Tools with MCP

Agents take action through tools, and tools are provided over MCP (Model Context Protocol). Attaching an MCP server to an agent gives it that server's tools — reading email, querying a CRM, searching the web, calling your own systems.

Where tools come from

There are three sources (an admin sets these up; see MCP servers):

• Vendor remote MCPs — third-party, vendor-hosted servers (Linear, GitHub, Notion, Stripe, and more), preconfigured and available out of the box.
• The Sema4.ai MCP Gallery — Sema4.ai-provided servers for Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, web search, and more.
• Custom MCPs — your own servers, hosted on your infrastructure and connected to the platform.

Adding tools to an agent

In the agent editor, attach the MCP servers the agent needs; its tools then become available to the runbook. Reference a tool from the runbook by describing when to use it.

• Pick a subset of tools. You don't have to expose a whole server — in the edit view you can select just the specific tools the agent should have. Fewer, relevant tools keep the agent focused and reliable.
• Only connected servers can be attached. A server has to be authenticated/connected before it can be added to an agent — see Tools that need authentication.
• Worker agents support only non-user-authenticated servers. A Worker agent processes shared Work Items that aren't scoped to an individual user, so it can't use tools that act on behalf of a specific signed-in person. Give Workers workspace-level (non-user-auth) servers; user-authenticated servers are for Conversational agents, where a real user is present to authorize them.