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When to Use MCP

MCP extends agent capabilities by connecting to external data sources and services that system tools cannot access.

MCP vs Built-in Tools

Capability Built-in Tools MCP Servers
Scope Platform resources only External systems and data
Setup List selection Connect and configure servers
Access Internal databases, files, agents APIs, databases, intranet, web services
Examples Create agents, manage memory, read conversation files Web search, query company databases, execute code

Built-in tools manage platform resources: create agents, store memory, delegate sub-agents, manage files.

MCP servers connect external capabilities: search the internet, access company databases, execute code, call third-party APIs.

When to Choose MCP

✅ Use Cases

External Data Access

Access data outside the platform:

Scenario Example MCP Server
Company Internal Data Query employee directory, sales reports, inventory Custom database server (intranet)
Web Search Get latest information, research topics, fact-checking Tavily, Brave Search, Perplexity
Third-party APIs Stock prices Financial data
Cloud Services AWS resources, GitHub repositories, Google Drive files Cloudflare Workers, GitHub server, Google Drive

Code Execution

Run code in isolated environments:

Scenario Purpose MCP Server
Data Analysis Process datasets, generate charts Python code executor
Computation Complex math, simulations Code sandbox
Testing Validate logic, run experiments Containerized runtime

Intranet Services

Connect to internal systems:

Scenario Access MCP Server
Internal Databases Company CRM, ERP, analytics systems Custom SQL/GraphQL server
Intranet Tools Jenkins, GitLab, internal Wiki Private API connector
Legacy Systems Mainframe data, SOAP services Protocol adapter

Specialized Operations

Domain-specific tools:

Domain Operations MCP Server
DevOps Deploy services, view logs, restart containers Kubernetes, Docker, AWS
Content Management Publish articles, manage assets WordPress, Contentful
Communication Send emails, post to Slack, schedule meetings SMTP, Slack, Google Calendar

❌ Not Suitable

Use built-in tools for the following:

Task Use Tool Reason
Create new agents Agent Creator tool Built-in, no setup required
Store user preferences Memory Tool Integrated with platform
Read/edit conversation files File Tool Direct file access
Call other agents Sub-agent tool Optimized for agent collaboration
Query available models System Operations Platform metadata access

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