Use MCP to build apps

Use Retool's MCP to build apps.

You can connect to Retool's MCP server directly from your coding environment. Retool's MCP enables you to build apps from your chosen development environment, import React apps into Retool, and manage your organization's settings and users.

note

The MCP server provides access to Retool functionality in an external environment. This functionality is distinct from the MCP resource, which lets you connect third-party tools and services as a native integration in classic apps, workflows, and agents.

Refer to the MCP tool reference for the full list of tools.

Use cases

The following use cases are examples of what can be accomplished using the MCP server:

App building

Use the MCP server to build apps from your chosen development environment:

• Import an existing React app to Retool.
• Start or continue building an app.
• View past and current agent activity.
• Cancel a failed app build.
• Manually review function runs.
• Inspect an existing app.

Organization and user management

Use the MCP server to manage your organization settings and users:

• Write queries against resources to power data analysis.
• Investigate audit logs.
• Bulk-invite users or manage pending invites.
• Audit the users who have access to your organization.

Resource management

Use the MCP server to manage resources:

• List all connected resources and see their configurations.
• Create new resources.
• Identify the best resource for a given use case.
• Inspect resource environment configurations.

For a full list of available tools, refer to the MCP tools reference, or install the MCP server and run tools/list.

Connect MCP server

You can connect Retool's MCP server to an MCP-compatible client using the following details:

• URL: https://<your-retool-instance>/mcp (e.g. https://example.retool.com/mcp)
• Transport: HTTP
• Authentication: OAuth 2.0

Once you authenticate your MCP server with OAuth 2.0, you may have to restart your coding agent.

Common coding agents

The following examples show how to connect to the MCP server with common coding agents.

Retool Agents

To configure the MCP server as a tool for use in Retool Agents, complete the following steps:

1. Navigate to the Resources tab in Retool. Click Create new > Resource, and select MCP Server.
2. Configure the resource:
   1. Title: Retool MCP
   2. Description: An MCP server for interacting with Retool.
   3. Server URL: https://example.retool.com/mcp
   4. Click Auto-configure authentication.
   5. Scroll down and click Connect with OAuth.
3. Navigate to a new or existing agent and add a new tool.
   1. Click Add new tool.
   2. Select Connect to MCP server.
   3. From the dropdown, select the MCP server you created in the previous step.
   4. Click Save.
4. Test out your agent from the Chat tab.

Anthropic

Claude Code

To configure the MCP server for Claude Code, complete the following steps:

1. From your terminal, run the following command:

   claude mcp add --transport http retool https://example.retool.com/mcp

2. Exit your Claude Code session, and start a new session.
3. Run /mcp, and select the retool MCP server, which requires authentication. A browser window opens and asks you to select the desired scopes.
4. Authenticate, and return to Claude Code. The MCP server is ready to use.

Claude

If your organization is on a Team or Enterprise Claude plan, ask an Owner or Primary owner of your organization to add Retool's MCP server as a custom connector.

If you use Claude on a Free, Pro, or Max Claude plan, use the following steps:

1. Navigate to the Customize tab in Claude.
2. Open the Connectors tab.
3. Click Add, then Browse connectors.
4. Find Retool, and click Connect
5. A browser window opens and asks you to authorize the scopes you want the MCP to use.
6. Return to Claude. The MCP server is ready to use.

OpenAI

Codex

To configure the MCP server via the CLI for Codex, complete the following steps:

1. From your terminal, run the following command:

   codex mcp add retool --url https://example.retool.com/mcp

2. A browser window opens and asks you to select the desired scopes.
3. Authenticate, and return to Codex. The MCP is ready to use.

ChatGPT

note

You must have Developer mode enabled in ChatGPT in order to add Retool's MCP server.

To configure the MCP server for ChatGPT, use the following steps:

1. In ChatGPT, navigate to Settings > Apps.
2. In the Advanced settings section, click Create app.
3. Enter the following information:
   1. Name: Retool
   2. MCP Server URL: https://example.retool.com/mcp
   3. Authentication: OAuth
4. Click Create. A browser window opens for OAuth consent.
5. Authorize the requested scopes and return to ChatGPT.

Cursor

To configure the MCP server in Cursor, complete the following steps:

1. Open Settings > MCP (or edit .cursor/mcp.json in your project root). Add your Retool MCP server:

   {
   "mcpServers": {
      "retool": {
         "type": "http",
         "url": "https://example.retool.com/mcp"
      },
      ...other mcp servers
   }
   }

2. Restart Cursor. The OAuth flow triggers automatically when a tool is first invoked.

Kiro

To configure the MCP server for the Kiro CLI, complete the following steps:

1. From your terminal, run the following command:

   kiro-cli mcp add --name "Retool" --scope global --url "https://example.retool.com/mcp"

2. Exit your Kiro CLI session, and start a new session.
3. Run /mcp, and select the retool MCP, which needs authentication. Click the link to redirect to the OAuth authentication.
4. Select the desired scopes and click Authorize.
5. Return to Kiro CLI. The MCP is ready to use.

VS Code

To configure the MCP server in VS Code, complete the following steps:

note

MCP support requires VS Code 1.102 or later with GitHub Copilot Chat. If MCP servers do not start, make sure the chat.mcp.access setting is not set to none. Your organization can turn this setting off for managed installs.

1. Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root if one does not already exist.
2. Click Add Server....
3. Select HTTP.
4. Enter your MCP server URL, https://example.retool.com/mcp.
5. Name your MCP server.
6. A browser window opens and asks you to select the desired scopes.
7. Authenticate, and return to VS Code. The MCP server is ready to use.

MCP server for self-hosted instances

Retool's MCP server is available for self-hosted instances that use version 4.0.0 and later. The MCP server has the same requirements as the new app building experience.

Refer to the tutorials in order to set up self-hosted infrastructure for the first time, or the upgrade guides in order to configure your instance for the latest version.

Credit usage

For app-building tasks, the MCP server engages two agentic services:

• Your local development agent decides what to build, and passes your prompt to Retool.
• Retool's app building agent works to create or update your app.

Each of these services charges separately for their portion of the work. In Retool, if you utilize Retool-managed keys, any app building consumes AI credits. If your organization is on the Enterprise plan and you bring your own key, app building does not consume AI credits. Refer to the AI credits billing and usage page for more information.

No Retool credits are consumed for admin or resource exploration tasks.