The IBM API Connect API Agent just became even more powerful with the addition of MCP server support in the v12.1.0 release. This enables you to configure and use custom or third-party MCP servers directly within your API Agent. With this new capability, you can seamlessly interact with MCP servers using natural language prompts.
How to Enable and Use MCP Servers
Getting started with MCP servers in the API Agent is simple and flexible. To configure an MCP server, you just need to provide a few key details:
There are two ways to enable and use MCP servers in the API Agent - depending on your role.
1. Admin-Managed MCP Servers (Provider Organization Level)
An administrator of your provider organization can:
Once enabled, developers can start using these MCP servers in their API Agent chat sessions.
2. Developer-Managed MCP Servers (Personal Use)
As a developer, you can also:
This feature is ideal for:
Developer-enabled MCP servers are session-scoped, meaning they are available only for the duration of the current chat session. Once the session ends, the configured MCP servers won’t carry over to the next chat session.
Manage Your MCP Servers
The API Agent also allows the following features to manage your mcp servers after they are enabled:
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List all available MCP servers
View all MCP servers that are currently available to you, including both admin-configured MCP servers and developer-enabled MCP servers.
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Fetch details of a specific MCP server
Retrieve detailed information about a specific MCP server by providing its name in the prompt. This includes the server description, deployed URL, and the list of available tools.
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Update MCP server configurations
Modify an MCP server’s configuration by specifying its name. You can update the server’s description and/or deployed URL as needed.
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Disable MCP servers when they’re no longer needed
Disable an MCP server by specifying its name, ensuring it is no longer available for use in the API Agent.
This gives you complete control over which MCP servers are enabled and how they’re used.
Interact Using Natural Language prompts
Once an MCP server is enabled, you can interact with it simply by asking questions in natural language. The API Agent intelligently routes your request to the appropriate MCP server and returns the response instantly.
For example, after enabling a GitHub MCP server, you can ask questions such as:
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“Fetch my GitHub profile details”
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“List open issues from my repository”
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“Show pull requests for this repo”
The API Agent invokes the relevant GitHub MCP tools behind the scenes and presents the results directly in the chat
Key Benefits:
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- Seamless Tool Integration
Easily integrate popular tools such as GitHub alongside custom MCP servers, bringing external capabilities directly into your API Agent workflows.
- Natural Language Interaction
Interact with tools and services of mcp servers conversationally. Simply ask questions using plain language, and the API Agent handles the rest.
- Faster Integrations
Seamlessly connect to custom or third-party MCP servers and start using them in minutes.
- Simplified MCP Server Management
Built-in capabilities to list, fetch details, update, and disable MCP servers provide full lifecycle management directly within the API Agent.
With the MCP server feature introduced in v12.1.0, the IBM API Connect API Agent takes a major step forward in simplifying integrations and accelerating developer workflows. Start configuring your MCP servers today and experience the enhanced capabilities of the API Agent.