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About MCP servers

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open protocol that creates standardized connections between AI applications and external services, like documentation. Mintlify generates an MCP server from your documentation and OpenAPI specifications, preparing your content for the broader AI ecosystem where any MCP client (like Claude, Cursor, Goose, and others) can connect to your documentation and APIs. Your MCP server exposes tools for AI applications to search your documentation and interact with your APIs.

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Accessing your MCP server

MCP servers can only be generated for public documentation. Documentation behind end-user authentication cannot be accessed for server generation.
Your MCP server is automatically generated and hosted at your documentation URL with the /mcp path. For example, Mintlify’s MCP server is available at https://mintlify.com/docs/mcp. You can see and copy your MCP server URL in your dashboard.

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Configuring your MCP server

All MCP servers include the search tool by default, allowing users to query information from your docs in other tools. If you have a Pro or Enterprise plan, you can expose endpoints from your OpenAPI specification as MCP tools. To expose endpoints as MCP tools, use the mcp object within the x-mint extension at either the file or endpoint level. For example, the Mintlify MCP server includes tools to create assistant chats, get status updates, and trigger updates. MCP servers follow a security-first approach where API endpoints are not exposed by default. You must explicitly enable endpoints to make them available as MCP tools. Only expose endpoints that are safe for public access through AI tools.
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mcp
object
The MCP configuration for the endpoint.

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File-level configuration

Enable MCP for all endpoints by default in an OpenAPI specification file and selectively exclude endpoints: 
{
  "openapi": "3.1.0",
  "x-mint": {
    "mcp": {
      "enabled": true
    }
  },
  // ...
  "paths": {
    "/api/v1/users": {
      "get": {
        "x-mint": {
          "mcp": {
            "enabled": false // Disables MCP for this endpoint
          }
        },
        // ...
      }
    }
  }
}

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Endpoint-level configuration

Enable MCP for specific endpoints: 
{
  "paths": {
    "/api/v1/users": {
      "get": {
        "x-mint": {
          "mcp": {
            "enabled": true,
            "name": "get-users",
            "description": "Get a list of users"
          },
          // ...
        }
      }
    },
    "/api/v1/delete": {
      "delete": {
        // No `x-mint: mcp` so this endpoint is not exposed as an MCP tool
        // ...
      }
    }
  }
}

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Using your MCP server

Your users must connect your MCP server to their preferred AI tools.
  1. Make your MCP server URL publicly available.
  2. Users copy your MCP server URL and add it to their tools.
  3. Users access your documentation and API endpoints through their tools.
These are some of the ways you can help your users connect to your MCP server:
Add options in the contextual menu for your users to connect to your MCP server from any page of your documentation.
OptionIdentifierDescription
Copy MCP server URLmcpCopies your MCP server URL to the user’s clipboard.
Connect to CursorcursorInstalls your MCP server in Cursor.
Connect to VS CodevscodeInstalls your MCP server in VS Code.

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Example: Connecting to the Mintlify MCP server

Connect to the Mintlify MCP server to interact with the Mintlify API and search our documentation. This will give you more accurate answers about how to use Mintlify in your local environment and demonstrates how you can help your users connect to your MCP server.
At the top of this page, select the contextual menu and choose Connect to Cursor or Connect to VS Code to connect the Mintlify MCP server to the IDE of your choice.

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Authentication

When you enable an API endpoint for MCP, the server includes the authentication requirements defined in your OpenAPI securitySchemes and securityRequirement. Any keys are handled directly by the tool and not stored or processed by Mintlify. If a user asks their AI tool to call a protected endpoint, the tool will request the necessary authentication credentials from the user at that moment.

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Monitoring your MCP server

You can view all available MCP tools in the Available tools section of the MCP Server page in your dashboard.
MCP dashboard with Available tools section emphasized

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Troubleshooting