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Vendia

Authentication Methods

MCP Gateway supports multiple authentication methods to connect external MCP servers securely.

Authentication Types

OAuth 2.0 (Auto-configure)

Automatic OAuth registration is the recommended method for supported services.

Available for: Pre-configured services — Notion, Atlassian (Jira/Confluence), Sentry, Neon, Fireflies — and custom MCP servers that support OAuth 2.0

Setup:

  1. Select OAuth 2.0 (Auto-configure)
  2. Click Add MCP Server
  3. You’ll be redirected back to the Vendia dashboard
  4. Click Connect to begin the OAuth flow
  5. A popup window will open to the third-party service’s login page
  6. Sign in to the third-party account and grant the requested permissions
  7. After authorization completes, select which tools to enable from the MCP server
  8. Click Enable X Tools to complete the connection

OAuth 2.0 (Use app credentials)

Use this when your organization has pre-registered an OAuth application.

When to use: Organization-managed OAuth apps, centralized control, custom configurations

Setup:

  1. Obtain credentials from your administrator:
    • Client ID
    • Client Secret
    • Additional required credentials
  2. Select OAuth 2.0 (Use app credentials)
  3. Enter provided credentials
  4. Click Add MCP Server
  5. You’ll be redirected back to the Vendia dashboard
  6. Click Connect to begin the OAuth flow
  7. A popup window will open to the third-party service’s login page
  8. Sign in to the third-party account and grant the requested permissions
  9. After authorization completes, select which tools to enable from the MCP server
  10. Click Enable X Tools to complete the connection

Benefits: Centralized management, consistent permissions, better audit trail, application-level access control.

None / Headers

Use for MCP servers that don’t require OAuth or use API key authentication.

When to use: No authentication required, API key auth, custom headers, custom authentication schemes

Setup:

  1. Select None / Headers
  2. Click Add Header if authentication is needed
  3. Enter header name (e.g., Authorization, X-API-Key)
  4. Enter header value (e.g., Bearer your-api-key)
  5. Add additional headers if needed
  6. Click Add MCP Server
  7. Select which tools to enable from the MCP server
  8. Click Enable X Tools to complete the connection

Common patterns:

Bearer Token:
  Header: Authorization
  Value: Bearer your-access-token


API Key:
  Header: X-API-Key
  Value: your-api-key

Custom Headers

Add custom headers for additional configuration or requirements.

Use cases: API keys, request routing, API versioning, custom metadata

Adding headers:

  1. Locate Headers (Optional) section in configuration
  2. Click Add Header
  3. Enter header name (case-sensitive) and value
  4. Repeat for additional headers

Examples:

API Version:
  Header: X-API-Version
  Value: 2.0


Request ID:
  Header: X-Request-ID
  Value: workspace-mcp-gateway

Security Best Practices

OAuth:

  • Review requested permissions carefully
  • Grant minimum permissions needed
  • Periodically audit connected applications
  • Prefer auto-configure over app credentials

API Keys:

  • Never commit keys to version control
  • Rotate keys regularly
  • Use keys with minimal permissions
  • Monitor usage for anomalies

General:

  • Connect only trusted MCP servers
  • Verify HTTPS connections
  • Audit and remove unused connections
  • Document why servers are connected

Troubleshooting Authentication

OAuth Authorization Failed:

  • Enable popups for Vendia’s domain
  • Verify authorization permissions
  • Check external service accessibility
  • Contact administrator if using app credentials

API Key Not Working:

  • Verify key is correct and not expired
  • Check header names (case-sensitive)
  • Ensure key has necessary permissions
  • Test key directly with external service

Custom Headers Not Applied:

  • Verify header names match exactly
  • Check for typos and extra spaces
  • Review service’s header requirements
  • Test with curl or Postman first