Overview

This guide explains how to:

1. Register an MCP Server: Connect Leena AI's AI colleague studio to an external Model Context Protocol server
2. Add an MCP based Skill in AI Colleagues (expose MCP tools as usable skills)
3. Use MCP Skills: Inside an AOP for repeatable, multi-step automation

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Prerequisites

• Admin access to:
  • Settings → Integrations
  • AI Colleagues → Skills
  • AOP Creator / Workbench: If you plan to use the skill in an AOP.
• Your MCP server details:
  • Remote URL (HTTPS recommended)
  • Authentication method and credentials

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Part 1: Register an MCP Server (Create a Server Connection)

In Leena AI, MCP Servers are managed through the Integrations “Connections” experience.

Step 1: Navigate to MCP Servers

1. Open the Leena AI Dashboard
2. Go to Settings → Integrations → All

3. Search and select Custom MCP

Step 2: Add a New MCP Server

1. Click Add Server

2. Fill the MCP server configuration fields.

Typical fields you’ll see:

• MCP Remote URL
  • The URL for your MCP server (example: https://mcp-server.example.com)
• Authentication Type
  • Select the method your MCP server requires (see below)

Step 3: Choose Authentication Type

Depending on your selection, the form will dynamically show the right fields.

A) No Authentication

Use when:

• The MCP endpoint is secured via private network controls and does not require a credential header/token.

What you provide:

• Only the MCP Remote URL

B) Custom Authentication (Headers)

Use when:

• Your MCP server expects custom headers (API keys, internal tokens, special headers, etc.)

What you provide:

• Authentication Headers (entered in JSON format).

For example: { "xc-mcp-token": "dfOXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_ncK5" }

Tip:

• Use this for simple header-based security without OAuth.

C) Admin OAuth 2.0

Use when:

• A single admin-managed OAuth credential is acceptable for the server’s operations.

What you need:

• Redirect URI: To be configured at 3rd party application's end
• Client ID
• Client Secret

Notes:

• The Redirect URI is auto-generated by the Leena AI platform and is read-only.

D) User OAuth 2.0

Use when:

• The MCP server needs user-level permission-ing (each end-user must authenticate).

What you need:

• Redirect URI: To be configured at 3rd party application's end
• Client ID
• Client Secret

What will happen later:

• When a user tries to use the MCP skill, they may be prompted to authenticate before the skill can run.

Redirect URI (Callback URL): What it is and how to configure it

When you choose Admin OAuth 2.0 or User OAuth 2.0, Leena AI will show a Redirect URI field (auto-generated and read-only).

What is the Redirect URI?

The Redirect URI (also called a callback URL) is the address where the OAuth provider (your MCP server’s authorisation system) sends the user back after login/consent.

• The provider redirects the user back to Leena AI with an authorisation response (for example, an authorisation code).
• Leena AI uses that response to complete authentication and securely store the required tokens.

Where do I use it?

you typically must configure this Redirect URI on the application/provider side.

In most OAuth providers, you’ll find a setting like:

• “Allowed Redirect URIs”
• “Callback URLs”
• “Authorised redirect URIs”
• “Valid OAuth redirect URIs”

You must add the exact Redirect URI shown in Leena AI into that allowlist.

Admin OAuth vs User OAuth (how Redirect URI usage differs)

Both flows use the Redirect URI in the same way (the OAuth provider redirects back to Leena AI), but the scope of authentication differs:

• Admin OAuth 2.0: One admin-managed authorisation is used for the server/connection.
• User OAuth 2.0: Each end user may be prompted to authenticate before initiating the MCP based skill (user-specific access).

Step 4: Save

Save the server configurations. You can choose to setup expiration alert notifications (if required).

After saving:

• The AI Colleagues studio platform can discover tools/actions exposed by the server (this is what becomes selectable during MCP Skill creation).

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Part 2: Create an MCP Skill in AI Colleagues (Skill Catalog)

Once the MCP server is registered, create a skill that your AI Colleagues and AOPs can use.

Step 1: Go to Skills

1. Open AI Colleagues
2. Navigate to Skills
3. Click Add Skill

Step 2: Select Skill Category

Choose:

• Integration (MCP): To configure MCP server based skill

Step 3: Configure the MCP Skill

You’ll configure three things:

1. Select Application
   • Choose the MCP-enabled integration/app. (For now, select Custom MCP server)
   • Important: Currently, Leena AI platform supports Custom MCP server registration. In subsequent releases Leena AI platform would enable each of its natively provided 3rd party application connectors (such as, Workday SOAP, Successfactors) via MCP server as well.
2. Select MCP Server
   • Choose the server connection you registered in Part 1

4. Actions

• Choose one of:
  • Select all actions
    • The skill will allow the AI to use any tool exposed by that server
  • Select specific actions
    • You choose exactly which tools are allowed

Recommendation:

• Start with Select specific actions for better governance and predictability, especially in production.

Step 4: Save the Skill

After saving:

• The MCP Skill becomes available for utilisation in AOPs.

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Part 3: Use an MCP Skill Inside an AOP

Step 1: Create/Edit AOP

1. Go to AI colleagues > Select/Create an AI colleague
2. Create a new AOP (or edit an existing one)

Step 2: Add MCP Skill as a Building Block

In the AOP Instructions, add the MCP Skill from the selector into your AOP steps.

Step 3: Publish and Activate

Publish AOP, thus making it active for production use.

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Recommended Practices (Governance + Reliability)

Dos

• Prefer HTTPS MCP Remote URLs
• Use Select specific actions when creating MCP skills (principle of least privilege)
• Name servers and skills clearly so admins can manage them easily
• Test before enabling in production for wider use.

Don’ts

• Don’t expose MCP endpoints publicly without authentication
• Don’t grant “all actions” unless you genuinely want broad access
• Don’t use user-scoped OAuth unless you’re prepared for authentication prompts during execution which end-users can encounter.

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Troubleshooting

The server saves, but no tools/actions appear

Possible causes:

• The MCP server isn’t exposing tools correctly
• Authentication is wrong or incomplete
• Network reachability issues

What to do:

• Re-check the MCP Remote URL
• Verify auth settings
• Try again after confirming the MCP server is running and accessible

The AOP runs but can’t find or use MCP tools

Possible cause:

• The MCP Skill wasn’t included in the AOP’s configured skills list

What to do:

• Edit the AOP draft to include the MCP skill
• Publish a new version and activate it

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Upcoming enhancements

1. Platform-Managed MCP for Native Connectors

We're enabling internally built connectors (ServiceNow, Workday, SuccessFactors, etc.) via a Leena AI platform-managed MCP server.

What Changes:

Impact: Eliminates redundant skill-building, reduces technical dependency, and accelerates go-live for new automations.

2. MCP Registration from AI Colleagues Studio

Streamlined journey to register MCP servers directly while adding skills—no need to navigate to Integrations space separately.

Impact: Single workspace for all AOP authoring; faster path from "I need this integration" to "It's working."

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Evaluation Results

Since this feature uses LLM-based tool call selection and initiation, we continuously evaluate quality across key dimensions.

Note: Evaluation results are updated periodically. Last updated: January 2026