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External systems

Manage External Systems​

The External systems section in Admin Settings lets administrators register MCP connections that the Design Assistant can call. Each connection is listed as a separate table row. For how the assistant uses those connections in chat, see MCP support.

These entries define the shared MCP server: name, endpoint URL, description, base headers, default arguments, timeout, and whether the connection is enabled. Users do not create new endpoints here. They attach custom MCP settings — typically their own authorization headers — in User settings → External systems.

Admin configuration vs custom MCP settings​

Admin settingsUser settings
PurposeRegister the MCP external systemPersonal MCP settings for that system
What you configureName, MCP endpoint URL, description, headers, default arguments, timeout, enabledHeaders, default arguments, enabled
NameFree-text, must be uniqueDropdown of enabled admin systems only
HeadersBase headers for everyoneExtra headers for that user; applied in addition to admin headers
Typical credentialsShared, organization-wide valuesUser-specific values such as an Authorization header or API key
💡tip

Keep the MCP endpoint, timeout, and any headers that apply to all users in Admin settings. Ask each user to store personal tokens in User settings → External systems and to mark them as Secure.

ℹ️note

The design assistant MCP client supports neither OAuth nor dynamic client registration in the current version. Provide authorization credentials as headers — shared values here, or personal values in custom MCP settings. That is the only supported way to authenticate MCP calls. See MCP support.

If you disable a system, it no longer appears in the user’s Add custom MCP setting dropdown. Users cannot change the endpoint URL, description, or timeout.

Viewing External Systems​

The external systems overview displays all available MCP connections, showing:

  • Name: Display name of the external system
  • MCP Endpoint URL: The endpoint URL of the MCP server; needs to be in https format
  • Description: Human-readable description
  • Headers: When adding a new external system to the list, headers can be configured. Within the table, only an indication if headers have been added is shown.
  • Default arguments: When adding a new external system to the list, default arguments can be configured. Within the table, only an indication if arguments have been added is shown.
  • Enabled: Indicates if the MCP connection is currently enabled or disabled.
  • Timeout (ms): Timeout of the connection in milliseconds

With a click on an external system, you can view additional information, such as the headers and default arguments in case they have not been flagged as secured. It is also possible to edit headers and default arguments here.

Adding a New External System​

To add a new external system:

  1. Click the Add external system button
  2. In the sidebar that opens, enter a name, MCP endpoint and timeout setting as well as optional description, headers and default arguments if needed
  3. Click Add to save (or Cancel to abort)

Put only shared values in this form. User-specific authorization (for example an API key in an Authorization header) belongs in custom MCP settings. Mark sensitive header and argument values as Secure so they are not shown again after save.

Managing External Systems​

In the details of an external system, you can alter the MCP endpoint URL, description, headers, default arguments, timeout, and if the MCP connection is enabled or disabled. Please note that the name cannot be changed after creation.