Elastic Agent Builder MCP server
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) server provides a standardized interface for external MCP hosts to access Elastic Agent Builder tools. For example, you can run an ES|QL query against your data from Claude Desktop without opening Kibana.
On this page, Elastic Agent Builder acts as the MCP server: external MCP hosts connect to it to use your Elastic Agent Builder tools. To instead let your agents use tools hosted on an external MCP server, refer to Model Context Protocol (MCP) tools in Elastic Agent Builder.
The MCP server is available at the following endpoint:
{KIBANA_URL}/api/agent_builder/mcp
When using a custom Kibana Space, include the space name in the endpoint path:
{KIBANA_URL}/s/{SPACE_NAME}/api/agent_builder/mcp
You can copy your MCP server URL directly in the Tools GUI. Refer to MCP server access in the Tools GUI.
External MCP hosts need credentials to reach the MCP server endpoint. The way that you configure your MCP server depends on your authentication method. Choose API keys or OAuth 2.1 based on your deployment type and use case.
Use one of the following authentication paths:
The following table compares the two paths.
| Consideration | API key | OAuth |
|---|---|---|
| Supported platforms | Elastic Stack deployments and Serverless projects | Serverless projects only
|
| Best for | Automation, unattended access, and shared machine-to-machine use | Interactive MCP hosts acting on behalf of a person (Claude Desktop, Cursor), including teams that share one client |
| Multi-user access | One shared key means one shared identity; all callers act with the same permissions | One client registration serves many users. Each person consents separately and gets their own connection, acting with their own permissions and revocable individually |
| Identity | The key's snapshotted permissions | The consenting user; permissions are the user's live permissions in the project |
| Credential lifetime | Long-lived until the key expires or is revoked | Short-lived tokens, refreshed automatically unless revoked. Require a new connection if unused for 30+ days. |
| Setup | Generate a key and add it to the host configuration | Register an MCP client, then consent in the browser |
| Elastic Agent Builder tools through MCP | Full tool catalog, including Elastic Workflows | Full tool catalog, limited by the authorizing user's permissions |