Using Anypoint Studio to Configure MCP Connector 1.1 | MuleSoft Documentation
# Using Anypoint Studio to Configure MCP Connector 1.1
Anypoint Studio (Studio) editors help you design and update your Mule applications, properties, and configuration files.
To add and configure a connector in Studio:
  1. Create a Mule project.
  2. Add the connector to your Mule project.
  3. Configure a source for the connector’s flow.
  4. Add a connector operation to the flow.
  5. Configure a global element for the connector.
  6. Configure the other connector fields.
  7. Debug the app.
  8. View the App Log.
  9. Apply MCP policies.
  10. Deploy the app.


If you are new to configuring connectors in Studio, see Using Anypoint Studio to Configure a Connector. If, after reading this topic, you need additional information about the connector fields, see the MCP Connector Reference.
## Create a Mule Project
In Studio, create a new Mule project in which to add and configure Anypoint Connector for MCP (MCP Connector):
  1. In Studio, select **File > New > Mule Project**.
  2. Enter a name for your Mule project and click **Finish**.


## Add the Connector to Your Mule Project
Add MCP Connector to your Mule project to automatically populate the XML code with the connector’s namespace and schema location and add the required dependencies to the project’s `pom.xml` file:
  1. In **Mule Palette** , click **(X) Search in Exchange**.
  2. In **Add Dependencies to Project** , type `mcp` in the search field.
  3. Click **MCP Connector** in **Available modules**.
  4. Click **Add**.
  5. Click **Finish**.


Adding a connector to a Mule project in Studio does not make that connector available to other projects in your Studio workspace.
## Configure a Source
A source initiates a flow when a specified condition is met. You can configure one of these sources to use with MCP Connector:
  * On New Session Listener
  *   *   * **HTTP > Listener**
Initiates a flow each time it receives a request on the configured host and port
  * **Scheduler**
Initiates a flow when a time-based condition is met


For example, to configure an **HTTP > Listener** source, follow these steps:
  1. In **Mule Palette** , select **HTTP > Listener**.
  2. Drag **Listener** to the Studio canvas.
  3. On the **Listener** configuration screen, optionally change the value of the **Display Name** field.
  4. Specify a value for the **Path** field.
  5. Click the plus sign (**+**) next to the **Connector configuration** field to configure a global element that can be used by all instances of the **HTTP > Listener** source in the app.
  6. On the **General** tab, specify the connection information for the connector.
  7. On the **TLS** tab, optionally specify the TLS information for the connector.
  8. On the **Advanced** tab, optionally specify reconnection information, including a reconnection strategy.
  9. Click **Test Connection** to confirm that Mule can connect with the specified server.
  10. Click **OK**.


## Add a Connector Operation to the Flow
When you add a connector operation to your flow, you are specifying an action for that connector to perform.
To add an operation for MCP Connector, follow these steps:
  1. In **Mule Palette** , select **MCP** and then select the desired operation.
  2. Drag the operation onto the Studio canvas, next to the source.


## Configure a Global Element for the Connector
When you configure a connector, configure a global element that all instances of that connector in the app can use. Configuring a global element requires you to provide the authentication credentials that the connector requires to access the target MCP system.
You can reference a configuration file that contains ANT-style property placeholders (recommended), or you can enter your authorization credentials in the global configuration properties. For information about the benefits of using property placeholders and how to configure them, see Anypoint Connector Configuration.
To configure the global element for MCP Connector, follow these steps:
  1. Select the operation in the Studio canvas.
  2. On the properties screen for the operation, click the Add (**+**) icon to access the global element configuration fields.
  3. In the **General** tab, in **Connection** , select the authentication method to configure. The MCP protocol’s security is mostly based on the OAuth Authorization Code flow. To keep it compatible with different systems and uses, the connector also supports other authentication methods, including:
     * Basic Authentication
     * OAuth Authorization Code
     * OAuth Client Credentials


  4. On the **TLS** tab, optionally specify the TLS information for the connector.
  5. On the **Advanced** tab, optionally specify reconnection information, including a reconnection strategy.
  6. Click **Test Connection** to confirm that Mule can connect with the specified server.
  7. Click **OK**.


### Basic Authentication
Enter the authentication information in the **General** tab of the **Global Element Properties** screen to configure Basic authentication:
  1. Select **Connection > Basic** and enter or set the values for these fields:
Field | User Action  
---|---  
Enter the configuration name.  
Username used to initialize the session.  
Password used to authenticate the user.  
**Preemptive** |  If set to true, the client sends its authentication credentials (username and password) with the initial HTTP request to the server, rather than waiting for the server to challenge (401 Unauthorized) the client.  


### OAuth Authorization Code
Used when the client is acting on behalf of an enduser (human). For instance, an agent calls an MCP tool implemented by a SaaS system.
### OAuth Client Credentials
Used for machine-to-machine authentication. The client application authenticates itself directly with the authorization server using its client ID and client secret, and receives an access token.
This is used when an application is accessing resources on its own behalf, not on behalf of a user.
### Digest
An HTTP authentication scheme that uses a challenge-response mechanism to avoid sending passwords in plain text. It involves hashing the password and other information to verify the client’s identity.
### NTLM
A Microsoft authentication protocol used primarily in Windows environments. It uses a challenge-response mechanism and is commonly used for network authentication.
## Configure Additional Connector Fields
After you configure a global element for MCP Connector, configure the other required fields for the connector. The required fields vary depending on which connector operation you use.
## Debug the App
Debug your Mule application using the embedded debugger in Studio.
See Logging and Debugging.
## View the Application Log
To check for problems, you can view the app log as follows:
  * If you’re running the app from Anypoint Platform, the app log output is visible on the Anypoint Studio console window.
  * If you’re running the app using Mule from the command line, the app log output is visible in your operating system console.


Unless the log file path is customized in the app’s log file (`log4j2.xml`), you can also view the app log in the default location `MULE_HOME/logs/<app-name>.log`. You can configure the location of the log path in the app log file `log4j2.xml`.
## Apply MCP Policies
MCP Connector has support for policies to enhance security, monitoring, and governance of your MCP server endpoints. You can apply policies to control access, add authentication, implement rate limiting, and provide additional security layers.
Available MCP policies include:
  * **MCP Support Policy**
Adds MCP support to a Flex Gateway MCP server instance. This policy is required for your MCP server instance to function properly.
  * **MCP Schema Validation Policy**
Validates MCP requests to ensure they conform to the MCP specification
  * **MCP Attribute-Based Access Control Policy**
Controls access to tools, resources, and prompts based on user information such as Tiers, IP, Headers, or Claims


### Best Practices for MCP Policies
  * Always apply authentication policies to production MCP servers.
  * Use logging policies to track MCP client activity.
  * Implement rate limiting to prevent abuse and ensure fair usage.
  * Configure different policies for development, staging, and production environments.
  * Periodically review and update policy configurations.


For more information about available policies and their configuration, see Inbound Policies Directory.
## Deploy the App
These are available for deployment:
  * CloudHub 2.0
  * Runtime Fabric
  * Hybrid
  * CloudHub (with limitations, such as you can’t apply policies)


For more information about deploying apps, see Deployment Options.
## Next Step
  * Try the MCP Connector examples.
  * Apply security to the MCP server.


## See Also
  * Introduction to Anypoint Connectors
  * Using Studio to Configure a Connector
  * MCP Connector Reference
  * MuleSoft Help Center