Skip to main content

Set up Glean with Remote MCP

Connect Glean to the Atlan Remote MCP server to query, explore, and update Atlan metadata directly from Glean Assistant and Glean Agents. In this setup, Glean acts as an MCP host: it connects to the Atlan Remote MCP server and publishes the server's tools as actions that users and agents can invoke. Supports both OAuth (per-user) and API Key (service or automation) authentication.

Glean as an MCP host

This guide covers adding Atlan as a remote MCP server inside Glean, so Atlan's tools appear in Glean Assistant and Agent Builder. This is different from bringing Glean's own tools into external hosts. Glean fully supports remote MCP servers, with preview support for using those tools in agents.

Prerequisites​

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • An Atlan tenant with Remote MCP enabled. Remote MCP is enabled for all Atlan tenants and requires no installation or infrastructure setup.
  • A Glean admin account with access to Admin Console → Platform → Actions.
  • An Atlan API key if you plan to use API key authentication. You can generate an API key in Atlan by going to Admin Settings → API Keys / Tokens and creating a new key.
  • Network reachability: the Atlan MCP HTTPS endpoint must be reachable from Glean, either directly or through an allowed proxy. If Glean is deployed in a private network or VPC, work with your Glean Solutions Engineer to allowlist the endpoint and validate connectivity and TLS.

Add Atlan as Remote MCP Server​

Glean admins add remote MCP servers from Admin Console → Platform → Actions. Use Import tools from MCP server to register the Atlan Remote MCP endpoint, then choose the authentication method that fits how you want users to authenticate.

Glean recommends OAuth for remote MCP servers. Choose OAuth if you want Glean users to authenticate with their own Atlan accounts so tools run with each user's Atlan roles and permissions. Choose API Key if you need a static token for service or automation use cases.

Use OAuth if you want Glean users to authenticate with their Atlan account so the MCP server runs with each user's Atlan roles and permissions.

  1. In Glean, go to Admin Console → Platform → Actions, then select Import tools from MCP server.

  2. Enter the connection details for the Atlan Remote MCP server:

    • MCP server name: a recognizable name, for example Atlan.

    • Description: a short description so users know the tools connect to Atlan.

    • MCP server URL: the Atlan Remote MCP OAuth endpoint.

      https://<your-tenant>.atlan.com/mcp

    • Transport type: select Streaming HTTP (or SSE if your configuration requires it).

    • Authentication method: select OAuth User so each user authenticates with their own Atlan account. Glean supports PKCE, including public authorization clients without a client secret.

  3. Provide the OAuth configuration (authorization URL, token URL, client ID, and scopes) from your Atlan tenant's OAuth settings. Glean doesn't support the client credentials flow for remote MCP servers—use an authorization-code (user) flow. If you are unsure of the exact OAuth values for your tenant, contact Atlan Support.

  4. Save the connection. Glean discovers the tools exposed by the Atlan MCP server and makes them available to publish as actions.

  5. Publish the tools you want to expose: enable them for Agents and, optionally, for Glean conversational use. Apply role-based access for any sensitive or write tools.

  6. Use the tools in Glean Assistant (natural language) or add them in Agent Builder. For the full list, see Atlan MCP tools.

Need help?​

If you have any issues while configuring Glean with Remote MCP, contact Atlan Support for assistance.

See also​