MCP Servers and Tools in StudioAssist
This document explains how MCP servers can be helpful, and shows you how to configure MCP servers and their tools in StudioAssist.
Understanding MCP servers​
An MCP server, or Model Context Protocol server, allows an LLM (Large Language Model) AI model to do more than just generate texts.
Think of MCP servers as a toolbox. When you prompt, they analyze the prompt, find the tools for your AI agent, and then tell it to use these tools for the job. For example, you can ask it to create and write test cases, update Jira tickets, and so much more, just through natural prompting.
Built-in vs. external MCP servers in Katalon Studio​
In StudioAssist, we provide 3 Katalon's built-in MCP servers. These servers can help you query Katalon's knowledge base, write/edit test cases in Katalon Studio, and interact with TestOps objects. See Katalon's built-in MCP servers for more details.
Katalon's built-in servers are included and enabled by default. You don't need to do anything further to use our built-in MCP servers.
We also support adding external MCP servers for StudioAssist's AI agent (see Adding external MCP Servers in StudioAssist below for more details). Adding these allows StudioAssist to integrate with these external tools and can help you accomplish more.
Supported transport methods for MCP servers​
- StudioAssist currently does not work with servers using STDIO as a transport method.
- Starting version 10.4.0, Katalon Studio supports MCP servers that require authentication (e.g. Atlassian, Linear, Asana, Notion, Webflow... )
Currently, StudioAssist supports MCP servers with SSE or HTTP transport methods:
| Transport method | Execution environment | User type | Input requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSE (HTTP with Server-Sent Event) | On your own machine (local) or remote (online) | Multiple users can access the MCP server | URL to an SSE endpoint |
| HTTP (Modern Streamable HTTP) | On your own machine (local) or remote (online) | Multiple users can access the MCP servers | URL to an HTTP endpoint |
Adding an external MCP Server​
To add an external MCP server, first click on the setup panel for MCP servers icon next to Agent Mode. This is the the MCP server settings, where you configure MCP servers, their tools, and more.
Follow our interactive guide to add an MCP server:
- Click Add MCP Server. A dialogue Connect to a remote HTTP Server will open.
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Fill in these fields:
- Transport Type: either HTTP or SSE. Your MCP server provider should specify this. You can consider adding these remote MCP servers.
- Server URL: the MCP server's URL.
- Name: give your MCP server a name, no spaces or special characters. The name is used for Katalon's internal management system - there shouldn't be two servers with the same name.
- Title (Optional): the title is the display name of the server. You can have servers with the same name, but we highly recommend giving unique titles to servers.
- Click OK. The server loads for a while then expands to display its tool list.
If the MCP server you're adding requires authentication, like Atlassian's MCP server, an icon will display like so.
You'll need to click on the server to expand it, and click Authorize. You'll be redirected to the server's authentication site - simply follow through. Once authorized successfully, you can go back to Katalon Studio and see the server along with its tool list.
When a server's token expires, Katalon Studio reminds you to re-grant authorization. Simply click Authorize, and follow the steps above again. If it doesn't load properly due to connection issues, you can reload it with the Reload button.
Manage MCP servers and tools​
In the settings menu, you can:
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(1) Search for an MCP tool
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(2) Enable all/Disable all MCP tools in a server
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(3) Enable/Disable an MCP tool: disabling a tool means the AI agent won't use the tool.
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(4) Reload an MCP server: reload an MCP server to fetch its up-to-date tools.
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(5) Connect/Disconnect an MCP server: StudioAssist keeps the server's information, but no longer maintains a connection to it.
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(6) Remove: StudioAssist removes an MCP server and its tools from the list. This helps with de-cluttering - you can always add them back later if needed.
