22.3 Client MCP

The MCP Clients section is used to connect vtenext to an external or internal MCP server, allowing it to retrieve and use the available tools within processes and agents. In practice, this section is where you configure how to reach the MCP server, how to authenticate, and how to keep the list of available tools up to date.

In summary: the MCP client does not publish functions externally. It performs the opposite operation: it connects to an MCP server, retrieves its tools, and makes them available within vtenext.

When to use it

To connect vtenext to an already available MCP server.
To use the tools exposed by an MCP server within processes and agents (see AI Actions).
To keep the list of available tools synchronized over time.
To quickly connect an MCP server created in the MCP Servers section.

The List View

The list displays all previously configured MCP clients.

Active	indicates whether the client is enabled
Name	internal name used to identify the connection
URL	address of the MCP server to which the client connects
Last Synchronization	shows when the tools were last synchronized, or indicates that the client has never been synchronized

From the list, you can create a new client, edit it, or delete it. If the client is connected to an internal MCP Server, you can also directly open that server from the list.

Creating a New MCP Client

Open the MCP Clients section.
Click Add.
Enter an easily recognizable Name.
Enter the URL of the MCP server.
Choose the Authentication type.
Fill in the required credentials, if applicable.
Decide whether to enable Periodic Synchronization.
Enable Notifications if you want to be notified when tools change.
Save the configuration.

Important: when saving, vtenext actually attempts to connect to the MCP server. If the connection fails, the configuration is not accepted.

Configuration Parameters

Active	enables or disables the client
Name	descriptive name of the connection
URL	full address of the MCP server to connect to
Authentication	defines how the client authenticates with the MCP server
Username and Password	displayed when Basic Authentication is selected
API Key	displayed when Bearer or X-API-Key authentication is selected
Synchronize	allows a cron job to periodically check the available tools and update them when new ones are detected
Notification	sends a notification when synchronization detects changes in the server's tools

How authentication works

The selected authentication method changes the fields displayed in the configuration form.

No Authentication	no additional credentials are required
Basic	you must enter a username and password
Bearer	you must enter a token or API key
X-API-Key	you must enter the API key in the dedicated field
VTE (Access Key)	vtenext automatically uses the dedicated MCP access key of the user performing the call. No credentials need to be entered manually

When to use VTE (Access Key): this option is particularly useful when the client points to an MCP Server exposed by vtenext, because it allows the system to manage authentication automatically.

Connection Verification and Tool Mapping

The client screen also provides a verification function.

Call Result: RESULT

Call Result: HEADERS

Call Result: RESPONSE

The test button checks whether the MCP server responds correctly.
If the result is successful, vtenext can retrieve the list of available tools.
From the verification window, you can update the available tools section using the Map Available Tools command.

This verification is especially useful when configuring a new server or when you want to check that authentication is working correctly before the final save.

Available Tools

After saving, or after mapping from the verification window, vtenext displays the list of tools retrieved from the MCP server.

For each tool, you can view:

tool name
description
input parameters
required and optional fields
structure of the returned output

This information is stored locally, so the tools can then be invoked within agents and processes without having to reinterpret the remote server structure each time.

Periodic Synchronization

If you enable Synchronize, a scheduled process can periodically check whether new or modified tools are available on the MCP server.

If changes are detected, the local tool configuration is updated.
If no differences are found, the date of the last synchronization is updated anyway.
If you have also enabled Notification, you will receive an alert when the set of tools changes.

Warning: when tools change on the MCP server, it may be necessary to check any processes or agents that use them, especially if parameters or outputs have changed.

Practical examples

Example 1: Connecting to an external MCP server

You can configure an MCP client that points to an external server published by another system. In this case, enter the URL, the required authentication method, and then verify the available tools.

Example 2: Connecting to a vtenext MCP Server

If you have already created an MCP Server in the relevant section, you can connect the client to the same endpoint and use VTE (Access Key) authentication to simplify the configuration.

Example 3: Controlled tool updates

If the tools on the remote server may change over time, it is recommended to enable periodic synchronization and, if necessary, notifications as well, so that processes and agents remain aligned.

Web Search MCP - Exa

vtenext also provides a preconfigured MCP client called Web Search MCP - Exa. This entry is created automatically but remains disabled until you decide to use it.

Exa is a web search service designed for AI agents. It allows real-time web searches, retrieval of content from specific web pages, and provides models with more up-to-date information compared to the knowledge already embedded within the model.

Come attivarlo

Apri la scheda Web Search MCP - Exa nella lista dei Client MCP.
Lascia invariato l'URL precompilato, che punta al server MCP pubblico di Exa.
Imposta o completa l'autenticazione X-API-Key con la chiave API del tuo account Exa.
Attiva il client.
Salva e verifica i tool disponibili.

In questo caso l'autenticazione prevista da vtenext è X-API-Key, già selezionata nella configurazione iniziale del client.

Tool disponibili con Exa

Il server MCP espone questi tool:

web_search_exa: esegue ricerche sul web e restituisce contenuti già pronti da usare da parte dell'agente.
web_fetch_exa: recupera il contenuto completo di una pagina web a partire da un URL noto.

Quando può essere utile: Exa è particolarmente adatto quando vuoi dare agli agenti e ai processi accesso a ricerca web aggiornata, analisi di pagine online o raccolta rapida di informazioni esterne.

Per ulteriori dettagli sul servizio e sulle funzionalità del server MCP di Exa, consulta il sito ufficiale: https://exa.ai/mcp.