Guides
Deploying to MCP

Deploying Workflows to MCP

Learn how to create MCP deployments and connect them to your IDE.

Overview

MCP Deployments bundle your workflows into a single endpoint that your IDE can connect to. Each deployment:

  • Contains one or more workflows
  • Generates a unique MCP endpoint URL
  • Can be configured for specific IDEs (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex)
  • Tracks usage and connection status

What is MCP? Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard by Anthropic that lets AI assistants connect to external tools. Hydra uses MCP to serve your workflows to IDEs.

Creating a Deployment

Select Workflows

  1. Go to the Marketplace or your Dashboard
  2. Click Select for Deployment in the top toolbar
  3. Check the workflows you want to include
  4. Selected workflows appear in the deployment bar at the bottom

Configure Deployment

  1. Click Deploy MCP in the deployment bar
  2. Enter a deployment name (auto-suggested from workflow names)
  3. Select target IDEs (Claude Code, Cursor, and/or Codex)
  4. Optionally add a description

Create and Connect

  1. Click Create Deployment
  2. Copy your MCP endpoint URL
  3. Follow the connection instructions for your IDE

Plan Limits

Your subscription determines how many deployments you can create:

PlanMax DeploymentsWorkflows per DeploymentMCP Connections/Month
Free110500
Pro102010,000
TeamUnlimited2050,000
EnterpriseUnlimited50Unlimited
⚠️

Exceeding your connection limit will temporarily disable your MCP endpoints until the next billing cycle.

Connecting Your IDE

After creating a deployment, connect your IDE using the MCP endpoint URL.

Claude Code connects via the MCP configuration in your project:

// .mcp.json or claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hydra": {
      "url": "YOUR_MCP_ENDPOINT_URL"
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_MCP_ENDPOINT_URL with the MCP endpoint shown in your deployment details (e.g., https://API_BASE_URL/mcp/dep_xxx).

After adding the configuration, Claude Code will automatically discover your workflows.

See the IDE integration guides for detailed setup instructions.

Managing Deployments

Viewing Deployments

Go to Dashboard > Deployments to see all your deployments:

  • Status - Active or Inactive
  • Workflow count - Number of workflows included
  • Enabled adapters - Which IDEs are supported
  • MCP endpoint - Quick copy button

Editing a Deployment

  1. Click the ... menu on a deployment
  2. Select Edit Deployment
  3. Modify name, description, workflows, adapters, or access settings
  4. Click Save Changes

You can update all deployment settings including:

  • Name & Description - Update metadata
  • Workflows - Add or remove workflows from the deployment
  • Enabled Adapters - Toggle Claude, Cursor, or Codex support
  • Anonymous Access - Allow unauthenticated MCP connections (see below)

Anonymous Access

By default, MCP endpoints require authentication. Enable Anonymous Access to allow unauthenticated connections:

{
  "allowAnonymous": true
}

When to use Anonymous Access:

  • Public demos or tutorials
  • Open-source project integrations
  • Testing and development
⚠️

Anonymous deployments are still subject to rate limits. Monitor your usage to prevent abuse.

Deleting a Deployment

  1. Click the ... menu on a deployment
  2. Select Delete Deployment
  3. Confirm the deletion
🚫

Deleting a deployment immediately disconnects all IDEs using that endpoint. This action cannot be undone.

Testing Your Connection

After connecting your IDE, verify the setup:

In Claude Code

Ask Claude to list available tools:

What MCP tools do I have available?

You should see your Hydra workflows listed as available tools.

In Cursor

Open the Composer (Cmd/Ctrl + K) and check that your workflows appear as available agents.

In Codex CLI

Run the health check command:

codex mcp list-tools

Troubleshooting

Connection Failed

  • Verify your MCP endpoint URL is correct
  • Check that the deployment is Active
  • Ensure your account is in good standing

Workflows Not Appearing

  • Refresh your IDE (restart may be required)
  • Check the deployment contains the expected workflows
  • Verify the adapter for your IDE is enabled

Rate Limited

  • You've exceeded your plan's connection limit
  • Upgrade your plan or wait for the next billing cycle

See the Troubleshooting Guide for more help.

Best Practices

Organizing Deployments

  • Single-purpose deployments - Group related workflows together
  • Environment separation - Create separate deployments for dev/staging/prod
  • Team deployments - Share deployments across your team

Naming Conventions

Good deployment names are:

  • Descriptive: "Code Review Tools" vs "My Deployment"
  • Team-aware: "Frontend Team - React Workflows"
  • Environment-aware: "Production - CI/CD Tools"

Security

  • Keep your MCP endpoint URLs private
  • Use API keys for programmatic access
  • Review connected workflows before deploying

Next Steps

Marketplace GuideUsing with Claude Code