Prerequisite: MCPs are only available for users on the Sana Enterprise tier.
Introduction
Sana’s MCP connector lets you connect Sana to external tools, services, and data sources using the open-source Model Context Protocol (MCP). This gives you flexibility to add custom tools and data built by your team or third parties, even when there is no native Sana connector.
Workspace owner control which MCP connectors are available. Non‑owners can only connect to MCP servers that an owner has approved.
Important note: Third‑party MCP servers are not vetted by Sana. You are responsible for checking that any server you connect to is safe and appropriate for your organization.
Capabilities, scopes and permissions
What the MCP connector can do depends entirely on the remote MCP server and which tools the workspace owner enables, and it is not something Sana can control or improve as we do not own these servers. For example, if the workspace owner connects to Linear’s official MCP server and turns on read/write tools, users will be able to both read from and write to Linear.
Sana's MCP connector support multiple auth methods, including OAuth, API keys and no auth. The scopes and permissions requested come from the remote MCP app, and workspace owners can adjust or restrict these during setup if desired.
Risks and safety best practices
Because MCP servers can access external systems, treat them as powerful integrations and follow these guidelines:
Use only trusted servers. Connect only to MCP servers hosted and maintained by organizations you trust.
Review permissions carefully. When authorizing a server, confirm that all requested permissions are necessary and disable any that are not.
Watch for prompt injections. Malicious servers may try to insert instructions that make Sana act in unintended ways. Inspect tool inputs and outputs and prefer well‑known, trusted servers.
Monitor behavior over time. MCP server maintainers can change how tools work. If you notice unexpected or unsafe behavior, disconnect or restrict the server.
Integration set-up
Only workspace owners can create new MCP connectors in Sana and choose which users can see and use them. Selected users will see the connector in their list and can connect, but must still authenticate to the MCP server with their own credentials if required. The sections below explain how owners set up an MCP and how workspace members connect to an approved one.
Endpoint requirements
Before you start, make sure the MCP endpoint meets these requirements. Sana checks them when you add the server, and setup fails if they are not met.
The URL must use https://. Plain HTTP is rejected.
The endpoint must resolve to a publicly reachable address. Private and reserved IP ranges are rejected, as are internal-only hostnames such as localhost, .local, .internal and .corp.
A server that is only reachable inside your corporate network cannot be connected today.
For API key authentication, Sana sends the key as an Authorization: Bearer header. Servers that expect a different header name or scheme are not supported.
How workspace owners enable an MCP to the workspace
Go to Workspace settings → Connectors → Add connector → Custom connector.
Enter the MCP endpoint URL and click Continue.
Set up authentication:
Pick the auth type. Sana suggests one based on the server’s metadata.
For OAuth, choose the registration mode (Sana will prefill when possible).
(Optional) Adjust scopes if the auth server ignores resource‑based scopes.
Configure tool access:
Choose which tools to allow: All tools, Read-only tools, or Write tools (only tools that create or modify data). You can fine-tune individual tools after the connector is enabled; see Configuring connector tools.
(Optional) Set a tool timeout in seconds, up to 600. Leave it blank to use the default of 60 seconds.
(Optional) Connect to fetch the list of tools and review them.
Choose availability: Everyone makes the connector available to all workspace members. Selected users lets you add specific people by name or email. Saving Selected users with no one selected disables the connector.
Customize the connector:
Add a title and description (shown on the connector card to users).
(Optional) Add custom instructions telling Sana how to use this MCP
Review and add:
Confirm you trust the server and click Add server.
After you complete these steps, the MCP appears in the workspace connector list for owners, where it can be edited or disabled, and under User settings → Connectors for the members you made it available to. From the connector's page in Workspace settings, you can also fine-tune individual tools; see Configuring connector tools.
How workspace members connect to an approved MCP
Prerequisite: Workspace members can only connect to MCPs that a workspace owner has already approved and enabled. Ask an owner if you need additional MCP servers.
Go to User settings → Connectors and find the MCP you want to use
(Optional) Click the connector card to open its details and learn more
Click Connect and complete the auth flow, which depends on the server:
OAuth: You are redirected to sign in with OAuth
API key: You enter your API key
No auth: You connect immediately; no sign‑in needed
You are now connected and can use this MCP server in Sana
Known limitations
Changing tool list: MCP server maintainers can add, remove, or change tools at any time. This can cause some flows in Sana to stop working or behave differently over time, and there are currently no alerts when underlying MCP tools change.
Duplicate tool names: if the server exposes two tools with the same name, only the first one is available to the agent. When using an MCP gateway that aggregates several servers, make sure tool names are unique or namespaced.
Per-user tool settings: tool controls apply to everyone who has access to the connector. You cannot enable a tool for some users and not others.
FAQ
Q: What is a remote MCP server?
A: MCP is a protocol that standardizes how applications expose tools and context to LLMs. A remote MCP server is an application that implements this protocol and exposes its capabilities (tools) to Sana.
Q: Can I toggle specific tools on or off?
A: Yes. During setup you choose a tool mode (all, read-only or write). After the connector is enabled, open it under Workspace settings → Connectors to set a default per tool group and override individual tools. See Configuring connector tools. End users cannot override what the workspace owner has allowed.
Q: How should I use the custom instructions during setup?
A: Use the custom instructions field to guide Sana on how to interact with this MCP server (e.g. when to use which tool, what to avoid). This can significantly improve results.
Q: Why doesn't my MCP server perform well?
A: Sana cannot control the quality of third-party MCP servers. Their behavior depends entirely on how the server was implemented, which tools it exposes and the quality of those tools. Review the tool list, test key flows, and refine your custom instructions to guide the agent.
Q: Why did my MCP server stop working or change behavior?
A: The server and its tools are owned by an external maintainer. They can change or remove tools without notice, which may break existing flows or change how they work.
Q: How can I find safe MCP servers to add?
A: Prefer official MCP servers from trusted providers. Verify on the provider's website that they publish and support an MCP server, and review their security and privacy information before connecting.
Q: Why does my connector show "OAuth" or "API key" instead of my account?
A: Your credentials for the MCP server (OAuth tokens or API key) are stored encrypted and per user, so you stay connected across sessions. The connectors table shows the authentication type instead of an account name because the MCP server does not expose one.
Q: Are MCP requests made from the backend or frontend?
A: All requests to remote MCP servers are made from the backend for better security, stability, and auditability.
Q: Why would I change the tool timeout?
A: By default, Sana waits 60 seconds for a tool call to finish. If a legitimate tool consistently needs more time (for example, a heavy data export), you can increase the timeout for that MCP, up to 600 seconds.
Q: Which authentication methods are supported?
A: It depends on what the MCP server supports. Sana currently supports OAuth (recommended), API keys, or no authentication. For OAuth, we support Dynamic Client Registration, pre-registered credentials (client ID and optional secret), and Client ID Metadata Document (CIMD).