What is MCP?
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard protocol that allows AI agents to securely connect to external tools and services. Think of it as a universal adapter that lets your agents interact with platforms like GitHub, Firecrawl, and custom services.Why Use MCP?
Unified Integration
One protocol to connect to multiple platforms - no custom code for each service
Secure Authentication
Encrypted credentials with user/organization-level isolation
No-Code Setup
Configure integrations through the Admin UI - zero programming required
Real-Time Communication
Agents can call external APIs and get responses in milliseconds
How MCP Works in Junis
Flow:- User sends a message to your agent
- Agent identifies the need for external data (e.g., “list GitHub issues”)
- Agent calls the appropriate MCP tool (e.g.,
github_list_issues) - MCP protocol handles authentication and API communication
- External service returns data
- Agent processes the data and responds to the user
Supported Integrations
Junis currently supports the following MCP integrations:GitHub
Repository management, issues, PRs, and commits
Firecrawl
Web scraping and crawling
Custom MCP Servers
You can also connect custom MCP servers to integrate any service that provides an MCP implementation. See the Custom MCP guide for details.Need another platform? MCP is an open standard - you can integrate any service that provides an MCP server. Check the MCP Protocol website for community-contributed servers.
Authentication Priority System
Junis supports three levels of authentication for MCP platforms, with a clear priority order:User-Level (Highest Priority)
Your personal credentials for platforms like personal GitHub accounts. Use Case: Individual authentication (e.g., accessing your personal GitHub repositories) Setup: User Settings > MCP Credentials Example:- You set your personal GitHub token
- When agents query repositories, they use your GitHub account
- Other team members cannot access your GitHub credentials
Organization-Level (Medium Priority)
Team-shared credentials for platforms like company GitHub or Firecrawl accounts. Use Case: Shared team resources (e.g., querying company GitHub repositories) Setup: Admin > MCP Skills > Organization Credentials (Admin only) Example:- Admin sets the company GitHub PAT (Personal Access Token)
- All team members can query company repositories
- Each user doesn’t need their own GitHub token
System-Level (Lowest Priority)
Global default credentials provided by Junis for public integrations. Use Case: Trial/demo purposes or when no user/org credentials exist Setup: Automatically configured by Junis Super Admins Example:- Junis provides a default Firecrawl API key for testing
- Users can override with their own keys for production use
MCP Types: Remote vs Local
MCP servers can be deployed in two ways:- Remote MCP
- Local MCP
Remote MCP (HTTP/SSE)
How it works: Your agent connects to an external MCP server via HTTP or Server-Sent Events (SSE).Characteristics:- No package installation required
- Server runs independently (cloud-hosted)
- Authentication via HTTP headers
- Always-on availability
- GitHub MCP: https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/
- Firecrawl MCP: Firecrawl API endpoint
- Custom APIs: Your company’s internal MCP server
Quick Start Guide
Option 1: Connect a Remote MCP (5 minutes)
1
Navigate to MCP Skills
Go to Team > MCP Skills in the sidebar
2
Click Connect
Find the platform you want to connect (e.g., GitHub) and click “Connect”
3
Enter Credentials
Provide the required information:
- MCP Server URL: (e.g.,
https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/) - Transport Type: SSE or HTTP (check platform docs)
- API Key/Token: Your authentication credentials
4
Test Connection
Click “Test” to verify the connection works
5
Enable for Agent
Go to Admin > Agents, edit your agent, and check the platform in the “MCP Platforms” section
Option 2: Use Pre-Configured Global Platform
Many popular platforms are already configured at the system level!1
Browse Available Platforms
Go to Team > MCP Skills - platforms with a globe icon (🌍) are pre-configured
2
Add Your Credentials
Click “Add Auth” and provide your personal or organization credentials
3
Enable for Agent
The agent can immediately start using the platform!
What’s Next?
GitHub MCP Setup
Connect GitHub repos, issues, and PRs
Firecrawl MCP Setup
Web scraping and crawling
Custom MCP Servers
Build and integrate your own MCP servers
Agent Orchestration
Learn how to configure agents with MCP
Key Concepts to Remember
MCP Platform vs MCP Credentials
MCP Platform vs MCP Credentials
- MCP Platform: The service definition (name, URL, authentication method)
- MCP Credentials: Your actual API keys/tokens for that platform
Why Three Authentication Levels?
Why Three Authentication Levels?
Flexibility and Security:
- User-Level: Personal accounts (personal GitHub repos)
- Organization-Level: Shared resources (company GitHub, team Firecrawl)
- System-Level: Fallback/demo purposes
Transport Type: SSE vs HTTP
Transport Type: SSE vs HTTP
Server-Sent Events (SSE):
- One-way streaming from server to client
- Better for real-time updates
- Request-response with streaming support
- More reliable for most APIs
Can I create my own MCP server?
Can I create my own MCP server?
Yes! MCP is an open protocol. You can:
- Build an MCP server for your internal APIs
- Host it on your infrastructure
- Add it to Junis as a Remote MCP
- Your agents can now access your custom services
Common Use Cases
Development Automation Agent
Platforms: GitHub- Monitor GitHub issues and PRs
- Automate code reviews
- Manage repository workflows
Research & Analysis Agent
Platforms: Firecrawl, Custom MCP- Scrape competitor websites with Firecrawl
- Extract and analyze web content
- Integrate with custom data processing services
Content Discovery Agent
Platforms: Firecrawl, GitHub- Crawl documentation sites
- Index technical resources
- Track industry trends
Security & Best Practices
✅ DO:
- Use user-level credentials for personal accounts (private GitHub)
- Use organization-level credentials for shared team resources
- Rotate API keys regularly (every 90 days recommended)
- Test connections before deploying to production
- Review MCP platform permissions (grant least privilege)
Troubleshooting Quick Reference
| Issue | Possible Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| 405 Method Not Allowed | Wrong transport type (SSE vs HTTP) | Check platform docs, update transport type |
| 401 Unauthorized | Invalid/expired API key | Generate new API key, update credentials |
| 403 Forbidden | Insufficient permissions | Check API key scopes/permissions |
| Tools not loading | Agent not connected to platform | Edit agent, enable MCP platform |
| Connection timeout | MCP server down or unreachable | Test connection, check server status |
For detailed troubleshooting guides, see each platform’s specific documentation page.
Platform-Specific Guides
GitHub
Repository management, issues, and PRs
Firecrawl
Web scraping and crawling
Custom MCP
Build your own MCP server
FAQs
How many platforms can one agent use?
How many platforms can one agent use?
Unlimited! An agent can connect to as many MCP platforms as needed. For example, a research agent might use Firecrawl (web scraping) + GitHub (code analysis) + Custom MCP (data storage) simultaneously.
Do I need to pay for each platform separately?
Do I need to pay for each platform separately?
It depends. MCP is just the connection protocol. You need active accounts/subscriptions for each service:
- Free: GitHub (public repos)
- Paid: Firecrawl (API credits), custom services
Can multiple agents share the same MCP connection?
Can multiple agents share the same MCP connection?
What happens if my API key expires?
What happens if my API key expires?
Agents will fail to connect and return authentication errors. Update the credentials in Team > MCP Skills and the connection will resume immediately (no restart needed).
Can I use MCP in scheduled tasks?
Can I use MCP in scheduled tasks?
Absolutely! Scheduled tasks can call agents with MCP integrations. Example: Daily report agent that scrapes data with Firecrawl and posts results to GitHub issues at 9 AM.
Additional Resources
- MCP Protocol Specification: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/
- Community MCP Servers: https://github.com/topics/mcp-server
- Junis API Documentation: Authentication & API Keys
- GitHub Discussions: Share your MCP integrations!
Need Help? Contact us at [email protected] to ask questions about MCP integration and get expert support.