MCP connections
MCP (Model Context Protocol) connects Kanbu to any service that supports MCP. The agent then sees that service's tools in conversation (e.g. create an issue, read a page) and can call them itself.
Ready-made connectors
Today you can connect these in one click:
- Notion
- Linear
- Freelo
These connectors use OAuth — you sign in directly with the service, no token to copy by hand. Google Drive and Microsoft 365 appear in the connector catalog but are currently "on request" — they need extra approval from Google/Microsoft, so reach out to your Kanbu contact if you need them. Beyond these, you can also connect any other MCP server, including your own — just enter its URL and credentials (see below).
MCP is an open, widely supported standard — hundreds of other official and community MCP servers are out there, and you connect them to Kanbu manually the same way as a custom server (see below). Browse them at mcpservers.org — the same directory the admin app itself links to under "Something else?".
Don't see your favorite service among the one-click connectors yet? Let us know which ones you'd like — we consider them for the roadmap. And if you're not sure how to connect your own or a third-party MCP server, reach out to your Kanbu contact — we're happy to help with the setup.
How to connect
- In admin open tools → MCP.
- Pick a ready-made connector, or enter your own MCP server (server URL, description, optional static headers).
- Complete authentication: ready-made connectors always use OAuth (sign in with that service); for a custom server you choose one of three modes — no authentication, API key / bearer token, or OAuth.
- Click Sync tools — Kanbu connects to the server and downloads its current tool list. Sync is manual, it doesn't run automatically in the background.
- Check which of the discovered tools the agent may use. Newly discovered tools are disabled by default after every sync — a tool added on the server side doesn't become available to the agent until you enable it yourself.
- Assign the connection to agents.
MCP vs. custom HTTP
| MCP | HTTP tool | |
|---|---|---|
| When | The service has MCP (or you run a server) | You have a specific REST endpoint |
| Discovery | Tool catalog from the server | You define one endpoint |
| Authentication | No auth, API key, or OAuth | Static header or query parameter |
| Typical | Notion, Linear, Freelo, or any other MCP service… | Internal shop/ERP/helpdesk API |
Both are "connections" — they differ in how you configure them. A connection that fails does not kill the whole conversation — the agent sees the failure as a normal tool result and continues, same as with custom HTTP tools.
Note on Google Drive
- Drive as a knowledge source (a publicly shared folder synced into the knowledge base — see Google Drive) is different from
- Drive via MCP (a live tool in conversation over a private Drive) — available on request only, see above.
Both can coexist — they're two different paths to Google Drive data.
Frequently asked questions
-
Do I need to copy an API key for every connector?
Not for Notion, Linear, or Freelo — you sign in via OAuth directly with that service. You enter an API key by hand only for a custom MCP server, if you choose the API key / bearer token authentication mode for it.
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What happens if an MCP server adds a new tool?
The agent doesn't get it automatically. After the next sync you'll see it in the list as disabled and have to enable it manually.
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What kind of MCP server does Kanbu support?
Streamable HTTP transport (the current MCP standard). Servers on the older SSE-only or local stdio transport cannot be connected.
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Can I connect multiple MCP servers at once?
Yes, any number, each with its own authentication and enabled-tools settings, assigned to one or more agents.