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Add a hosted connector

Run MCP servers inside Mintive's managed infrastructure. Instead of asking every member to run npx or pip commands locally, you package the server once as a container image and Mintive runs it for your organization.

When to use hosted connectors​

  • You want to roll out an open-source MCP server without asking every user to manage the runtime
  • You need to centralize secrets or environment variables that shouldn't live on developer laptops
  • You need audit logging and observability for how the MCP server is used
  • You prefer to let Mintive handle scaling, restarts, and container lifecycle

Start a new hosted connector​

  1. Navigate to MCP store in the MCP gateway sidebar
  2. Click + Add an MCP to your registry
  3. Select Deploy an open source or custom MCP

The Deploy a hosted connector drawer has two tabs. Use Admin MCP (the default) when you have a server's source, repo, or package name and want your AI client to package it. Use Container image when you already have a published image.

Either way, the connector runs a container image that already includes the MCP server and all of its dependencies. Nothing is installed when the connector starts, so startup is predictable and the image you review is the code that runs.

Deploy with the Admin MCP​

The Admin MCP lets your AI client build the image, push it, and deploy it for you. Your AI client's environment needs Docker.

  1. On the Admin MCP tab, connect the Admin MCP to your AI client. Skip this step if it's already connected.
  2. Copy the starter prompt, replace <MCP server name or repo URL> with the server you want to deploy, and paste it into your AI client.

The starter prompt tells the assistant to:

  • Check whether your organization already has a hosted connector for this server, and ask you before creating another one
  • Package the server as a container image with its dependencies installed at build time, then push and deploy it
  • Prefer the server's HTTP transport when it has one
  • Never ask you to paste API keys or other secrets into chat

When the server needs secrets, the assistant declares them without values and sends you a Mintive link to enter them in your browser. The connector deploys after you submit that form, so secret values never pass through the conversation. See Secret handling.

Deploy from a container image​

Use the Container image tab when the image is already published to a public registry such as Docker Hub or a public GHCR repository. Mintive pulls the image without credentials, so it can't pull from a private registry. To deploy a private image, push it to Mintive's managed registry with the Admin MCP or npx @mintmcp/hosted-cli build-and-push (see Deploy Docker-based hosted connectors).

  1. Under Identity, enter a Name and an optional description.
  2. Under Container, set Container Image to your image reference, for example ghcr.io/your-org/your-mcp-server:1.2.0.
  3. Choose how the container starts:
    • HTTP (default): leave Command blank to run the image's ENTRYPOINT/CMD. The server must listen on port 8000; change Streamable HTTP MCP Path if it doesn't serve at /mcp.
    • Stdio: set Transport to Stdio and enter the Command the image should run. Stdio requires a command.
  4. Under Environment variables, add any variables the server needs (see below).
  5. Optionally add Authorization instructions: Markdown shown to users on the connect page, for example how to get an API key.
  6. Click Create hosted connector.

For image requirements (platform, size, transport), see Deploy Docker-based hosted connectors.

Environment variables​

Mintive encrypts every stored environment variable. Hosted connectors support two kinds:

TypeUse when
GlobalOne value for everyone, such as a shared API key or a base URL. Mark sensitive values as secret so the UI hides them.
User-specificEach user supplies their own value, such as a personal API token. Mintive asks each user for it the first time they connect.

Stdio servers receive user-specific values as environment variables. HTTP servers receive them as X-MintMCP-Env-{NAME} request headers instead, so the server has to read them from each request rather than from the process environment.

Reach internal services​

To connect hosted code to a private API or database, set up a Private Network. On the Container image tab, pick the network under Private network. With the Admin MCP, the assistant lists the networks that are ready for hosted connectors and asks which one to use. Enable Hosted connectors on each required route; your code reads the supplied host and port from MINTMCP_PRIVATE_NETWORK_ROUTES_JSON.

Existing hosted connectors​

Connectors created earlier from a pasted STDIO JSON config keep running unchanged, and you can still edit them on the connector's Hosted connector tab.