Configure tools and MCP servers

Configure tools and MCP servers

The tool catalog defines the external operations that compiled plans can call. Manage it in the application from MCP Tools section or edit the YAML catalog in the application data directory.

Built-in catalog

On first launch, INXM Local seeds a catalog containing an echo tool. The repository includes a broader example at examples-config/tools.yaml, including subprocess and HTTP tool shapes.

Add tools to the catalog

In MCP Tools, click + Add to create a catalog entry.

Choose a tool kind

  • Subprocess: run an allowlisted executable with fixed arguments and dynamic input values.
  • HTTP: call an HTTP endpoint using a base URL, method, and path template.
  • MCP: connect to a local stdio server or a remote Streamable HTTP endpoint.

Tools imported from an MCP server include their input schemas. When adding a tool manually, use Input schema (JSON Schema) to describe the inputs it accepts. In a plan, a TOOL_CALL step calls a tool by its catalog name.

Note

Subprocess tools and Local stdio MCP servers run programs on your machine with the permissions of INXM Local, so only add commands you trust. Give a tool the tokens or API keys it needs in its Env or Server env field. INXM Local opened from the desktop does not pass on credentials from your shell profile. See Tool environment for exactly what tools receive.

Add MCP server tools

Choose MCP server, then follow the steps for its transport:

Local stdio

  1. Select Local stdio and enter the server command, arguments, and any required environment variables.
  2. To import tools, click List tools on server. If the server is available, its tools appear in a checklist, all selected by default. Deselect any you do not need, then click Import N selected (where N is the selected count) to add them to your catalog.
  3. If you already know the tool name, you can skip discovery. Instead, expand Add a single tool manually, enter its exact name in Tool on server, fill in the required tool fields, and click Save tool.

Remote HTTP

  1. Select Remote HTTP and enter the Remote endpoint.
  2. If the server does not require OAuth, leave Connect with OAuth unchecked. If it requires OAuth, check Connect with OAuth, enter a name for the connection, and click Connect. Complete authorization in the browser; when connected, INXM Local lists the server's tools automatically. If authorization fails, resolve the connection before adding tools.
  3. To import tools, click List tools on server if OAuth is off; otherwise, use the list that appears after connecting. All tools are selected by default. Deselect any you do not need, then click Import N selected (where N is the selected count) to add them to your catalog.
  4. To add just one known tool instead, skip List tools on server. If OAuth has already listed tools automatically, click Dismiss to close the checklist. Expand Add a single tool manually, enter its exact name in Tool on server, fill in the required tool fields, and click Save tool.

OAuth endpoints must use HTTPS; loopback HTTP is accepted for local development. OAuth tokens and dynamic client registrations are stored in the operating-system credential vault, not in tools.yaml. Headless execution can reuse or refresh existing credentials but cannot begin a new interactive authorization flow.

Verify a tool

Use the catalog view to inspect its schema, then run a small plan that calls the tool with representative inputs. Tool execution errors appear in the run inspection and are eligible for the repair workflow.

What's next

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