> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getmcp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Servers

> MCP servers are the top-level containers for tools, resources, and prompts.

## What is a Server?

An MCP server in GetMCP is a named container that groups related tools, resources, and prompts together. Each server gets a unique public URL that AI clients connect to via the MCP protocol.

Think of a server as a "workspace" for a specific domain or purpose:

* A **Stripe server** with tools for payments, customers, and subscriptions
* A **GitHub server** with tools for repos, issues, and pull requests
* An **Internal CRM server** with tools for your company's custom CRM API

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/infiwebs/X3D8lQwdysxDpY3z/images/server-list.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=X3D8lQwdysxDpY3z&q=85&s=75c46026e4959460c27a4dbcdbcbb9a3" alt="Servers List" width="1337" height="670" data-path="images/server-list.png" />

## Server URL Structure

Each server gets a unique endpoint URL:

```
https://yoursite.com/mcp/{server-slug}
```

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/infiwebs/X3D8lQwdysxDpY3z/images/server-url.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=X3D8lQwdysxDpY3z&q=85&s=143d0e37cd178c48a1e39887db9321ad" alt="Server URL Structure" width="1314" height="287" data-path="images/server-url.png" />

* **slug** — A human-readable identifier derived from the server name (e.g., `my-stripe-tools`)

## Server Properties

| Property         | Description                                                        |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Name**         | Human-readable label displayed in the admin and sent to AI clients |
| **Slug**         | URL path segment; auto-generated from name, must be unique         |
| **Status**       | `active`, `paused`, or `draft`                                     |
| **Auth Type**    | Inbound authentication method for protecting the MCP endpoint      |
| **Transport**    | Always `streamable-http` (JSON-RPC 2.0 over HTTP)                  |
| **Rate Limit**   | Maximum requests per minute (default: 60)                          |
| **CORS Origins** | Comma-separated list of allowed origins for browser clients        |

## Server Status

| Status   | Description                                             |
| -------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| `active` | Accepting MCP connections; tools are callable           |
| `paused` | Returns HTTP 503 to AI clients; configuration preserved |
| `draft`  | Not yet published; not accessible via MCP endpoint      |

Use **paused** when you need to temporarily disable a server without losing its configuration.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/infiwebs/X3D8lQwdysxDpY3z/images/server-general-settings.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=X3D8lQwdysxDpY3z&q=85&s=5c61b663e21acf2abe56f2cb233287e0" alt="Server General Settings" width="1320" height="739" data-path="images/server-general-settings.png" />

## Authentication Tab

The **Authentication** tab on the server detail page has two independent sections:

### Inbound Authentication

Controls who can connect to your MCP server. Configure this under **Authentication → Auth Type**:

| Auth Type      | What the connecting client must send               |
| -------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| `none`         | Nothing extra — the server URL alone grants access |
| `bearer-token` | `Authorization: Bearer <token>` header             |
| `api-key`      | `Authorization: <api-key>` header                  |
| `basic-auth`   | HTTP Basic credentials (username + password)       |
| `oauth`        | Browser-based OAuth flow (no static credential)    |

After selecting an auth type, a **Credential** field appears — enter the token, API key, or password you want clients to use. Clients must include this value in their `headers` block when connecting.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/infiwebs/X3D8lQwdysxDpY3z/images/server-authentication.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=X3D8lQwdysxDpY3z&q=85&s=4f550bc2e2f06c5f79e4c11b9efcf5b1" alt="Authentication Tab — Inbound Auth and Test Credentials" width="1322" height="672" data-path="images/server-authentication.png" />

<Warning>
  Always enable inbound authentication for production servers. With `none`, anyone who discovers your server URL can call your tools and consume API credits.
</Warning>

<Note>
  Inbound authentication protects access to GetMCP itself. It is completely separate from the API credentials your tools use when calling external services. See the [Authentication Guide](/docs/guides/authentication) for a full explanation.
</Note>

### Test Credentials

The **Test Credentials** section (lower half of the Authentication tab) is a separate set of outbound API credentials used **only** when you click **Test** on a tool in the admin panel.

| Field          | Description                                                               |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Auth Type**  | The auth method for your external API (bearer-token, api-key, basic-auth) |
| **Credential** | The actual API key or token for your test/staging environment             |

All tools in the server share the same test credentials. This lets you:

* Use a sandbox or staging API key during development
* Keep production credentials completely out of the admin test flow
* Rotate dev keys freely without touching production

<Note>
  Test credentials are **never** used by AI clients. When Claude, Cursor, or any other client calls a tool, GetMCP always uses configured production credentials on the MCP client — not these test credentials.
</Note>

## Creating a Server

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Dashboard">
    Navigate to **GetMCP > Dashboard** in WordPress admin.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Create Server">
    Click the **Create Server** button.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in Details">
    Enter a name and optional description. The slug and server ID are auto-generated.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Authentication (optional)">
    Open the **Authentication** tab to set inbound auth type and test credentials. You can skip this for now and configure it later.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Click **Create**. The server is now active and accessible.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Multi-Server Architecture

You can create as many servers as you need from a single WordPress installation. This lets you:

* **Organize by domain**: separate servers for different APIs or clients
* **Segment by access level**: different API keys for different servers
* **Isolate environments**: separate staging and production server configs