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Installing an MCP Server

What It Does​

Installing an MCP server adds a business app connection to your CrabShack instance, and connecting it proves that the app belongs to you. Once both steps are done, your main agent can start using it in conversation — no restart, no extra setup.

How to Install One​

  1. Open Integrations in the sidebar. If nothing is installed yet, you'll see a Browse Catalog button — click it either there or in the top-right corner.
  2. In the catalog, use the search box to find the app you want (accounting, point-of-sale, field service, and CRM apps are all represented — Xero, Lightspeed, and ServiceM8 are common examples).
  3. Click Install on the app you want. If you've already installed that app once before, the button reads Install another — useful if you run two stores or two sets of books and want each connected separately.
  4. If you're installing a second copy of the same app, you'll be asked to name it (for example, xero-readonly) so you can tell the two connections apart later.
  5. Once installed, you'll land on the app's connection screen to finish setup (see below).

Connecting Your Account​

The connection step looks different depending on how the app you picked handles sign-in. You'll see one of these three:

  • Sign in with a popup — for apps that support full account sign-in (for example, Lightspeed). You'll register a redirect address with the app (CrabShack shows you exactly what to paste), save your app credentials, then click Connect — a popup window opens for you to sign in, and it closes itself when done.
  • Paste a connection key — for apps that use a "custom connection" style credential instead of a full sign-in (for example, Xero). You paste a Client ID and Client Secret from that app's settings, click Save credentials, and you're connected immediately — no popup.
  • Paste an API key — for apps that use a single long-lived key (for example, ServiceM8). Create a key in that app's settings, paste it in, and click Save API key.
Scenario

A landscaping business wants their assistant to check job details in ServiceM8 without switching apps. They open Integrations, browse the catalog, and install ServiceM8. Since ServiceM8 uses an API key, they go into ServiceM8's own settings, create a new key, and paste it into CrabShack's API key field. A moment later the connection shows Connected, and from then on their assistant can look up jobs directly in chat.

After You're Connected​

  • Your main agent can use the connection right away.
  • Any other agents you've created need to be given access individually — see Agent Allowlisting.
  • If the app has newer version available, you'll see an Update available notice with an Update button on that connection's card.
  • Some apps expose a few extra settings (beyond the connection itself) under a Configuration section on the app's detail page — these are optional and the app will work with its defaults if you skip them.
tip

If a sign-in popup doesn't appear, check that your browser isn't blocking popups for your CrabShack instance.