---
title: MCP server
url: https://www.tines.com/docs/mcp-server/
updated: 2026-06-02T15:13:52+00:00
---

*[tines.com](https://www.tines.com/llms.txt) › [Docs](https://www.tines.com/llms.txt)*

# MCP server

*[View on tines.com](https://www.tines.com/docs/mcp-server/)*

The Tines MCP server is a first-party [Model Context Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) endpoint built into your Tines tenant. Connect it to an AI client such as ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor, Claude Code, or Claude Desktop, describe what you want in plain language, and your client uses the same story authoring capabilities as [Workbench for Stories](https://www.tines.com/docs/story-copilot/) in build mode to create and modify stories on your behalf.

## **When to use this**

Use the Tines MCP server when you want to build or change stories from the tool where you already work. For example:

- "Add an HTTP action that creates a Jira issue when this webhook fires."
- "Read the current story and add error handling on the Slack action."
- "Create a new story that polls CrowdStrike and posts to Teams."

Your client turns that into story authoring operations against your tenant. You stay in the conversation; Tines updates on the storyboard.

This is different from a custom MCP server you build inside Tines.

## **Tines MCP server vs. custom MCP servers in Tines**

Tines offers two different MCP surfaces. They solve opposite problems.

<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><colgroup><col style="width: 19.9957%;"><col style="width: 33.8541%;"><col style="width: 46.1286%;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td></td><td><div data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMlRpbmVzJTIwTUNQJTIwc2VydmVyJTIwKHRoaXMlMjBwYWdlKSUyMiUyQyUyMnN0cm9uZyUyMiUzQXRydWUlN0QlNUQlN0QlNUQ="><p><strong>Tines MCP server (this page)</strong></p></div></td><td><div data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMkN1c3RvbSUyME1DUCUyMHNlcnZlciUyMGluJTIwVGluZXMlMjIlMkMlMjJzdHJvbmclMjIlM0F0cnVlJTdEJTVEJTdEJTVE"><p><strong>Custom MCP server in Tines</strong></p></div></td></tr><tr><td><div data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMlB1cnBvc2UlMjIlMkMlMjJzdHJvbmclMjIlM0F0cnVlJTdEJTVEJTdEJTVE"><p><strong>Purpose</strong></p></div></td><td><div data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMkxldHMlMjBleHRlcm5hbCUyMEFJJTIwY2xpZW50cyUyMHVzZSUyMFRpbmVzJTIwdG8lMjBhdXRob3IlMjBzdG9yaWVzJTIyJTdEJTVEJTdEJTVE"><p>Lets external AI clients use Tines to author stories</p></div></td><td><div data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMkxldHMlMjBleHRlcm5hbCUyMEFJJTIwY2xpZW50cyUyMHVzZSUyMHlvdXIlMjBUaW5lcyUyMHdvcmtmbG93cyUyMGFuZCUyMGRhdGElMjIlN0QlNUQlN0QlNUQ="><p>Lets external AI clients use your Tines workflows and data</p></div></td></tr><tr><td><div data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMldobyUyMGNvbmZpZ3VyZXMlMjBpdCUyMiUyQyUyMnN0cm9uZyUyMiUzQXRydWUlN0QlNUQlN0QlNUQ="><p><strong>Who configures it</strong></p></div></td><td><div data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMkJ1aWx0JTIwaW50byUyMHlvdXIlMjB0ZW5hbnQlM0IlMjBjb25uZWN0JTIwd2l0aCUyME9BdXRoJTIyJTdEJTVEJTdEJTVE"><p>Built into your tenant; connect with OAuth</p></div></td><td><div data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMllvdSUyMGJ1aWxkJTIwaXQlMjBhcyUyMGFuJTIwTUNQJTIwc2VydmVyJTIwYWN0aW9uJTIwaW4lMjBhJTIwc3RvcnklMjIlN0QlNUQlN0QlNUQ="><p>You build it as an MCP server action in a story</p></div></td></tr><tr><td><div data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMkVuZHBvaW50JTIyJTJDJTIyc3Ryb25nJTIyJTNBdHJ1ZSU3RCU1RCU3RCU1RA=="><p><strong>Endpoint</strong></p></div></td><td><div data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGeW91ci10ZW5hbnQudGluZXMuY29tJTJGbWNwJTIyJTdEJTVEJTdEJTVE"><p>https://your-tenant.tines.com/mcp</p></div></td><td><div data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGeW91ci10ZW5hbnQudGluZXMuY29tJTJGbWNwJTJGJTIyJTdEJTVEJTdEJTVE"><p>https://your-tenant.tines.com/mcp/&lt;string&gt;</p></div></td></tr><tr><td><div data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMldoYXQlMjBjbGllbnRzJTIwY2FuJTIwZG8lMjIlMkMlMjJzdHJvbmclMjIlM0F0cnVlJTdEJTVEJTdEJTVE"><p><strong>What clients can do</strong></p></div></td><td><div data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMlN0b3J5JTIwY29waWxvdCUyMGJ1aWxkJTIwY2FwYWJpbGl0aWVzJTIwKHJlYWQlMkMlMjBjcmVhdGUlMkMlMjB1cGRhdGUlMjBzdG9yaWVzJTJDJTIwYW5kJTIwc28lMjBvbiklMjIlN0QlNUQlN0QlNUQ="><p>Story copilot build capabilities (read, create, update stories, and so on)</p></div></td><td><div data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMldoYXRldmVyJTIweW91JTIwZXhwb3NlJTIwYnklMjBsaW5raW5nJTIwYWN0aW9ucyUyMGFzJTIwdG9vbHMlMjIlN0QlNUQlN0QlNUQ="><p>Whatever you expose by linking actions as tools</p></div></td></tr><tr><td><div data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMlR5cGljYWwlMjB1c2UlMjIlMkMlMjJzdHJvbmclMjIlM0F0cnVlJTdEJTVEJTdEJTVE"><p><strong>Typical use</strong></p></div></td><td><div data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMiU1QyUyMkluJTIwQ3Vyc29yJTJDJTIwaGVscCUyMG1lJTIwYnVpbGQlMjB0aGlzJTIwVGluZXMlMjBzdG9yeSU1QyUyMiUyMiU3RCU1RCU3RCU1RA=="><p>"In Cursor, help me build this Tines story"</p></div></td><td><div data-slate-fragment="JTVCJTdCJTIydHlwZSUyMiUzQSUyMnBhcmFncmFwaCUyMiUyQyUyMmNoaWxkcmVuJTIyJTNBJTVCJTdCJTIydGV4dCUyMiUzQSUyMiU1QyUyMkluJTIwQ2xhdWRlJTJDJTIwY2FsbCUyMG15JTIwVGluZXMlMjBhdXRvbWF0aW9uJTIwdG8lMjBsb29rJTIwdXAlMjB0aWNrZXRzJTVDJTIyJTIyJTdEJTVEJTdEJTVE"><p>"In Claude, call my Tines automation to look up tickets"</p></div></td></tr></tbody></table>

Use the **Tines MCP server** when the AI should work inside Tines' editing stories on your behalf from Cursor, Claude Code, or similar.

Use a **custom MCP server in Tines** when the AI should call your stories' lookups, approvals, internal APIs, or other logic you have already modeled as story actions. See [Build an MCP server in Tines](file:///docs/actions/templates/mcp-server/) for how to create one, link tools, and connect clients.

You can use both: an external client might use the Tines MCP server to author stories and a separate custom MCP server to run your production integrations.

## **How it works**

1. You add `https://your-tenant.tines.com/mcp` to your MCP client.
2. On first use, the client runs OAuth and you approve access on a consent screen titled **Tines MCP server**, which lists the story authoring capabilities you are granting.
3. You tell the client what you want, usually in the context of a specific story.
4. The client loads authoring guidance for that story, then automatically reads, creates, updates, and validates story contents.
5. You review the result in Tines. Each tool use is recorded in [audit logs](https://www.tines.com/docs/audit-logs/) as MCP activity.

Authentication uses OAuth only, not API keys.

Opening `https://<your-tenant>.tines.com/mcp` in a browser shows a setup page with copy-ready configuration snippets for common clients.

## Working with a story

The server exposes Workbench story building capabilities: reading and changing stories, creating and updating actions, validation, running actions where permitted, research and listing helpers, and private template operations when your permissions allow.

## Related page

- [Workbench for stories](https://www.tines.com/docs/story-copilot/)— the in-app AI capability this server exposes
- [Build an MCP server in Tines](https://www.tines.com/docs/mcp-server/) — expose your own automations to AI tools
- [Connect AI agent actions to remote MCP servers](https://www.tines.com/docs/ai-agent/) — use external MCP tools inside Tines stories