MCP Servers
Connect external capability to Otta through MCP — databases, code hosts, third-party APIs.
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a standard for giving AI assistants access to external tools. Connect an MCP server and everything it offers becomes one of Otta's tools.
The community has published a great many already — querying databases, reading repositories, calling all sorts of APIs — so you rarely have to write one.
Let Otta install it
The easiest route is to say so:
Install an MCP server that can query PostgreSQL
It configures the server, tests the connection first, and only saves it if the test passes.
A newly connected MCP server takes effect from the next turn. Send one more message after installing.
For safety, the startup commands that can be installed automatically are limited to: npx, uvx, uv, node, python, python3, deno, bunx.
Configuring one by hand
Settings → MCP Servers → Add. Three transports:
| Transport | Used for |
|---|---|
| stdio | A server running locally — the common case. Give the command and arguments |
| http | A remote server, by URL |
| sse | A remote server using server-sent events |
stdio also takes environment variables (for API keys) and a working directory.
Managing them
Ask Otta:
Which MCP servers do I have?
Disable that one for now
Test whether it can connect
Settings also lets you toggle, edit and remove them. Prefer disabling over deleting for something you might want back — a disabled server's tools disappear but the configuration stays.
Servers that come with plugins
Some plugins bundle an MCP server. Those are managed by the plugin and cannot be toggled or removed from the conversation — uninstalling the plugin removes them.
Available to scheduled tasks
A scheduled task can specify which MCP servers it needs. Good for "pull data from that system every morning and summarise it". See Scheduled & Background Tasks.
Troubleshooting
Installed, but Otta says it lacks the capability
Send another message. A new MCP server takes effect from the next turn.
It will not connect
Test whether that MCP server connects
For stdio, check the command, arguments and that dependencies are installed. For http / sse, check the URL and network.
It cannot be installed automatically
Automatic installation is limited to a command allowlist (npx, uvx, uv, node, python, python3, deno, bunx). Add anything else by hand in Settings → MCP Servers.
A plugin's server cannot be removed
It is managed by the plugin and goes when the plugin is uninstalled.
An MCP server is third-party software running on your machine with the same permissions you have. Check where it came from before installing.