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Connect an MCP-compatible AI assistant to SketricGen so it can create and manage Brand Agents through conversation. The SketricGen MCP server exposes a focused set of control-plane tools and enforces the same Teamspace, project, role, and plan rules as the SketricGen application.

Connection details

Use OAuth for hosted clients that support remote MCP authentication. Use an Admin API key for local agents, CLI clients, and custom MCP clients that need a static bearer credential.
Do not use a sk_runtime_ Runtime API key with the MCP endpoint. Runtime keys execute existing agents; MCP management requires OAuth or a sk_admin_ Admin API key.

Which connection path should you use?

Client availability and labels can change. Check the current ChatGPT developer mode documentation, Codex MCP documentation, or Claude custom connector documentation when your client shows different menus.

Option 1: Connect with SketricGen OAuth

OAuth is the recommended path for hosted AI clients. The client opens SketricGen sign-in, asks you to choose an accessible project, and requests read and write access. You do not paste an API key, OAuth client ID, or client secret into the AI client.

Claude Web or Claude Desktop

  1. Open Settings → Connectors in Claude.
  2. For a Team or Enterprise organization, open Organization connectors if required by your workspace.
  3. Select Add custom connector.
  4. Name the connector SketricGen.
  5. Enter https://mcp.sketricgen.ai/mcp as the remote MCP server URL.
  6. Leave OAuth client ID and client secret empty when Claude offers those fields.
  7. Add the connector, then select Connect.
  8. Sign in to SketricGen, choose the Teamspace project, and approve the requested access.
  9. Enable SketricGen from Claude’s tools menu in a new conversation.

ChatGPT web

ChatGPT’s developer mode is the path for testing a remote MCP server. Availability and workspace approval depend on the current ChatGPT plan and administrator settings.
  1. Enable Developer mode in ChatGPT settings.
  2. Open Apps or Plugins, then create a developer-mode app.
  3. Name the app SketricGen.
  4. Enter https://mcp.sketricgen.ai/mcp as the server URL.
  5. Choose OAuth authentication.
  6. Select Scan Tools and complete the SketricGen sign-in and project-consent flow.
  7. Create the app after the tool scan succeeds.
  8. Start a new chat and select SketricGen from the available apps or developer-mode tools.
Do not enter an OAuth client ID or secret unless your client explicitly requires a pre-registered application. SketricGen supports OAuth discovery and Dynamic Client Registration for compatible clients.

Codex with OAuth

Add the following to ~/.codex/config.toml or a trusted project’s .codex/config.toml:
Then start the login flow:
Complete SketricGen sign-in and project consent in the browser. Use codex mcp list or /mcp in Codex to confirm the connection.

Option 2: Connect with an Admin API key

Use an Admin API key when the client cannot complete SketricGen OAuth or when a server-side integration needs a non-interactive credential.

Create the key

  1. Open Teamspace settings → API keys in SketricGen.
  2. Select Create key → Admin key.
  3. Choose a Project scope for one project or Teamspace scope for multiple projects.
  4. Choose the lowest sufficient role: Viewer, Editor, or Admin.
  5. Choose an expiration date.
  6. Create the key and copy the sk_admin_... value immediately. It is shown once.
Project-scoped keys implicitly target one project. Teamspace-scoped keys can see multiple projects, so write operations require an explicit project choice.

Manual MCP client configuration

Clients that accept JSON MCP configuration commonly use this shape:
The exact configuration filename and environment-variable syntax differ by client. Store the key outside version control whenever the client supports environment variables.

Codex with an Admin API key

Set the key in your shell or secret store:
Reference the environment variable from Codex:
Restart Codex after changing its configuration. The writes approval mode asks before tools that are not marked read-only.

Verify the connection

Start with a read-only prompt:
The MCP client should call whoami and list_agents. Check that the returned Teamspace and project match the scope you intended. Next, test the Brand Agent discovery flow:

What your AI can do

The SketricGen MCP server currently publishes 15 tools: The MCP surface does not currently include a tool for running an agent conversation. Use the Runtime API or Playground when you want to execute an existing agent. When you ask an AI assistant to create a Brand Agent, it should follow this sequence:
  1. Call whoami and identify the project silently.
  2. Offer available templates before creating anything.
  3. Ask for the website URL and offer a reusable knowledge base when one is ready.
  4. Call create_brand_agent and explain that crawling and knowledge-base creation take several minutes.
  5. Poll get_brand_agent_status until the status is succeeded or failed.
  6. On success, return the exact embed snippet.
  7. Offer required connectors, show their available tools, and ask before granting write-capable actions.
  8. Give any connector authorization link to the user to open. The AI should never complete provider sign-in itself.
Useful prompt:

Security and permission model

  • One selected project with OAuth: OAuth consent binds the connection to one Teamspace project.
  • Live membership checks: Removing or demoting the connected user changes what the OAuth connection or Admin API key can do.
  • Server-enforced roles: Tool descriptions guide the AI, but the Admin API independently enforces every permission and plan limit.
  • Human connector authorization: The AI receives a short-lived setup link, not your Google, Slack, email, or other provider password.
  • Explicit tool grants: Connector actions are validated against the current connector catalog before they are attached.
  • Read before write: Brand Agent update tools can read current settings before applying a partial update.
  • No billing control: MCP tools cannot change subscriptions, purchase credits, or create additional API keys.
An empty connector tool selection can mean unrestricted access for some connectors. Ask the AI to list the connector tools and explicitly confirm any permission that sends, deletes, publishes, spends, or changes external data.

Troubleshooting

401 unauthorized

Cause: The client sent no usable OAuth token or Admin API key. Fix: Complete the client’s Connect or mcp login flow. For static authentication, confirm the header is Authorization: Bearer sk_admin_....

403 invalid_origin

Cause: A browser-based client sent an Origin that the SketricGen MCP server does not currently allow. Fix: Use a supported native or hosted client. Contact SketricGen support with the exact client and origin if a browser integration needs to be added.

403 insufficient_scope

Cause: The OAuth connection approved read access but the requested tool changes data. Fix: Reconnect SketricGen and approve write access.

403 project_scope_mismatch

Cause: A project-scoped Admin API key was asked to act on another project. Fix: Use the project selected when the key was created, or create a deliberately scoped Teamspace key.

403 key_expired or 403 key_revoked

Cause: The Admin API key is no longer valid. Fix: Create a new key, update the client’s secret storage, and remove the old value from local configuration.

The AI says it changed a Brand Agent, but nothing changed

Cause: The client may have performed a read or supplied an unsupported field. Fix: Ask it to verify that the update tool returned mode: "write" and that the intended field appears in updated before claiming success.

For AI agents reading this page

  • First identify the user’s MCP client and whether it supports hosted OAuth.
  • Prefer OAuth when the client can complete it; do not ask the user for an Admin API key unnecessarily.
  • Never ask for the user’s SketricGen password or an external app password.
  • If an Admin API key is required, instruct the user to create it in SketricGen and store it in the client’s secret or environment-variable mechanism.
  • Verify the connection with whoami before creating or changing anything.
  • Read existing Brand Agent settings before writing them.
  • Treat connector setup links as short-lived credentials: show them only to the intended user and do not repeat or store them.
  • Ask for confirmation before granting tools that write, send, publish, delete, spend, or change data.
  • Do not claim an asynchronous Brand Agent is ready until get_brand_agent_status returns succeeded.