Guides
Before you connect an MCP server
A practical setup checklist: source, permissions, transport and one small proof before adding a server to daily work.
Connecting a server gives your assistant another way to read information or take action. Before making it part of daily work, get clear on what runs, where it runs, and what it can access.
1. Start at the source
Follow the maker’s documentation from the listing. Check the package name and repository owner carefully. Similar names are not evidence that two packages have the same maintainer. Record the version you tested so the result remains useful later.
2. Understand the connection
With stdio, the client launches a local process and exchanges messages through its standard input and output. The runtime, dependencies and environment are part of the setup. A local process can still make network requests or access files according to its permissions.
A remote HTTP server runs elsewhere. Its URL, authentication and data handling matter. Use the connection method documented by the server and supported by your client. The MCP transport documentation is the primary reference for the protocol details.
3. Scope access to the job
Use a test folder, a test account or a restricted token where the provider supports it. Identify which tools only read and which can write, publish or delete. Do not infer that every tool is read-only because the first example was a search.
Keep credentials in the client’s supported secret or environment configuration. Avoid putting them in chat transcripts, shared screenshots or public issue reports.
4. Run one small proof
Pick a harmless task with a result you can check independently. Read a known document. Fetch a page whose content you can compare. Render an image into a disposable output file. Check both the result and any side effects.
For a tool that writes, confirm the approval behavior and recovery path before using important data. A successful connection only proves the connection works; it does not prove every operation is appropriate.
5. Keep the useful context
Write down the client, version, permissions, successful task and any limitation you found. That short record makes an eventual upgrade much easier to assess.
Explore the server collection for setup links. For automated discovery of this site, use the agent guide.