What is MCP?
The Model Context Protocol is an open standard for connecting AI assistants and applications to external tools and data sources. In Forest, an MCP connector exposes a third-party tool’s tools (its callable operations) so you can use them in your workflows. Each native connector wraps the tool’s official MCP server. Forest handles the connection and authentication, and the operations available are the ones that vendor’s MCP server exposes. For the exhaustive list of operations a connector provides, follow the vendor reference linked in each connector below.Native MCP Connectors
Connect any of these from Project Settings → Integrations → Add MCP Server, then pick the connector instead of entering a URL.Payments & billing
Stripe
Payments, customers, subscriptions, refunds.
Square
Payments, orders, catalog, customers.
CRM & support
HubSpot
Contacts, companies, deals, tickets.
Intercom
Conversations, contacts, articles.
Zendesk
Tickets, users, organizations.
Productivity & docs
Microsoft 365
Mail, calendar, files, Teams.
Notion
Pages, databases, search.
Monday.com
Boards, items, updates.
Communication
Slack
Messages, channels, users.
Analytics & data
Amplitude
Events, charts, cohorts.
Snowflake
Query tables and views.
Automation
n8n
Trigger and run n8n workflows.
Zapier
Trigger Zaps.
Workato
Trigger recipes.
Other
Kolar
Kolar operations.
Orias
Orias registry lookups.
Pappers
French companies, directors, beneficial owners, court decisions.
The exact operations available come from each vendor’s MCP server and can change without notice, which is why Forest doesn’t duplicate the full tool list here. After connecting, the “Confirm the exposed tools” step shows you exactly what’s available for your account and plan.
Example: Stripe
Each native connector follows the same flow. For Stripe:- Go to Project Settings → Integrations → Add MCP Server.
- Select Stripe.
- Complete the connector’s authentication.
- Confirm the exposed tools, then save.
Connect a custom MCP server
If a tool isn’t in the list above, connect any MCP server by URL:- Navigate to Project Settings → Integrations.
- Click Add MCP Server.
- Enter your MCP server URL and configuration:
- Check that all the expected tools are exposed.
- Save your configuration.
Forest connects to the server when you save it, so the URL must use HTTPS and point at an address reachable from the internet. Forest refuses
localhost, private IP addresses and cloud metadata addresses.Set up an OAuth app for a connector
Some providers let Forest register itself when you connect, and there’s nothing to set up. Others ask you for a Client ID and a Client Secret. For those, create an OAuth app in the provider’s developer settings first, and check these four points before you connect it in Forest:- Redirect URL. Add
https://app.forestadmin.com/mcp-oauth-redirectto the app’s allowed redirect URLs. This is where the provider sends you back after you approve access. It isn’t the connector’s Server URL, which only Forest uses to reach the MCP server. - Client ID and Client Secret. Copy both from the app into the connector form. Most providers require the secret.
- Refresh token. Workflow steps run on Forest Runtime, which renews a connector’s access on its own, so the provider must issue a refresh token. Some providers issue one only when a setting is turned on in the app, such as token rotation or offline access. Without a refresh token, the connector is created but can’t be used, and connecting again doesn’t help until the setting is on.
- Approval. If your organization requires an admin to approve new apps, get the app approved and installed before you connect it in Forest. Otherwise the provider’s consent screen waits for approval and the connection times out.
Some providers don’t let you turn the refresh-token setting off again once it’s on. Use an app dedicated to Forest rather than one shared with other integrations.