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MCP Connectors in Harness AI Chat

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Harness AI chat can use third-party MCP (Model Context Protocol) connectors to reach tools and data outside of Harness. When you attach an MCP connector to your chat settings, Harness AI can call that server's tools during a conversation, such as listing GitHub repositories, reading Jira issues, querying GitLab, or calling a custom internal service. MCP connectors are additive: they extend what Harness AI can do without changing your existing chat workflows.

Feature flag

Currently, this feature is behind the feature flag ML_ENABLE_CHAT_MCP_SETTINGS. Contact Harness Support to enable it.

What you will learn​

  • Connector purpose: How third-party MCP connectors add tools to Harness AI chat.
  • Connector scope: How account, organization, and project connectors apply.
  • Connector management: How to add, pin, edit, and remove connectors from chat settings.
  • Tool usage: How Harness AI calls MCP tools during a chat.
  • Supported servers: Which third-party MCP servers you can connect, such as GitHub, GitLab, and Jira.

Before you begin​

  • Harness AI access: Harness AI must be active for your account. Go to Overview of Harness AI to enable Harness AI.
  • Feature flag: The ML_ENABLE_CHAT_MCP_SETTINGS flag must be enabled. Contact Harness Support to enable it.
  • An MCP Server connector: You need an MCP Server connector, or permission to create one, at account, organization, or project scope. Go to Configure MCP connectors to set up the connector, or go to Add an MCP connector to create one during chat setup.
  • Server credential: MCP Server connectors authenticate with the credential the server expects, such as a custom header or API key. Store the credential as a Harness secret. Go to Add and reference text secrets to create one.

How MCP connectors work in chat​

Harness AI chat sends your prompt to the model along with the tools exposed by each connector you attach. When a request needs one of those tools, Harness AI calls the MCP server, uses the result, and continues the conversation.

  • Extra tools: Each connector adds the tools its MCP server exposes, such as repository, issue, or ticket operations.
  • Live data: Harness AI reads current data from the server at request time, not a cached copy.
  • Session scope: Attached connectors apply to your chat sessions. Other users do not inherit your selection.
  • Governance still applies: Harness AI Rules continue to shape and constrain responses. When a rule limits an action, Harness AI reports the constraint in its answer.

Harness AI Rules and Memories still apply when connectors are active. Go to Harness AI Rules to constrain AI output, and go to Harness AI Memories to personalize responses.

Connector scopes​

MCP connectors follow the Harness account, organization, and project hierarchy. The Select MCP Connector panel lists connectors under Project, Organization, and Account tabs so you can attach connectors from any scope you can access.

ScopeTypical ownerCommon use
AccountAccount adminShared servers for every team, such as an account-wide GitHub or Jira MCP server.
OrganizationOrganization adminServers shared across the projects in one organization.
ProjectProject admin or userServers specific to one project, such as a project GitLab or Jira integration.

Connector status and management​

The connector list shows the state of each connector so you can tell which servers are reachable before you attach them.

  • Connection status: A colored indicator shows connector health. Green indicates a reachable, healthy connector. Red indicates a connection problem, such as an invalid URL or credential.
  • Pin: Pin a connector to keep it at the top of the list for quick reuse.
  • Edit: Select the edit icon to open the connector and update its URL, authentication, or other settings.
  • Search: Use the search box to filter connectors by name within the selected scope.

If a connector shows a red status, open it with the edit icon and confirm the server URL and API key. Go to Add an MCP connector to review the required values.

Harness AI Settings MCP Connectors tab showing an attached connector with a delete icon and an Add MCP Connector button

The MCP Connectors tab lists attached connectors and lets you add or remove them before you select Save.

Add an MCP connector​

Attach a connector from Harness AI chat settings. You can attach an existing connector or create a new one.

  1. Open Harness AI.
  2. Select the more options menu, then select Settings.
  3. Select the MCP Connectors tab.
  4. Select Add MCP Connector.
  5. In the Select MCP Connector panel, choose Existing or New.
Harness AI chat more options menu with History and Settings entries

Open Settings from the Harness AI more options menu to reach the MCP Connectors tab.

Select MCP Connector panel with Existing and New options and Project, Organization, and Account tabs listing connectors

The Select MCP Connector panel lists connectors by scope and lets you use an existing connector or create a new one.

  1. Select Existing.
  2. Select the Project, Organization, or Account tab for the scope that holds the connector.
  3. Search for the connector by name, then select it.
  4. Optionally pin the connector to keep it at the top of the list.
  5. Close the panel to return to MCP Connectors, then select Save.
warning

MCP Server connectors require both a valid server URL and a valid credential. A connector name alone is not sufficient. If either value is wrong, the connector shows a red status and its tools do not load.

To create a connector outside of chat, or to review the full connector YAML, go to Configure MCP connectors.

Remove an MCP connector​

  1. Open the MCP Connectors tab in Harness AI settings.
  2. Select the delete icon next to the connector you want to remove.
  3. Select Save.

Removing a connector detaches it from your chat sessions. It does not delete the underlying connector, so you can attach it again later.

Use MCP tools in chat​

After you attach a connector and save, ask Harness AI a question that needs one of its tools. Harness AI decides when to call the tool, runs it, and uses the result in its answer.

For example, with a GitHub MCP connector attached, you can ask:

List the GitHub repositories in my GitHub account.

Harness AI calls the GitHub MCP server, retrieves your repositories, and returns them in the chat, along with a short note about any governance rules it applied to the request.

Harness AI chat response listing GitHub repositories in a table after calling the GitHub MCP connector

Harness AI calls the attached GitHub MCP connector and returns repository data directly in the chat.

Supported MCP servers​

You can attach any third-party MCP Server connector that exposes a reachable endpoint and a valid credential. Common sources include:

  • GitHub: Repositories, issues, and pull requests.
  • GitLab: Projects, merge requests, and issues.
  • Jira: Issues, projects, and tickets.
  • Other providers: Any custom or third-party MCP server that follows the Model Context Protocol and exposes a reachable endpoint.
Harness-native tools

Harness AI already has built-in access to Harness data such as pipelines, executions, services, and environments, so you do not need an MCP connector for Harness-native workflows. Add MCP connectors when you want Harness AI to reach tools and data in external systems. Go to the Harness MCP Server page to review the Harness-native tools available.

Troubleshooting​

The MCP Connectors tab does not appear in Harness AI chat settings

MCP connectors in Harness AI chat are behind the ML_ENABLE_CHAT_MCP_SETTINGS feature flag. Contact Harness Support to enable it for your account.

An MCP connector shows a red connection status in Harness AI chat settings

A red status means the connector cannot reach its MCP server. Open the connector, confirm the server URL is correct and reachable, and verify the API key secret is valid and not expired.

Harness AI does not use the tools from an attached MCP connector

Confirm you selected Save after attaching the connector, that the connector status is healthy, and that your prompt clearly asks for an action the server's tools support.

Next steps​

Attach MCP connectors to give Harness AI chat the tools it needs for your workflows, then keep only the connectors you actively use to keep tool selection focused.