Getting started with MCP servers

An MCP server is a collection of tools that enable large language models (LLMs) to access data and perform actions in your systems. Each server represents one or more business application and contains a curated set of tools or skills, implements authentication, and enforces access control.

MCP servers work with Agent Studio, Claude, ChatGPT, or any MCP-compatible client. You can start with individual MCP servers for each application or create composable servers that combine multiple systems into unified business-centric interfaces.

Create your first MCP server

Complete the following steps to create your first MCP server:

1

Sign in to your Workato account.

2

Go to AI Hub and click the MCP Servers tab. A list of your existing MCP servers displays.

3

Click Create an MCP server. The New MCP server wizard opens.

4

Enter a name for your MCP server in the MCP server name field.

5

Optional. Provide a description of the MCP server in the Description field.

6

Use the Location drop-down menu to select the project that contains the assets, such as skills or API recipes, that you plan to use for your MCP server.

MCP SERVER ASSETS MUST BE IN THE SAME PROJECT

You must store all assets in the same project folder. Error messages display if you select an unsupported asset type.

7

Select either Project assets or API collection as your Tool source.

Select your Tool source

8

Select the tools you plan to add to your MCP server.

9

Click Create MCP server. The MCP server Overview tab displays.

MCP server Overview tab admin view

Design MCP server tools

Learn how to design your MCP server around specific use cases. The MCP tool design principle you should use is often easy to determine after you identify your use case. Use one of the following principles when you design your tools:

• Simple: Each tool performs exactly one specific action or retrieval.
• Composable: Tools act as building blocks that work together seamlessly.
• Predictable: Tools behave consistently and return standard errors.

Learn by example

Review the LLM, GitHub, and Workato Developer API use case for steps to create an MCP server integration that lets you create GitHub issues with natural-language commands in ChatGPT, Claude, or Cursor.