Distributing access to MCP servers¶
As an administrator, you enable MCP servers in Tools and configure which account roles can access them. Users complete any required authorization with the third-party service.
With the required role grants in place, enabling a server makes it discoverable to CoCo Desktop and CLI users.
For a list of all available servers and their authentication requirements, see Available MCP servers. Some servers require additional setup before you can enable them. See Setting up MCP servers needing additional configuration.
Administrator requirement¶
Currently, only users with the ACCOUNTADMIN role can administer MCP servers in Tools. This requirement applies to server configuration, enablement, and access management. It is separate from the role grants that end users need to connect to a server.
Grant access for automatic client configuration¶
For automatic configuration in CoCo Desktop and CLI, grant the SNOWFLAKE$OPS.MCP$USER database role to each account role that has access to the MCP server. Grant it to the roles your intended users use to access that server, not directly to individual users.
This database-role grant is required in addition to access to the individual MCP server. It doesn’t replace server enablement, server-specific access, or any required third-party authorization. For database-role grant syntax, see GRANT DATABASE ROLE.
Enable an MCP server¶
- Sign in to Snowsight.
- Select AI Gateway > MCP & Tools. Tools opens in a new tab.
- Find the MCP server you want to make available to your users.
- Complete any provider-specific setup.
- Enable the server.
Users also need access to the server through their account roles. Automatic configuration in CoCo Desktop and CLI requires the database-role grant described above.
What Desktop and CLI users do next¶
CoCo Desktop and CLI discover enabled servers automatically when the user’s account role has server access and the required database-role grant. Users don’t need to copy an MCP URL or create a configuration entry for those servers, but they still complete any required authorization. In Desktop, users find these servers under Agent Settings > MCP > Snowflake Managed. In CLI, users enter /mcp and find them in the Managed list.
Users of other MCP clients select AI Gateway > MCP & Tools in Snowsight, then select MCP Connections in the new tab for connection details and client instructions. Share Adding an MCP server to your AI client with these users.