mcp-connector changedmanaged-agents/mcp-connector

The first capture of this source. The page was already there, and this is what it said.

---
title: MCP connector
url: https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/managed-agents/mcp-connector
description: Connect MCP servers to your agents for access to external tools and data sources.
---

Claude Managed Agents supports connecting [Model Context Protocol (MCP)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) servers to your agents. This gives the agent access to external tools, data sources, and services through a standardized protocol.

MCP configuration is split across two steps:

1. **Agent creation** declares which MCP servers the agent connects to, by name and URL.
2. **Session creation** supplies authentication for those servers by referencing a pre-registered vault (see [Authenticate with vaults](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/managed-agents/vaults)).

This separation keeps secrets out of reusable agent definitions while letting each session authenticate with its own credentials.

<Note>
  Managed Agents API requests require the `managed-agents-2026-04-01` beta header, except memory store endpoints, which use `agent-memory-2026-07-22` instead. The SDK sets the correct beta header automatically. See [Beta headers](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/api/beta-headers#endpoint-specific-headers).
</Note>

## Declare MCP servers on the agent

Specify MCP servers in the `mcp_servers` array when creating an agent. Each server needs a `type`, a unique `name`, and a `url`. No authentication tokens are provided at this stage.

Each declared server also needs a matching `mcp_toolset` entry in the `tools` array. The toolset's `mcp_server_name` must match the server's `name`.

<CodeGroup defaultLanguage="CLI">
  ```bash cURL
  agent_response=$(curl -sS --fail-with-body https://api.anthropic.com/v1/agents \
    -H "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
    -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
    -H "anthropic-beta: managed-agents-2026-04-01" \
    -H "content-type: application/json" \
    -d @- <<'EOF'
  {
    "name": "GitHub Assistant",
    "model": "claude-opus-5",
    "mcp_servers": [
      {
        "type": "url",
        "name": "github",
        "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/"
      }
    ],
    "tools": [
      {"type": "agent_toolset_20260401"},
      {"type": "mcp_toolset", "mcp_server_name": "github"}
    ]
  }
  EOF
  )
  agent_id=$(jq -r '.id' <<<"$agent_response")
  ```

  ```bash CLI
  AGENT_ID=$(ant beta:agents create \
    --name "GitHub Assistant" \
    --model '{id: claude-opus-5}' \
    --mcp-server '{type: url, name: github, url: "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/"}' \
    --tool '{type: agent_toolset_20260401}' \
    --tool '{type: mcp_toolset, mcp_server_name: github}' \
    --transform id --raw-output)
  ```

  ```python Python
  agent = client.beta.agents.create(
      name="GitHub Assistant",
      model="claude-opus-5",
      mcp_servers=[
          {
              "type": "url",
              "name": "github",
              "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
          },
      ],
      tools=[
          {"type": "agent_toolset_20260401"},
          {"type": "mcp_toolset", "mcp_server_name": "github"},
      ],
  )
  ```

  ```typescript TypeScript
  const agent = await client.beta.agents.create({
    name: "GitHub Assistant",
    model: "claude-opus-5",
    mcp_servers: [
      {
        type: "url",
        name: "github",
        url: "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
      },
    ],
    tools: [
      { type: "agent_toolset_20260401" },
      { type: "mcp_toolset", mcp_server_name: "github" },
    ],
  });
  ```

  ```csharp C#
  var agent = await client.Beta.Agents.Create(new()
  {
      Name = "GitHub Assistant",
      Model = BetaManagedAgentsModel.ClaudeOpus5,
      McpServers =
      [
          new() { Type = "url", Name = "github", Url = "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/" },
      ],
      Tools =
      [
          new BetaManagedAgentsAgentToolset20260401Params
          {
              Type = "agent_toolset_20260401",
          },
          new BetaManagedAgentsMcpToolsetParams { Type = "mcp_toolset", McpServerName = "github" },
      ],
  });
  ```

  ```go Go
  agent, err := client.Beta.Agents.New(ctx, anthropic.BetaAgentNewParams{
  	Name: "GitHub Assistant",
  	Model: anthropic.BetaManagedAgentsModelConfigParams{
  		ID: anthropic.BetaManagedAgentsModelClaudeOpus5,
  	},
  	MCPServers: []anthropic.BetaManagedAgentsURLMCPServerParams{{
  		Type: anthropic.BetaManagedAgentsURLMCPServerParamsTypeURL,
  		Name: "github",
  		URL:  "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
  	}},
  	Tools: []anthropic.BetaAgentNewParamsToolUnion{
  		{
  			OfAgentToolset20260401: &anthropic.BetaManagedAgentsAgentToolset20260401Params{
  				Type: anthropic.BetaManagedAgentsAgentToolset20260401ParamsTypeAgentToolset20260401,
  			},
  		},
  		{
  			OfMCPToolset: &anthropic.BetaManagedAgentsMCPToolsetParams{
  				Type:          anthropic.BetaManagedAgentsMCPToolsetParamsTypeMCPToolset,
  				MCPServerName: "github",
  			},
  		},
  	},
  })
  if err != nil {
  	panic(err)
  }
  ```

  ```java Java
  var agent = client.beta().agents().create(
      AgentCreateParams.builder()
          .name("GitHub Assistant")
          .model(BetaManagedAgentsModel.CLAUDE_OPUS_5)
          .addMcpServer(
              BetaManagedAgentsUrlMcpServerParams.builder()
                  .type(BetaManagedAgentsUrlMcpServerParams.Type.URL)
                  .name("github")
                  .url("https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/")
                  .build()
          )
          .addTool(
              BetaManagedAgentsAgentToolset20260401Params.builder()
                  .type(BetaManagedAgentsAgentToolset20260401Params.Type.AGENT_TOOLSET_20260401)
                  .build()
          )
          .addTool(
              BetaManagedAgentsMcpToolsetParams.builder()
                  .type(BetaManagedAgentsMcpToolsetParams.Type.MCP_TOOLSET)
                  .mcpServerName("github")
                  .build()
          )
          .build()
  );
  ```

  ```php PHP
  $agent = $client->beta->agents->create(
      name: 'GitHub Assistant',
      model: 'claude-opus-5',
      mcpServers: [
          BetaManagedAgentsURLMCPServerParams::with(
              type: 'url',
              name: 'github',
              url: 'https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/',
          ),
      ],
      tools: [
          BetaManagedAgentsAgentToolset20260401Params::with(
              type: 'agent_toolset_20260401',
          ),
          BetaManagedAgentsMCPToolsetParams::with(
              type: 'mcp_toolset',
              mcpServerName: 'github',
          ),
      ],
  );
  ```

  ```ruby Ruby
  agent = client.beta.agents.create(
    name: "GitHub Assistant",
    model: "claude-opus-5",
    mcp_servers: [
      {
        type: "url",
        name: "github",
        url: "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/"
      }
    ],
    tools: [
      {type: "agent_toolset_20260401"},
      {type: "mcp_toolset", mcp_server_name: "github"}
    ]
  )
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<Tip>
  The MCP toolset defaults to a permission policy of `always_ask`, which requires user approval before each tool call. See [permission policies](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/managed-agents/permission-policies) to configure this behavior.
</Tip>

### `mcp_servers` field reference

Each entry in the `mcp_servers` array defines one connection.

| Field  | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| ------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `type` | Required. Must be `"url"`.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| `name` | Required. A unique name for this server within the agent (1–255 characters). Used as the `mcp_server_name` in the `tools` array and surfaced on MCP tool events in the [session event stream](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/managed-agents/events-and-streaming). |
| `url`  | Required. The endpoint of the remote MCP server (up to 2,048 characters). See [Supported MCP server types](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/managed-agents/reference#supported-mcp-server-types) for transport requirements.                                         |

Constraints:

* An agent can declare up to 20 MCP servers. Server names must be unique within the array.
* Every `mcp_servers` entry must be referenced by an `mcp_toolset` in the `tools` array, and every `mcp_toolset` must reference a declared server. The API rejects agent definitions with unreferenced servers or dangling toolsets.

## Configure which MCP tools are available

The `mcp_toolset` entry supports the same `default_config` and `configs` shape as the built-in agent toolset, applied to the tools the MCP server exposes. The `name` in each `configs` entry is the bare tool name as reported by the server.

By default all tools exposed by the MCP server are enabled. To enable only specific tools, set `default_config.enabled` to `false` and explicitly enable the tools you want:

```json
{
  "type": "mcp_toolset",
  "mcp_server_name": "github",
  "default_config": { "enabled": false },
  "configs": [
    { "name": "get_issue", "enabled": true },
    { "name": "list_issues", "enabled": true },
    { "name": "add_issue_comment", "enabled": true }
  ]
}
```

This pattern is useful when a server exposes many tools but the agent only needs a few, or when you want tools added by the server operator to stay off until you review them.

To disable specific tools while keeping the rest enabled, omit `default_config` and set `enabled: false` on individual entries:

```json
{
  "type": "mcp_toolset",
  "mcp_server_name": "github",
  "configs": [{ "name": "delete_repository", "enabled": false }]
}
```

See [configuring the toolset](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/managed-agents/tools#configuring-the-toolset) for the general `default_config` / `configs` pattern, and [MCP toolset permissions](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/managed-agents/permission-policies#mcp-toolset-permissions) for setting `permission_policy` on MCP tools and handling confirmation requests.

### MCP tool output handling

When an MCP tool output exceeds 100,000 characters (about 25,000 tokens), it is automatically written to a file in the sandbox. The model receives a truncated preview with the file path and can read the full content from there.

## Provide authentication at session creation

When starting a session, pass `vault_ids` to provide credentials for your MCP servers. Vaults are collections of credentials that you register once and reference by ID. See [Authenticate with vaults](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/managed-agents/vaults) for how to create vaults and manage credentials.

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL
  session_response=$(curl -sS --fail-with-body https://api.anthropic.com/v1/sessions \
    -H "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
    -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
    -H "anthropic-beta: managed-agents-2026-04-01" \
    -H "content-type: application/json" \
    -d @- <<EOF
  {
    "agent": "$agent_id",
    "environment_id": "$environment_id",
    "vault_ids": ["$vault_id"]
  }
  EOF
  )
  session_id=$(jq -r '.id' <<<"$session_response")
  ```

  ```bash CLI
  SESSION_ID=$(ant beta:sessions create \
    --agent "$AGENT_ID" \
    --environment-id "$ENVIRONMENT_ID" \

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