MCP Servers

MCP servers extend your agent with additional tools from external sources — without needing a Pandora plugin. Any server that speaks the Model Context Protocol can be connected.

MCP servers are managed on the Plugins page under the MCP Servers tab.

Server Types

• Local — runs on the same machine as Pandora. Good for tools that need access to local files or services.
• Remote — runs elsewhere, accessed over HTTPS. Good for hosted tools and third-party services.

Adding a Server

1. Go to the Plugins page and select the MCP Servers tab.
2. Click Add Server.
3. Fill in the form:
   • Name — a display name for the server (e.g. GitHub, Weather)
   • Transport — Local or Remote
   • For local servers: the command and arguments to start the server
   • For remote servers: the server URL and optional authentication
4. Click Add Server to save.

Once added, the server connects and its tools appear on the server card.

Authentication

Remote servers may require authentication. When adding a remote server, choose an authentication method:

• None — no authentication. Use for public servers.
• Headers — send a token or key with every request. The server provider will tell you which header name and value to use.
• OAuth — sign in through the server provider. After adding the server, click the Authorize button on the server card to sign in. Pandora keeps you signed in automatically.

OAuth and Local Installations

OAuth requires the BASE_URL environment variable — this tells the server provider where to send you back after signing in.

Many providers require a public HTTPS address and won’t accept localhost. If you’re running Pandora locally, you’ll need to temporarily expose it through a tunnel service during the one-time sign-in step.

1. Start a tunnel pointed at your Pandora server.
2. Set BASE_URL to the tunnel’s public address.
3. Add the server and click Authorize.
4. After signing in, the tunnel is no longer needed. You can stop it and revert BASE_URL.

Environment Variables

Local servers may need API keys or other secrets. List the environment variable names in the env field — Pandora forwards their values from the host environment to the server process.

Tool Approval

By default, the agent asks for your confirmation before using MCP tools. You can change this per-server in the server settings.

Managing Servers

Click the settings icon on any server card to:

• View the tools it provides
• Remove the server

Use the toggle on each card to enable or disable a server without removing it.