Overview
MintMCP connectors let administrators register MCP servers with the gateway, enabling teams to access tools through a governed endpoint instead of managing individual installs. Connectors can be packaged into Virtual MCP servers for end-user access.
Connector Types
MintMCP currently supports three ways to add connectors:
- Remote MCP connectors: Point the gateway at an MCP server that already runs remotely (e.g., has remote URL like https://gmail.mintmcp.com/mcp) and expose it through MintMCP.
- Hosted MCP connectors: Supply a standard config for an OSS/STDIO-transport server and let MintMCP run it in managed infrastructure in the cloud.
- Custom MCP connectors: Package your own MCP server artifacts and deploy them onto MintMCP's managed runtime.
All three options produce connectors that surface the MCP's tools and data sources through MintMCP while enforcing the same authentication, authorization, and logging policies described in Gateway Architecture.
Roles and Responsibilities
MintMCP distinguishes between administrators and members:
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Administrators configure connectors, select authentication models, manage credentials, and decide which Virtual MCP servers can use a connector and what tools from the underlying connector are exposed in each Virtual MCP server. They can also deploy new hosted or custom servers and adjust permissions over time. Benefits include centralized SSO management and comprehensive audit logs across all MCP usage.
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Members consume the connectors indirectly via Virtual MCP servers. They connect their AI clients, complete any required authorization flows, and start using the tools that administrators have configured. Benefits include access to curated, pre-configured MCP toolsets without needing to set up each MCP server individually.
This division centralizes management tasks for administrators while providing members with ready-to-use, governed toolsets.
Why Use the Gateway Instead of Connecting Directly?
Routing MCP traffic through MintMCP provides several benefits:
- Connect once, reuse everywhere: Register a connector once and share it across multiple Virtual MCP servers tailored to different teams.
- Unified authentication: Members authenticate with MintMCP and only complete downstream OAuth flows when per-user credentials are required.
- Shared credential patterns: Administrators can configure service accounts at the connector level, then expose them via OAuth flows through Virtual MCP servers; no need to share company credentials out-of-band with every member.
- Audit and governance: All calls flow through MintMCP, producing the audit trail referenced in Virtual MCP Administration and the Activity Log.
- Managed runtime security: For hosted and custom servers, the gateway runs containers so organizations do not have to operate the infrastructure themselves.
Deploying Connectors
While connectors give your organization the raw tools that AI agents and clients can use to interact with data, Virtual MCP servers are the curated toolsets that you can share with your team. To deploy a connector, you need to:
- Add it to a new or existing Virtual MCP server.
- Curate tools with Virtual MCP Tool Customization.
- Share the Virtual MCP server with your team to use with their AI clients.
- Observe and monitor usage with the Activity Log.
Members simply connect to the published Virtual MCP endpoint (see User Guide). The connector's authentication model determines whether additional authorization prompts appear.