Auth for MCP

Enable MCP clients to securely connect to MCP servers with Auth0.

Enable MCP clients to securely connect to MCP servers using OAuth 2.1 and OpenID Connect, with user authentication, controlled API access, standards-based client registration, and scoped token exchange.

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard for connecting AI applications to external data sources, tools, and workflows through a consistent interface. It lets agents use your SaaS apps and internal APIs, run organization-specific workflows, and reuse integrations instead of building one-offs.

Auth0’s Auth for MCP lets developers securely and easily implement the authorization parts of the MCP spec with OAuth 2.1 and OpenID Connect. It provides sign in, standards based discovery and client registration, resource scoped tokens, and token exchange so you can control which agents connect, which resources they can access, and which actions they can perform.

Accessing a Protected MCP Server

When an MCP server is protected with Auth0, clients and AI agents must first obtain an OAuth 2.0 access token to access it. Auth0 manages the authorization flow, ensuring the user authenticates with their chosen identity provider such as Okta, Entra ID, Ping, or Google Workspace, and delegates limited permissions to the agent.

The MCP client then uses the issued token to call the server. Auth0 handles authentication, token issuance and delegation of permissions. The MCP server then validates the token and enforces the authorization decisions represented in it.

Learn more about the benefits of using Auth for MCP

Metadata Discovery and Client Registration for MCP

Register MCP clients and servers using standards-aligned discovery and registration so agents connect only to approved resources. Auth0 validates client metadata, issues client credentials, and exposes the necessary discovery endpoints. This lets MCP clients find the right authorization server and request tokens without manual configuration.

Learn how to register your MCP client application

Call your APIs on a user’s behalf

When an AI agent connects to your MCP server, the server may need to call your internal APIs to read data or trigger workflows. Those APIs need tokens that reflect who the user is and what the server is allowed to do.

Auth0 implements the On-Behalf-Of Token Exchange to enable that delegation. The MCP server exchanges the token it received from the client for a new, short-lived access token scoped to the internal API. This lets MCP servers call internal APIs on behalf of users while Auth0 issues and governs access centrally.

Use this quickstart to call your APIs on a user's behalf from your MCP server

Call third-party APIs on a user’s behalf

MCP Servers often connect AI Agents to third-party services such as Google, Microsoft, Jira, or Notion. Auth0’s Token Vault handles these integrations by managing token issuance, storage, rotation, and revocation for external APIs. Token Vault eliminates manual credential handling and makes it easy to extend MCP connectivity across the modern SaaS ecosystem.

Get started

To begin using Auth for MCP in your MCP server, refer to the following resources:

Quickstarts

Authorization for Your MCP Server

Call your APIs on a User's Behalf

Guides

Register your MCP Client Application

Resource Parameter Compatibility Profile

Test your MCP Server with MCP Inspector

Cloudflare MCP

Sample apps

Task Vantage

MCP with Token Vault

MCP with On-Behalf-Of Exchange

MCP Samples

SDKs

JS SDK

Python SDK