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Creating Custom MCP Servers

Can't find the perfect pre-built MCP server? Create your own! Custom MCP servers let you handpick exactly the tools you need for your specific workflow.

Why Create Custom MCP Servers?​

Pre-built MCP servers are great for common workflows, but you might want a custom MCP server when:

  • Specific workflow - You have a unique combination of tools you use together
  • Minimal tool set - You want fewer tools to keep your AI focused
  • Mix providers - Combine tools from different services
  • Project-specific - Create MCP servers for specific projects or clients
  • Experimentation - Test different tool combinations

Example: A "Sales Outreach" custom MCP server might include:

  • smartlead_send_campaign (Smartlead)
  • hubspot_create_contact (HubSpot)
  • slack_send_message (Slack)
  • openai_generate_text (OpenAI)

Creating Your First Custom MCP Server​

Step 1: Navigate to MCP servers​

  1. Log in to MCPBundles Dashboard
  2. Click MCP Servers in the left navigation
  3. Click "Create Bundle" button (top right)

Step 2: Name Your MCP Server​

A modal opens with a form:

Name (required)

  • What you'll see in your dashboard
  • Keep it short and descriptive
  • Examples: "Sales Workflow", "Content Creation", "Daily Tasks"

Description (optional)

  • What this MCP server does
  • What tools it includes
  • Who it's for

Category (required)

  • Select the category that best fits
  • Helps organize your MCP servers
  • Choose from 35+ categories

Example:

Name: Sales Outreach Workflow
Description: Tools for email outreach, CRM updates, and team notifications
Category: Marketing & Sales

Step 3: Create the MCP Server​

  1. Fill in the form
  2. Click "Create Bundle"
  3. MCP server is created (empty, no tools yet)
  4. You're redirected to the MCP server detail page

Result: Empty custom MCP server, ready to add tools!

What Makes a Good MCP Server Name?​

DO:​

  • ✅ Be descriptive - "Email Marketing Suite"
  • ✅ Use workflow names - "Customer Onboarding"
  • ✅ Include purpose - "Weekly Reporting Tools"
  • ✅ Keep it short - 2-5 words
  • ✅ Use title case - "My Custom MCP Server"

DON'T:​

  • ❌ Too generic - "My MCP Server", "Tools"
  • ❌ Too long - "All The Tools I Use For Marketing And Sales Activities"
  • ❌ All caps - "MARKETING TOOLS"
  • ❌ Special characters - "Marketing_Tools_2024!!"
  • ❌ Version numbers - "My MCP Server v2.1"

Good examples:

  • "Social Media Manager"
  • "Developer Workflow"
  • "Client Project Tools"
  • "Weekly Reports"
  • "Content Pipeline"

Adding Tools to Your MCP Server​

Once your MCP server is created, you need to add tools. See the detailed guide:

👉 Adding and Removing Tools

Quick overview:

  1. On your MCP server detail page, click "Add Tools"
  2. Browse or search available tools
  3. Select tools to add
  4. Click "Add Selected Tools"
  5. Tools immediately appear in your MCP server

MCP Server Settings​

After creating an MCP server, you can modify its settings:

Execution Mode (Direct vs Dynamic)​

MCP servers can run in one of two execution modes:

  • Direct: your AI loads the full tool list up front and calls tools directly.
  • Dynamic: the MCP server stays fast at larger sizes by discovering tools only when needed and running bigger workflows without tool overload.

Important rule: if an MCP server exceeds 100 tools, it must use Dynamic mode.

Learn more here:

Editing MCP Server Info​

  1. Go to MCP server detail page
  2. Click "Edit" button in the header (small ghost button in the management section)
  3. Dialog opens with form fields
  4. Modify:
    • Name
    • Description
    • Category
  5. Click "Save"

Visibility (Coming Soon)​

Future features:

  • Private - Only you can see and use
  • Shared - Share with specific users
  • Public - Anyone can discover and enable

Currently: All custom MCP servers are private to your account.

Organizing Custom MCP Servers​

By Workflow​

Create MCP servers for different workflows:

Daily Tasks

  • Email tools
  • Calendar tools
  • Quick communication

Deep Work

  • Content creation
  • Analysis tools
  • Research tools

Project A

  • Client-specific tools
  • Project management
  • Reporting

By Client or Project​

Client: Acme Corp

  • Their CRM
  • Their analytics
  • Their communication tools

Project: Website Redesign

  • Design tools
  • Deploy tools
  • Testing tools

By Tool Count​

Focused MCP servers (3-5 tools)

  • Better AI performance
  • Clear purpose
  • Less overwhelming

Full-coverage MCP servers (10-20 tools)

  • One-stop solution
  • More flexibility
  • May slow AI slightly
tip

The Sweet Spot: 5-10 tools per MCP server

This gives your AI enough options without overwhelming it. Create multiple focused MCP servers rather than one massive MCP server.

Use Cases for Custom MCP Servers​

1. Role-Specific MCP Servers​

Marketing Manager MCP server:

  • Campaign tools (Smartlead, Mailchimp)
  • Analytics (Google Analytics)
  • Social media (Twitter, LinkedIn)
  • CRM (HubSpot)
  • Reporting (Google Sheets)

Software Developer MCP server:

  • Version control (GitHub, GitLab)
  • CI/CD (GitHub Actions)
  • Issue tracking (Linear)
  • Documentation (Notion)
  • Communication (Slack)

2. Task-Specific MCP Servers​

Content Publishing:

  • Text generation (OpenAI)
  • Image creation (DALL-E)
  • Social posting (Twitter, LinkedIn)
  • Scheduling (Buffer)

Customer Support:

  • Ticketing (Zendesk)
  • Live chat (Intercom)
  • Email (Gmail)
  • Knowledge base (Notion)

3. Integration-Specific MCP Servers​

Google Workspace:

  • Gmail
  • Google Calendar
  • Google Drive
  • Google Docs
  • Google Sheets

Microsoft 365:

  • Outlook
  • Teams
  • SharePoint
  • OneDrive

4. Experiment MCP Servers​

Testing New Tools:

  • Create an MCP server with new tools
  • Test them out
  • Keep what works
  • Delete the MCP server if not useful

Before/After Comparison:

  • Create "Old Workflow" and "New Workflow" MCP servers
  • Try both
  • See which is better
  • Delete the loser

Managing Multiple Custom MCP Servers​

Viewing All Your MCP Servers​

MCP Servers → Connected tab shows:

  • Pre-built MCP servers you've enabled
  • Your custom MCP servers
  • Status of each
  • Quick actions

Enabling / Disabling MCP Servers​

Enable when you're actively using it:

  • Tools appear in your AI
  • Can use them in conversations

Disable when you're not using it:

  • Tools disappear from your AI
  • Reduces tool count for better performance
  • MCP server and settings are preserved
  • Can re-enable anytime

Deleting Custom MCP Servers​

When to delete:

  • MCP server no longer needed
  • Was just for testing
  • Replaced by a better MCP server
  • Want to start fresh

How to delete:

  1. Go to MCP server detail page
  2. Click "Delete" button in the header (small ghost button in the management section)
  3. Confirm deletion in the dialog
danger

Deletion is permanent!

  • Cannot be undone
  • All tool associations removed
  • Configuration lost forever

Consider disabling instead if you might use it later.

Best Practices​

Start Small​

For your first custom MCP server:

  1. Pick 3-5 tools you use every day
  2. Give it a clear, descriptive name
  3. Use it for a week
  4. Add more tools as needed

Why?

  • Easier to learn what works
  • Better AI performance
  • Can iterate and improve

One MCP Server vs Multiple MCP Servers​

Use ONE MCP server when:

  • Tools are closely related
  • You use them all together
  • Common workflow
  • Prefer simplicity

Use MULTIPLE MCP servers when:

  • Different workflows
  • Context switching (work vs personal)
  • Want to enable/disable groups
  • Better organization

Example: Instead of one "All My Tools" MCP server, create:

  • "Morning Routine" MCP server
  • "Client Work" MCP server
  • "Personal Tasks" MCP server

Naming Conventions​

If you create many MCP servers, use consistent naming:

By project:

  • Project: Website Redesign
  • Project: Mobile App
  • Project: Marketing Campaign

By client:

  • Client: Acme Corp
  • Client: TechStartup Inc
  • Client: Local Business

By time:

  • Daily Tasks
  • Weekly Reports
  • Monthly Planning

Advanced Tips​

Tool Dependencies​

Some tools work better together:

CRM workflow needs:

  • Contact management tools
  • Email tools
  • Task tracking tools

Build this awareness into your MCP servers — include tools that complement each other.

Credential Reuse​

Tools from the same provider share credentials:

Example: If you have 5 GitHub tools in an MCP server, you only need ONE GitHub credential.

Benefit: Easy to set up MCP servers with many tools from few providers.

MCP Server Templates (Coming Soon)​

Future feature:

  • Save custom MCP servers as templates
  • Share templates with others
  • Clone templates to create new MCP servers
  • Community template library

Troubleshooting​

Can't Create MCP Server​

Possible causes:

  1. Form validation error

    • Fix: Make sure name and category are filled
    • Check for error messages

  2. Backend error

    • Fix: Refresh page and try again
    • If persists, contact support

MCP Server Created But Empty​

This is normal! New MCP servers start with zero tools.

Next step: Add tools using the "Add Tools" button.

See Adding and Removing Tools.

MCP Server Shows "Connection Error" or "Setup Required"​

Cause: Tools in the MCP server require providers you haven't configured yet, or credentials are invalid.

Fix:

  1. Go to your MCP server detail page
  2. Scroll to the "Credentials" section
  3. Find provider cards marked "Not configured" or showing "Error" badges
  4. Click "Add Credential" (or "Edit" if credential exists) on each provider card
  5. Add credentials through the credential panel
  6. Select validation tool and click "Validate Now"
  7. MCP server status will update to "Ready" with "Credentials valid" subtext

Comparing Custom vs. Pre-Built MCP Servers​

FeatureCustom MCP ServersPre-Built MCP Servers
Setup Time5-10 minutes1 minute
Tool SelectionYou choose every toolCurated by experts
Tool CountAs many/few as you wantFixed set
FlexibilityComplete controlLimited
MaintenanceYou manage updatesAuto-updated
Best ForSpecific workflowsCommon use cases

Most users: Start with pre-built MCP servers, then create 1-2 custom MCP servers for their unique needs.

Examples of Great Custom MCP Servers​

Example 1: Freelance Writer MCP Server​

Name: "Freelance Writing Workflow"
Category: Content Creation
Tools:

  • openai_generate_text - Draft content
  • grammarly_check_text - Proofread
  • wordpress_create_post - Publish
  • google_docs_create - Collaborate
  • stripe_create_invoice - Bill clients

Example 2: E-commerce Manager MCP Server​

Name: "E-commerce Operations"
Category: E-commerce
Tools:

  • shopify_list_orders - Check orders
  • stripe_list_charges - Track payments
  • shipstation_create_label - Ship orders
  • slack_send_message - Team updates
  • google_sheets_update - Update inventory

Example 3: DevOps Engineer MCP Server​

Name: "DevOps Daily Tools"
Category: Developer Tools
Tools:

  • github_list_repos - Code management
  • github_actions_trigger - Deploy
  • datadog_get_metrics - Monitoring
  • pagerduty_create_incident - Alerts
  • slack_send_message - Team notifications

Next Steps​

Need Help?​