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MCP servers and OpenAI connectors are two ways to expose external tools in MeshAgent.
  • OpenAI connectors wrap supported third-party products such as Gmail, Google Drive, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and Dropbox.
  • MCP servers expose tools over the Model Context Protocol, whether the server is public, self-hosted, or provided by another vendor.
Use an OpenAI connector when OpenAI already provides the integration for the product you want. Use an MCP server when the tool is exposed over MCP by you or by another vendor. For a concrete vendor-specific walkthrough, see Supabase MCP Guide.

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Installation paths

PathUse it whenWhat you get
PowerboardsThe server already exposes a hosted MCP endpoint and the install flow works in the UI.A room install without writing YAML yourself.
meshagent serviceYou want a saved deployment in MeshAgent, need room or project scope, or need to control the manifest.A deployed service that stays available after your terminal closes.
meshagent mcpYou want a live CLI bridge, are testing a server, or need to connect a local stdio server quickly.A toolkit registration that stays available while the command is running.
OpenAI connectors belong to the meshagent service path. You configure them in the service manifest with openai_connector_id and the provider’s OAuth settings.

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Install from Powerboards

Powerboards is the fastest path when the MCP server already exposes a hosted endpoint that can be inspected and installed directly.

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Good fit for Powerboards

  • Public no-auth servers such as DeepWiki (https://mcp.deepwiki.com/mcp) are the simplest case.
  • Hosted OAuth-aware servers such as Linear MCP can guide you through sign-in when the server exposes the right remote MCP metadata.
  • Servers that need custom headers, secrets, a saved deployment, or a local stdio process are usually a better fit for meshagent service or meshagent mcp.

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How to install an MCP server in Powerboards

  1. Open the room in Powerboards.
  2. Click the agent dropdown.
  3. Click Manage Agents.
  4. Click Install.
  5. Enter the URL for the custom agent or MCP server.
Powerboards will install the MCP server if it is available. Powerboards can also install from a hosted ServiceTemplate link when you want to distribute a more opinionated setup flow. For more on those install paths, see Powerboards.

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Use meshagent service for a saved deployment

Use meshagent service when you want the tool to stay deployed in MeshAgent and be available to the project or room that needs it.

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Generate a service from an MCP URL

If the MCP server is already hosted, the CLI can generate the service manifest for you. Inspect the generated manifest first: 
meshagent service spec \
  --mcp https://mcp.deepwiki.com/mcp
Create the service immediately: 
meshagent service create \
  --mcp https://mcp.deepwiki.com/mcp \
  --room quickstart
The CLI auto-discovers the MCP server metadata. If the server exposes OAuth registration metadata, the generated service is configured for that flow automatically.

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Example: deploy a standard MCP server

This example exposes the public DeepWiki MCP server as a room service: 
kind: Service
version: v1
metadata:
  name: mcp-deepwiki
  description: "Expose DeepWiki MCP server"
ports:
- num: 443 # SSL is 443 for non SSL it's 80
  type: http
  endpoints:
  - path: /mcp # url + path are appended together
    mcp:
      label: "mcp-deepwiki"
      description: "MCP DeepWiki Tools"
external:
  url: "https://mcp.deepwiki.com"
You can deploy it from a YAML file: 
meshagent service create --file meshagent.yaml --room quickstart
Or generate the YAML from the MCP URL first and then deploy it: 
meshagent service spec \
  --mcp https://mcp.deepwiki.com/mcp \
  > meshagent.yaml

meshagent service create --file meshagent.yaml --room quickstart

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Example: deploy an OpenAI connector

Use this path when OpenAI already provides the integration you want and you want that connector available inside MeshAgent as a deployed service. For connector-specific setup details and the latest OpenAI-side behavior, see the OpenAI remote MCP and connectors guide and OpenAI connector docs. This example exposes the Microsoft Teams connector through a MeshAgent service: 
kind: Service
version: v1
metadata:
  name: microsoft-teams-connector
  description: "Expose Microsoft Teams via OpenAI Connector"
ports:
- num: "*"
  type: http
  endpoints:
  - path: /
    mcp:
      label: "microsoft-teams-connector"
      description: "OpenAI Connector for Microsoft Teams"
      openai_connector_id: "connector_microsoftteams"
      oauth:
        client_id: "YOUR_CLIENT_ID"
        client_secret: "..."
        authorization_endpoint: "https://login.microsoftonline.com/common/oauth2/v2.0/authorize"
        token_endpoint: "https://login.microsoftonline.com/common/oauth2/v2.0/token"
        no_pkce: false                    # Optional: depends on if pkce is used
        scopes: ["User.Read", "Chat.Read", "ChannelMessage.Read.All"]
external: {}

meshagent service create --file meshagent.yaml --room quickstart
The key difference from a standard MCP URL is that you define the connector explicitly in the manifest:
  • openai_connector_id selects the OpenAI connector
  • oauth provides the third-party provider OAuth settings for that connector
  • the service is still deployed with meshagent service, just like any other saved external tool

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Use meshagent mcp for a live CLI bridge

Use meshagent mcp when you want to register a toolkit in a room directly from the CLI instead of creating a saved service first. For a hosted streamable HTTP server: 
meshagent mcp http \
  --room quickstart \
  --url https://mcp.deepwiki.com/mcp \
  --toolkit-name deepwiki
Use meshagent mcp sse for SSE servers, and meshagent mcp stdio when the MCP server runs as a local process and should be bridged into the room.

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Other meshagent mcp commands

  • meshagent mcp stdio: run a local stdio MCP server and register it in the room
  • meshagent mcp http-proxy: expose a stdio MCP server as streamable HTTP
  • meshagent mcp sse-proxy: expose a stdio MCP server as SSE
  • meshagent mcp stdio-service: run a stdio MCP server behind local ServiceHost
meshagent mcp is session-based. The toolkit stays available while the command is running. It does not create a saved MeshAgent service.

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Start an agent that can use MCP tools

Once the MCP service or toolkit is available in the room, start an agent that can use it: 
meshagent process join \
  --room quickstart \
  --agent-name agent \
  --channel chat \
  --mcp
Open MeshAgent Studio, join the room, and enable the MCP tool when you want the agent to use it. For the broader tool model, see How Tools and Toolkits Work.

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Security and setup notes

When adding an MCP server, think about:
  • what data the external service will receive
  • who operates the MCP server
  • whether the agent should opt into MCP tool use with --mcp
  • whether the server needs additional secrets, headers, or OAuth setup