Matt Vollmer
e189f73cc0
Closes coverage gaps in `docs/ai-coder/agents/` and aligns nav references with the current UI (post #24574 Behavior split, post #24644 Insights removal). **Content fixes:** - Replace site-wide `coder users edit-roles` flow with org-scoped `agents-access` role (per migration `000475`). CLI examples now preserve existing org roles since `edit-roles` overwrites the full set. - Correct computer-use claim: supports Anthropic *and* OpenAI providers, configured under the Virtual desktop experiment. - New `platform-controls/experiments.md` covering Virtual desktop, Advisor, and Chat debug logging (each as: what, how to enable, API). Includes the Debug tab in the chat right panel. - Trim `models.md` "Model overrides" to essentials: two layers (admin subagent, user personal), contexts table, resolution order, API pointer. - Remove retired `platform-controls/pr-insights.md` (page + manifest + cross-links). **Nav cleanup:** - Admin-only tabs use the full `Agents > Settings > Manage Agents > <Tab>` path; user-side tabs keep `Agents > Settings > <Tab>`. - Replace stale "Behavior" references with Instructions / Lifecycle / Experiments to match the current sidebar. - Replace references to the removed top-bar Admin dialog with the Settings sidebar. <details> <summary>Decision log</summary> - Experimental features were originally drafted as a standalone Advisor page plus inline sections in `platform-controls/index.md`. Consolidated into one `experiments.md` since no individual feature warrants a full page yet and parallel short sections are easier to scan. - Reviewer feedback on early drafts: drop the inline experiments list from `index.md` (avoid drift), drop the "users created before this role was introduced" note (handled transparently by migration `000475`), specify the full nav path for per-model pricing, link the `type=computer_use` row in `architecture.md` to the Experiments page. - CLI bulk-grant script previously called `edit-roles <user> agents-access`. That replaces the user's full org role set, so the script would silently strip `organization-admin`, `organization-template-admin`, etc. Rewrote to read each user's current roles, append `agents-access`, dedupe, and write the union back. </details> PR generated with Coder Agents.
6.1 KiB
MCP Servers
Administrators can register external MCP servers that provide additional tools for agent chat sessions. Configured servers are injected into or offered to users during chat depending on the availability policy.
This is an admin-only feature accessible at Agents > Settings > Manage Agents > MCP Servers.
Add an MCP server
- Navigate to Agents > Settings > Manage Agents > MCP Servers.
- Click Add.
- Fill in the configuration fields described below.
- Click Save.
Identity
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
display_name |
Yes | Human-readable name shown to users in chat. |
slug |
Yes | URL-safe unique identifier, auto-generated from display name. |
description |
No | Brief summary of what the server provides. |
icon_url |
No | Emoji or image URL displayed alongside the server name. |
Connection
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
url |
Yes | The MCP server endpoint URL. |
transport |
Yes | Transport protocol. streamable_http or sse. |
Availability
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
enabled |
No | Master toggle. Disabled servers are hidden from non-admin users. |
availability |
Yes | Controls how the server appears in chat sessions. See Availability policies. |
model_intent |
No | When enabled, requires the model to describe each tool call's purpose in natural language, shown as a status label in the UI. |
Availability policies
| Policy | Behavior |
|---|---|
force_on |
Always injected into every chat. Users cannot opt out. |
default_on |
Pre-selected in new chats. Users can opt out. |
default_off |
Available in the server list but users must opt in. |
Authentication
Each MCP server uses one of five authentication modes. When you change the auth type, fields from the previous type are automatically cleared.
Secrets are never returned in API responses — boolean flags indicate whether a value is set.
None
No credentials are sent. Use this for servers that do not require authentication.
OAuth2
Per-user authorization. The administrator configures the OAuth2 provider, and each user independently completes the authorization flow.
Manual configuration — provide all three fields together:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
oauth2_client_id |
OAuth2 client ID. |
oauth2_auth_url |
Authorization endpoint URL. |
oauth2_token_url |
Token endpoint URL. |
Optional fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
oauth2_client_secret |
OAuth2 client secret. |
oauth2_scopes |
Space-separated list of scopes. |
Auto-discovery — leave oauth2_client_id, oauth2_auth_url, and
oauth2_token_url empty. The server attempts discovery in this order:
- RFC 9728 — Protected Resource Metadata
- RFC 8414 — Authorization Server Metadata
- RFC 7591 — Dynamic Client Registration
Users connect through a popup that redirects through the OAuth2 provider. Tokens are stored per-user and refreshed automatically. Users can disconnect via the UI or API to remove stored tokens.
API key
A static key sent as a header on every request.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
api_key_header |
Yes | Header name (e.g., Authorization). |
api_key_value |
Yes | Secret value sent in the header. |
Custom headers
Arbitrary key-value header pairs sent on every request. At least one header is required when this mode is selected.
User OIDC Identity
Forwards the calling user's OIDC access token (stored in
user_links.oauth_access_token) to the MCP server as an
Authorization: Bearer <token> header. The token is refreshed
transparently before each request if it has expired or is close to
expiring.
No admin-configurable fields. No per-user connect step.
Limitation: this auth mode only works for users who authenticated to Coder via OIDC. Users who logged in with password or GitHub will see requests sent without an authorization header, and the upstream MCP server is expected to respond with 401.
Tool governance
Control which tools from a server are available in chat:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
tool_allow_list |
If non-empty, only the listed tool names are exposed. An empty list allows all tools. |
tool_deny_list |
Listed tool names are always blocked, even if they appear in the allow list. |
Permissions
| Action | Required role |
|---|---|
| Create, update, or delete | Admin (deployment config) |
| View enabled servers | Any authenticated user |
| OAuth2 connect and disconnect | Any authenticated user |
Non-admin users only see enabled servers. Sensitive fields such as API keys and client secrets are redacted in API responses.