
Impact Assessment: Understand what workflows might be affected
Communication: Notify team members before disabling tools that might be in use
Testing: Test workflows after re-enabling tools to ensure they work as expected

If you disable a tool that’s referenced in a Custom Agent node, that node will not be able to use the tool during execution. The AI agent will work with the remaining enabled tools only.

Common issues and troubleshooting

Connection Test Fails

Possible Causes:

Invalid server URL
Incorrect authentication credentials
Network connectivity issues
MCP server is down or unreachable

Solutions:

Verify the server URL is correct and accessible
Check authentication credentials with your MCP server administrator
Test network connectivity to the MCP server
Confirm the MCP server is running and accepting connections

No Tools Displayed

Possible Causes:

MCP server hasn’t exposed any tools
Connection issue after initial setup

Solutions:

Verify the MCP server is configured to expose tools
Re-test the connection from the Authorization tab
Contact your MCP server administrator

Name Validation Error

Error: “Name must be unique inside the project.”Solution: Choose a different name that hasn’t been used in this project.

Error: “Name can only contain letters, numbers and the following special characters [] () . _ -”Solution: Remove any special characters that aren’t in the allowed list.

New Tools Not Appearing

Problem: You added new tools to your MCP server, but they don’t appear in Integration Designer.Solution:

Go to the Authorization tab
Click Test Connection to refresh the tool list
Return to the Tools tab to see the new tools

Tool Used in Active Workflow

Problem: You want to disable a tool, but it’s used in an active workflow.Solution:

Search for workflows using the tool
Update those workflows to use alternative tools or remove the MCP server reference
Test the modified workflows
Disable the tool once it’s no longer in use

Re-enabling a Previously Disabled Tool

Problem: You disabled a tool and now need to re-enable it.Solution:

Find the tool in the Tools tab (disabled tools are still listed)
Click the toggle or menu to enable it
Test workflows that use this tool to ensure they work correctly

Tool Schema Changes

Problem: The MCP server updated a tool’s input or output schema.Solution:

Test the MCP connection to refresh tool definitions
Review the updated schema in the tool details modal
Update any Custom Agent nodes that use this tool to match the new schema
Test affected workflows

Next steps

Custom Agent Node

Learn how to use MCP tools in workflows with Custom Agent nodes

MCP Integration Overview

Learn about MCP integration capabilities

MCP API Reference

View API documentation for programmatic access

Getting Started

Platform overview

FlowX.AI Designer

Building projects

Building blocks

Platform deep dive

API reference

MCP Data Sources

Overview

Prerequisites

Adding an MCP server

Step 1: Access Integration Designer

Step 2: Select MCP server type

Step 3: Configure basic information

Step 4: Configure authentication

Step 5: Test connection

Step 6: Save and view tools

MCP server details page

Header Information

Tools tab

Understanding tool information

Viewing tool details

Enabling and disabling tools

Authorization tab

Managing tools

Refreshing tools from MCP server

API endpoint for tool management

Monitoring tool usage

Managing multiple MCP connections

Validation rules summary

Best practices

Data source setup

Tool management

Workflow impact considerations

Common issues and troubleshooting

Next steps

Custom Agent Node

MCP Integration Overview

MCP API Reference

Getting Started

Platform overview

FlowX.AI Designer

Building projects

Building blocks

Platform deep dive

API reference

​Overview

​Prerequisites

​Adding an MCP server

​Step 1: Access Integration Designer

​Step 2: Select MCP server type

​Step 3: Configure basic information

​Step 4: Configure authentication

​Step 5: Test connection

​Step 6: Save and view tools

​MCP server details page

​Header Information

​Tools tab

​Understanding tool information

​Viewing tool details

​Enabling and disabling tools

​Authorization tab

​Managing tools

​Refreshing tools from MCP server

​API endpoint for tool management

​Monitoring tool usage

​Managing multiple MCP connections

​Validation rules summary

​Best practices

​Data source setup

​Tool management

​Workflow impact considerations

​Common issues and troubleshooting

​Next steps

Custom Agent Node

​Related resources

MCP Integration Overview

MCP API Reference

Overview

Prerequisites

Adding an MCP server

Step 1: Access Integration Designer

Step 2: Select MCP server type

Step 3: Configure basic information

Step 4: Configure authentication

Step 5: Test connection

Step 6: Save and view tools

MCP server details page

Header Information

Tools tab

Understanding tool information

Viewing tool details

Enabling and disabling tools

Authorization tab

Managing tools

Refreshing tools from MCP server

API endpoint for tool management

Monitoring tool usage

Managing multiple MCP connections

Validation rules summary

Best practices

Data source setup

Tool management

Workflow impact considerations

Common issues and troubleshooting

Next steps

Related resources