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Understand MCP Tools In Apprentice

Understand how Apprentice uses first-party and external MCP tools, global MCP servers, per-agent bindings, tool policies, and secrets.

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Understand MCP Tools In Apprentice

MCP tools extend what an Apprentice agent can do.

Apprentice has first-party MCP-style tools for its own app features and a global MCP Library for external MCP servers. External servers are installed globally, then enabled per agent.

What MCP Adds

MCP servers can expose tools such as:

  • Repository and development tools.
  • Issue tracker or project management tools.
  • Browser, data, and productivity tools.
  • Communication and DevOps connectors.
  • Custom tools you install for your own workflow.

Apprentice resolves these tools into the same runtime tool surface as built-in tools, then applies agent capabilities, per-tool permissions, and runtime policy.

Global Library, Per-Agent Binding

MCP setup has two levels:

  • Global MCP Library: install and manage external MCP servers, credentials, lifecycle actions, and global enablement.
  • Agent MCP Servers tab: enable a global server for one agent, choose per-tool policies, and set per-agent secret overrides.

Installing a server globally does not automatically mean every agent can use it.

Per-Tool Policies

Each external MCP tool can be set to:

  • Allow: run automatically.
  • Ask: prompt before each tool call.
  • Deny: block the tool.

Use Ask as the starting point for tools that call external services or access sensitive data.

Capabilities Still Apply

The agent's Capabilities tab includes External MCP Tools.

If External MCP Tools is disabled, external MCP tools can be blocked even if a server is installed and a binding exists.

External MCP Defaults

External MCP tools are treated cautiously. A permissive agent mode should not be treated as blanket permission for every external MCP tool.

Use per-agent tool policies to decide exactly which MCP tools should run automatically.

Secrets And Credentials

Some MCP servers need secrets.

Secrets are configured at the server level. An agent binding can use the global default secret or override a secret for that agent.

Use per-agent overrides when different agents should use different accounts, scopes, or environments.

When To Use MCP

Use MCP when the agent needs a tool that is not already built into Apprentice, such as a specific external service, database, repository host, or workflow API.

Do not add MCP servers just in case. Add one server when an agent has a clear job that needs it.

Next Step

Install the MCP server in the global MCP Library, then bind it to the specific agent that needs it.