Overview
Custom MCP allows you to connect external MCP servers hosted on your own infrastructure or third-party services. This functionality offers maximum flexibility to:- Integrate your own MCP servers hosted externally
- Connect with specialized APIs not available in the Evo AI library
- Use custom authentication with personalized headers
- Implement SSE (Server-Sent Events) for real-time communication
External Servers: Unlike the Evo AI library, here you configure externally hosted MCP servers.
You are responsible for the maintenance and availability of these servers.
How to Configure a Custom MCP
The Custom MCP configuration process has been divided into two main steps:- Register the Custom MCP in the settings menu
- Select the Custom MCP in the agent settings
Part 1: Register Custom MCP
Access settings menu
Access settings menu
Basic server information
Basic server information
Configure the fundamental information of your MCP server:Server Name:
- Identifier name for the server
- Used for internal reference
- Example: “Custom CRM Server”, “Financial API”
- Description of the functionalities offered
- Helps you and other users understand the purpose
- Example: “Integration with internal CRM system”
- Complete endpoint of your external MCP server
- Must support the standard MCP protocol
- Example:
https://my-server.com/mcp
Use descriptive names to facilitate identification when selecting in agents.
Authentication configuration
Authentication configuration
Configure headers necessary for authentication:Custom Headers:Supported authentication types:
- Bearer Token - For OAuth APIs
- API Key - Simple access keys
- Basic Auth - Encoded username and password
- Custom Headers - API-specific headers
Authentication headers are stored in encrypted form on the platform.
SSE configuration and advanced options
SSE configuration and advanced options
SSE (Server-Sent Events) Support:
- ✅ Real-time response streaming
- ✅ Continuous status updates
- ✅ Push notifications from server
- ✅ Persistent connections for low latency
- Timeout: Connection timeout limit
- Retry attempts: Reconnection attempts
- SSE endpoint: Specific endpoint for events
SSE is ideal for servers that process long tasks or provide real-time updates.
Save Custom MCP
Save Custom MCP
- Review all settings carefully
- Test connectivity if there’s a test option
- Click “Save” or “Save”
- The Custom MCP will be available in your library
After saving, the Custom MCP will be available to be selected in any agent.
Part 2: Select Custom MCP in Agent
Access agent settings
Access agent settings
- Go to the agents screen in the dashboard
- Locate the agent you want to configure
- Click the “Settings” icon (⚙️) on the agent card and then “Edit”
- You will be directed to the agent settings screen
Add Custom MCP to agent
Add Custom MCP to agent
- In the agent settings screen, locate the “Custom MCP” section
- Click “Add” to add a Custom MCP
- A list of registered Custom MCPs will be displayed
- Select the servers that this agent should use
- Click “Save” to apply
You can select multiple Custom MCPs for the same agent. Each agent can have a different set of servers.
Verify configuration
Verify configuration
After saving:
- The selected Custom MCPs will appear in the agent’s list
- The agent will have access to the tools from these servers
- You can add/remove servers at any time
Test the agent in a conversation to verify that the Custom MCPs are working correctly.
Advantages of the New System
Server reusability
Server reusability
Benefits:
- 🔄 Reuse the same Custom MCP across multiple agents
- 🎯 Specialize agents with specific servers
- 🛠️ Maintain centralized configurations
- 📊 Manage all servers in one place
Team collaboration
Team collaboration
Facilitates teamwork:
- 👥 Share Custom MCPs among team members
- 📚 Centralized library of organizational servers
- 🔧 Simplified maintenance of integrations
- 📈 Server evolution without impact on agents
Troubleshooting
Common issues
Common issues
Server won’t connect:
- Verify that the URL is correct and accessible
- Confirm that authentication headers are valid
- Test network connectivity
- Check if the server is online
- Validate tokens and API keys
- Confirm header format
- Check if credentials haven’t expired
- Test authentication directly on the server
- Confirm if server supports Server-Sent Events
- Check specific headers for SSE
- Test events endpoint separately
- Monitor reconnection logs
- Check
/mcp/capabilities
endpoint - Confirm JSON response format
- Validate tool structure
- Test manual calls to the server
🔧 Custom MCP configured! Now you can integrate custom external MCP servers with custom authentication and SSE support for maximum flexibility!