Description
MCP Connection Settings is the in-product setup surface for connecting external AI hosts to a Dots workspace. It guides the user through choosing a supported host, generates the correct configuration shape, issues a token with explicit scopes, reveals that credential once, lists active credentials, and supports revocation or safe rotation. A permission-gated Activity view shows recent write-tool invocations for users allowed to inspect the audit stream.
The browser never treats a token as recoverable profile data. Existing credential rows show identity and lifecycle metadata without exposing secret prefixes, and rotation issues a replacement before revoking the prior token. Host-specific configuration is assembled only after issuance, so the one-time secret can be copied directly into the selected client without being retained by the settings page.
Selling Points
- Turns MCP setup into a guided host-specific workflow rather than asking users to hand-author unfamiliar JSON.
- Lets each credential carry only the scopes its host needs, reducing the blast radius of an external client.
- Makes token lifecycle visible and revocable without ever storing recoverable secrets in the browser.
- Uses safe rotation ordering so users can configure the replacement before the old credential is invalidated.
- Gives authorized owners an audit view of MCP writes, connecting external tool activity back to workspace governance.
User Story
A user selects their desktop AI host, chooses read and graph scopes, issues a token, and copies the completed configuration block into the host. Months later they rotate the credential, verify the new connection, and revoke the old entry. An owner checks Activity to confirm which write tools the client invoked.
Extension Surface
The settings feature is configurable. apps/web/src/modules/access/mcp/HostPicker.tsx selects among supported configuration templates, and apps/web/src/modules/access/mcp/IssueTokenFlow.tsx lets the user choose scopes and issue credentials. The underlying MCP tool catalog is implemented elsewhere; this UI does not define an external host-template registration API.
Capabilities & Limits
- Generates host-specific MCP configuration after issuing a scoped credential.
- Lists, revokes, and rotates the current user’s tokens.
- Shows permission-gated write-tool audit activity with time filtering.
- Limit: raw credentials are shown exactly once and cannot be recovered; the activity surface remains absent without audit-read permission.
Implementation Map
apps/web/src/modules/access/mcp/McpTab.tsxapps/web/src/modules/access/mcp/McpConnectPanel.tsxapps/web/src/modules/access/mcp/IssueTokenFlow.tsxapps/web/src/modules/access/mcp/McpActivityList.tsx