Connect a custom agent to Agent Authority
Connect any MCP-speaking agent that the catalog doesn't list
The catalog ships setup guides for the agents most teams use — see Agent integrations for that list. Anything else that speaks MCP connects through the Custom agent card, in the Agent Registry for admins and in Quickstart for portal users.
Selecting that card asks how the agent authenticates to the gateway. Pick the method the agent supports:
| Method | Use it when | What you configure |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-register | The agent performs its own dynamic client registration | Nothing — point it at the gateway |
| OAuth client | The agent speaks OAuth but can't register itself | Client ID and secret the gateway issues |
| API key | The agent takes a static bearer token | One token |
Auto-register
Most modern MCP clients register themselves on first connect, so there is nothing to create in the console.
- Add the gateway as an MCP server — point the agent at your gateway URL over the streamable HTTP transport:
https://your-gateway-url/gateway/mcp-
Sign in from the agent — trigger the agent's authentication for that server. It registers itself with the gateway and opens a browser window for you to approve the connection.
-
Start using it — the instance appears in your agent list on first connect, and policies apply from its first tool call.
OAuth client
For agents that speak OAuth but can't register themselves, the gateway registers a client on the agent's behalf.
- Open Agent Registry → Custom agent → OAuth client.
- Enter a name and the agent's redirect URI — its fixed OAuth callback URL. Check the agent's own documentation for the exact value.
- Select Create client.
- Copy the client ID, client secret, authorization URL, token URL, scopes, and MCP server URL into the agent's connector configuration.
The client secret appears once, at creation. Copy it before closing the dialog; if you lose it, delete the instance and create a new one.
API key
For agents that take a static bearer token.
- Open Agent Registry → Custom agent → API key.
- Enter a name and select Create.
- Copy the token and configure the agent to send it as a bearer token on every request to the gateway.
Like the client secret, the token appears once.
Connecting to just one MCP? To stay under an agent's tool limit, point the URL at a single MCP —
/gateway/mcp/{slug}instead of/gateway/mcp. Grab the exact URL from the resource's detail page; see Scope a connection to one MCP.
Next steps
- Create a policy — control which tools the agent can call.
- Monitor activity — watch its tool calls appear in the dashboard and audit log.
- Audit log — filter and search every tool call the agent makes.