Powered by

# External MCP Tools

# Overview

The Remote MCP (Model Context Protocol) feature in Purple Fabric enables you to securely connect to the external tool servers. This "no-code" integration allows your Agents, Flows, and EGPT to use specialized tools such as searching a Notion database or checking Slack workflows that are hosted outside of the platform.

# Key Features Highlights

  • No-Code Integration: Onboard complex external protocols via a visual interface without writing glue code
  • Late Binding Credentials: Security-first approach where credentials are bound at runtime, ensuring sensitive keys aren't hardcoded into tool definitions
  • Dynamic Discovery: Automatically parses your server’s JSON schema to generate input forms
  • Universal Availability: Once registered, tools are instantly available across Flow Designer and Agents

# Creating an External MCP Tool Connection

Perform the following steps in Purple Fabric to connect to an external tool:

  1. Navigate to the Tools section in the sidebar and go to Remote MCP tab
    You will see cards for already configured servers (e.g., Slack, Notion, Google Search)
  2. Click + Add MCP Server button on the top right corner. The MCP pop up appears
  3. Provide a unique identifier name for the server in Name field
  4. Explain what these tools do in the Description field (helps other users if shared)
  5. Upload a logo to easily identify the tool, if required
  6. Set the visibility
    • Private: Only you can see and use this tool
    • Public: Available to other users in your workspace

After clicking Save, you will be directed to the Configuration page

  1. Enter the full URL of your pre-deployed MCP server in the Server URL field. The system will validate the format automatically
  2. Select the Authentication option
  3. If your server requires specific HTTP headers (e.g., Accept: application/json), click + Add Headers to define static key-value pairs
  4. Enable the Authentication Header option if required
  5. Scroll to the Features Discovery section and click Test Connection
  6. The Authentication Required popup appears asking you to select an account
  7. If using OAuth or Key-based auth, select your stored credentials or click Add Account to link a new one via the "Key-based" or "OAuth" buttons
  8. Once an account is selected, click Continue
    If the connection is successful, the Features Discovery section will turn green and list all available methods (e.g., weather_get, send_email). You can see the name and a short description of each function found on your server
  9. The Submit button at the top of the page remains disabled until you have successfully run a discovery check. Click Submit to finalize the registration

An external tool is connected successfully.

# Managing & Updating Tools

  • Editing: You can update the URL or Auth type at any time. However, if you change the Auth type, you must re-run Discovery before saving
  • Refreshing: If you add new functions to your external server, click Refresh Features on the tool's edit page. New features will be tagged "New," while missing ones will be marked "Deprecated"