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Delegate user guide

Connecting tools

Connect Delegate to business applications using Integration Service connectors for managed SaaS integrations or MCP servers for custom and local tool connections.

This guide covers how to connect Delegate to your business applications and services. Delegate supports two connection methods: Integration Service connectors for managed SaaS integrations, and MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers for custom or local tool connections.

Integration Service connections​

Integration Service provides secure, authenticated connections to popular business applications. When you connect an Integration Service connector, Delegate can:

  • Read and write data in the connected application
  • Act on your behalf using your permissions
  • Access data without requiring you to share passwords
  • Work in the background without browser automation

Available integrations​

Delegate supports every connector in the Integration Service catalog, not just a fixed subset. A few common examples:

ServiceWhat Delegate Can Do
Microsoft OutlookRead emails, send messages, manage calendar, create tasks
GmailRead emails, send messages, search conversations
Google CalendarRead events, create meetings, check availability
Google DriveList, read, and manage files
Google DocsCreate and edit documents
SlackRead channels, post messages, manage threads
Microsoft TeamsRead channels, post messages, check mentions
JiraRead issues, create tickets, update status, add comments
ConfluenceRead pages, search content, create documentation
GitHubRead repositories, issues, pull requests; create issues
SalesforceRead and update records, create tasks, check opportunities

Prerequisites​

  • Integration Service must be available in your UiPath tenant.

Creating a connection​

To create an Integration Service connection, take the following steps:

  1. Open Settings → Connections (or Integration Service).
  2. Select Add Connection or Connect.
  3. Select the service you want to connect.
  4. You will be redirected to the service's OAuth authorization page.
  5. Sign in with your existing account for that service.
  6. Grant the requested permissions.
  7. You will be returned to Delegate with the connection confirmed.

Result: The connection appears in the list with a green status indicator. You can now reference this service in Delegate by name.

Connection filter mode​

Control which connections Delegate can access:

ModeDescriptionUse When
PersonalOnly connections you createdWorking alone, testing
AllAll connections in your tenant/organizationTeam environments, shared resources

To change: Settings → Connections → Filter dropdown

Note: In "All" mode, you can use connections created by teammates, but you can only see data you have permission to access in the connected application.

Testing a connection​

After creating a connection:

  1. The connection appears in the list with a status indicator.
  2. Green = Connected and working.
  3. Yellow = Connected but may have limited permissions.
  4. Red = Connection failed or expired.

To test: Ask Delegate to perform a simple action: "List my unread emails from Outlook" or "Show my calendar for today."

Revoking a connection​

To revoke a connection and remove Delegate's access to a service, take the following steps:

  1. Open Settings → Connections.
  2. Find the connection you want to remove.
  3. Select Disconnect or the trash icon.
  4. Confirm the disconnection.

Result: The connection is removed from the list. Delegate can no longer access that service until you reconnect.

Note: This removes Delegate's access but does not delete your account with the service. To fully revoke, also remove the authorization in the service's own settings (e.g., Google Account → Security → Third-party apps).

Refreshing stale connections​

Connections may expire or become invalid if:

  • Your password changed
  • The service revoked third-party access
  • Your organization changed security policies

Symptoms: Delegate reports "Connection failed" or "Authentication error"

To fix​
  1. Go to Settings → Connections.
  2. Find the failed connection.
  3. Select Reconnect or Refresh.
  4. Complete the OAuth flow again.

MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers​

MCP is an open protocol for connecting AI assistants to external data sources and tools. Unlike Integration Service connectors (managed by UiPath), MCP servers can be:

  • Remote: Hosted services you connect to via URL
  • Local: Programs running on your machine

When to use MCP vs Integration Service​

The following table describes when to use each connection method.

Use CaseRecommended Approach
Popular SaaS (Outlook, Slack, Salesforce)Integration Service
Custom internal APIsMCP Remote Server
Local databases or filesMCP Local Server
Proprietary tools without an Integration Service connectorMCP (either type)
Experimental or beta integrationsMCP

Adding a remote MCP server​

Remote MCP servers are hosted elsewhere and accessed via HTTP:

  1. Open Settings → MCP Servers.
  2. Select Add Server.
  3. Select Remote.
  4. Enter the server details:
    • URL: The endpoint address (e.g., https://api.example.com/mcp)
    • Title: A friendly name (e.g., "Company API")
    • Headers (optional): Authentication headers if required
  5. Select Save.
  6. Toggle Enabled to activate.
Example configuration​
{
  "type": "remote",
  "url": "https://internal-api.company.com/mcp",
  "enabled": true,
  "title": "Company Data API",
  "headers": {
    "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"
  }
}
{
  "type": "remote",
  "url": "https://internal-api.company.com/mcp",
  "enabled": true,
  "title": "Company Data API",
  "headers": {
    "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"
  }
}

Adding a local MCP server​

Local MCP servers run as processes on your machine:

  1. Open Settings → MCP Servers.
  2. Select Add Server.
  3. Select Local.
  4. Enter the server details:
    • Title: A friendly name
    • Command: The executable to run (e.g., node, python, /path/to/server)
    • Arguments: Command-line arguments
    • Working Directory: Where the command runs
    • Environment Variables: Key-value pairs for the process
  5. Select Save.
  6. Toggle Enabled to activate.
Example configurations
Example: Filesystem MCP Server​
{
  "type": "local",
  "enabled": true,
  "serverId": "filesystem-mcp",
  "title": "Local Filesystem Access",
  "config": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/Users/username/Documents"],
    "env": {},
    "cwd": "/Users/username"
  }
}
{
  "type": "local",
  "enabled": true,
  "serverId": "filesystem-mcp",
  "title": "Local Filesystem Access",
  "config": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/Users/username/Documents"],
    "env": {},
    "cwd": "/Users/username"
  }
}
Example: GitHub MCP Server​
{
  "type": "local",
  "enabled": true,
  "serverId": "github-mcp",
  "title": "GitHub Integration",
  "config": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
    "env": {
      "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxx"
    },
    "cwd": "/Users/username"
  }
}
{
  "type": "local",
  "enabled": true,
  "serverId": "github-mcp",
  "title": "GitHub Integration",
  "config": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
    "env": {
      "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxx"
    },
    "cwd": "/Users/username"
  }
}

Managing MCP servers​

In Settings → MCP Servers, you can:

  • Enable/Disable: Toggle individual servers on/off
  • Edit: Modify configuration (URL, command, arguments)
  • Delete: Remove a server configuration
  • Test: Verify the server responds correctly

Note: Changes take effect immediately. Disabling a server prevents Delegate from using its tools but does not stop a running local process—you may need to kill the process manually.

How Delegate discovers MCP tools​

When an MCP server is enabled:

  1. Delegate connects to the server (HTTP for remote, stdio for local).
  2. The server reports its available tools and capabilities.
  3. Tools appear in Delegate's available capabilities.
  4. You can reference them in natural language: "Use the filesystem tool to list my Documents folder".

No manual registration required—MCP tools are discovered automatically.

Administrators can govern MCP servers at the policy level — see MCP Servers in Governance with Automation Ops.

Advanced: connection management via Settings​

Power users can manage MCP connections directly in settings.json:

{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://api.example.com/mcp",
      "enabled": true,
      "title": "Example API",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer token123"
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "local",
      "enabled": true,
      "serverId": "my-local-server",
      "title": "Local Tools",
      "config": {
        "command": "python",
        "args": ["/path/to/server.py"],
        "env": {"API_KEY": "secret"},
        "cwd": "/path/to/working/dir"
      }
    }
  ]
}
{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://api.example.com/mcp",
      "enabled": true,
      "title": "Example API",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer token123"
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "local",
      "enabled": true,
      "serverId": "my-local-server",
      "title": "Local Tools",
      "config": {
        "command": "python",
        "args": ["/path/to/server.py"],
        "env": {"API_KEY": "secret"},
        "cwd": "/path/to/working/dir"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Note: Edit settings.json only if you are comfortable with JSON. Invalid syntax will prevent Delegate from loading. Always back up before editing.

For security considerations and data flow information for connections, see Local security configuration.

Next steps​

Learn how to:

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