# Apono Assist MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server lets AI clients connect to external tools and data sources in a consistent, secure way.

The Apono Assist MCP Server brings Apono’s just-in-time (JIT) access capabilities into your clients:

* **Efficiency**: Request access without leaving your workflow
* **Security and compliance**: Access is controlled, logged, and tied to your Apono policies.
* **Consistency**: The same access workflows are available across all supported AI tools

***

### Install the MCP server

Apono supports two methods for connecting your AI client to the MCP server.

<table><thead><tr><th width="215.01953125">Implementation type</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>stdio (local)</strong></td><td><p>Recommended option for most desktop clients</p><p>In this mode, the client launches the Apono CLI to start the MCP server on your machine.</p></td></tr><tr><td><strong>http (remote)</strong></td><td><p>Required for web-based clients or for situations where the Apono CLI cannot be run locally</p><p>In this mode, the client connects directly to the hosted Apono MCP endpoint.</p></td></tr></tbody></table>

{% hint style="warning" %}
Use **stdio** when possible. Choose **http** only when your client runs in a browser or when you cannot run the CLI locally.
{% endhint %}

### Install on Cursor

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="stdio" %}
Prerequisite:

The Apono CLI is required to run the MCP Server and authenticate your AI client with Apono.

* Minimum required version: 1.3.1
* Learn how to [install](https://docs.apono.io/docs/cli/install-and-manage-the-apono-cli#install-the-apono-cli) or [update the Apono CLI](#github-copilot-most-ides).

Follow these steps to install the MCP server using **stdio**:

1. Ensure Apono CLI is running in minimal version 1.3.1 **before** authenticating and installing the MCP server:
   1. From your terminal, run `apono version`
2. From your terminal, run `apono login` to authenticate your MCP client with Apono.

```sh
apono login
```

3. Click the following button to install the MCP Server. The **MCP** page in Cursor opens.

<a href="cursor://anysphere.cursor-deeplink/mcp/install?name=apono-access-assistant&#x26;config=eyJjb21tYW5kIjoiYXBvbm8gbWNwIn0%3D" class="button primary">Add to Cursor</a>

4. Click **Install**.
5. Quit and restart Cursor.
   {% endtab %}

{% tab title="http" %}
Follow these steps to install the MCP server using **http**:

1. Generate a **Personal API Token** by following [this guide](https://docs.apono.io/api-reference/api-overview/api-authentication).

{% hint style="warning" %}
Before end users can generate their own API tokens, you need to explicitly enable this feature for your organization. To enable API token generation, please reach out to Apono Support at <support@apono.io>.
{% endhint %}

2. Click the following button to install the MCP Server. The **MCP** page in Cursor opens.

<a href="cursor://anysphere.cursor-deeplink/mcp/install?name=apono-access-assistant&#x26;config=eyJ0eXBlIjoiaHR0cCIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXBpLmFwb25vLmlvL2FwaS9jbGllbnQvdjEvbWNwIiwiaGVhZGVycyI6eyJBdXRob3JpemF0aW9uIjoiQmVhcmVyIDxBUEkgVE9LRU4%252BIn19" class="button primary">Add to Cursor</a>

3. Insert the **Personal API Token** obtained in **Step 1** into the **Headers** section.
4. Click **Install**.
5. Find the newly installed server and ensure the toggle is switched on.
6. Quit and restart Cursor.
   {% endtab %}
   {% endtabs %}

***

### Install on GitHub Copilot (relevant for most IDEs)

**Prerequisite**:

The Apono CLI is required to run the MCP Server and authenticate your AI client with Apono.

* Minimum required version: 1.3.1
* Learn how to [install](https://docs.apono.io/docs/cli/install-and-manage-the-apono-cli#install-the-apono-cli) or [update the Apono CLI](https://docs.apono.io/docs/access-requests-and-approvals/cli/install-and-manage-the-apono-cli#update-the-apono-cli).

**Follow these steps to install the MCP server using the stdio method:**

1. Ensure Apono CLI is running in minimal version 1.3.1 **before** authenticating and installing the MCP server:
   1. From your terminal, run `apono version`
2. From your terminal, run `apono login` to authenticate your MCP client with Apono.

```sh
apono login
```

3. In your IDE, open the **Github Copilot** **settings**
4. Navigate to **MCP Settings > Configure**. The **mcp.json** file opens in a new tab.
5. Add the following configuration to the file.

{% code title="stdio" %}

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apono-access-assistant": {
      "command": "apono",
      "args": ["mcp"]
    }
  }
}
```

{% endcode %}

6. Save the file.
7. Make sure Copilot is running in Agent mode (the default is Ask mode). See [how to change modes](https://github.blog/ai-and-ml/github-copilot/copilot-ask-edit-and-agent-modes-what-they-do-and-when-to-use-them/).
8. Quit and restart your IDE.

{% hint style="success" %}
Read [Extending GitHub Copilot Chat](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/provide-context/use-mcp/extend-copilot-chat-with-mcp) [with the Model Context Protocol (MCP)](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/provide-context/use-mcp/extend-copilot-chat-with-mcp) for more information.
{% endhint %}

***

### Install on Claude

**Prerequisite:**

1. **Apono CLI:** The Apono CLI is required to run the MCP Server and authenticate your AI client with Apono.
   1. Minimum required version: 1.3.1
   2. Learn how to [install](https://docs.apono.io/docs/cli/install-and-manage-the-apono-cli#install-the-apono-cli) or [update the Apono CLI](#github-copilot-most-ides).
2. **Claude Desktop App:** MCP integrations are currently supported only within the Claude desktop environment.

**Follow these steps to install the MCP server using the stdio method:**

1. Ensure Apono CLI is running in minimal version 1.3.1 **before** authenticating and installing the MCP server:
   1. From your terminal, run `apono version`
2. From your terminal, run `apono login` to authenticate your MCP client with Apono.

```sh
apono login
```

3. In Claude, from the main navigation, click **Claude > Settings > Developer**. The **Settings** page appears.
4. Click **Edit Config**. The **claude\_desktop\_config.json** file opens.
5. Add the **stdio** configuration to the file.

<pre class="language-json" data-title="stdio"><code class="lang-json"><strong>{
</strong>  "mcpServers": {
    "apono-access-assistant": {
      "command": "apono",
      "args": ["mcp"]
    }
  }
}
</code></pre>

6. Save the file.
7. Quit and restart Claude desktop.

***

### Use the MCP server

Follow these steps to make inquiries to Apono:

1. In your AI client, open the chat or inline interface.
2. Start a conversation in your AI client to request new access, check the status of an existing request, or retrieve access details for a resource.

| Sample prompts                                                                                                                                               |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| <ul><li>Can you request access for me to \[resource] for 1 hour?</li><li>What is the status of \[request\_id]?</li><li>List my available resources</li></ul> |

{% hint style="info" %}
After submitting a request, you will receive a notification through Slack, Backstage, Teams, or email.

If issues occur while using the MCP server, [troubleshoot the server](#troubleshoot-the-server).
{% endhint %}

***

### Security notes

To use Apono safely, keep in mind how authorization and authentication work in your AI client.

#### Authorization

When you first run an Apono tool, your AI client may prompt you to authorize it. Select **Allow once** to ensure you maintain control over when and how each tool can be used.

#### Authentication

Your AI client connects to Apono through the Apono CLI. Authenticate by running `apono login` in your terminal. This will prompt a browser tab to open, authenticating you via SSO. You may need to re-authenticate periodically.

***

### Available tools

When you use Apono through your AI client, the client communicates with the MCP server by calling specific Apono commands. Each command maps to a tool that handles a different part of the access request workflow. Unlike most MCP Servers that are based on disparate tools, the Apono Assist MCP is based on an AI Agent trained specifically to help you get access, with a "DevOps brain".

The table below lists the available commands and their functions.

<table><thead><tr><th width="215.12109375">Command</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>user_get_access_details</strong></td><td>Retrieves details for an access request, including a secure Apono Portal link.<br><br><strong>IMPORTANT</strong>: Apono never exposes credentials to the AI tool. Instead, it gives commands or secure links, or provides a link to the Apono Web Portal to consume credentials there securely.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>user_get_request_status</strong></td><td>Checks the current status of an access request</td></tr><tr><td><strong>user_create_request</strong></td><td><p>Submits a just-in-time access request for a resource, integration, and permission<br><br>For security reasons, the Assistant only has visibility into your own requests. You cannot query or duplicate access requests made by other users.</p><p><br><strong>IMPORTANT</strong>: The Apono Assistant does not currently support bundles.</p></td></tr><tr><td><strong>user_apono_assist</strong></td><td>Explores integrations, resources, and permissions available to the user to guide and prepare for creating a request</td></tr></tbody></table>

***

### Troubleshoot the server

If the MCP server does not appear or tools are unresponsive (for example, you see `no prompts or tools detected)`, try these steps in order:

1. Check the Apono CLI version. If the version is less than 1.3.0, upgrade the CLI installation.

```sh
apono version
```

2. Reset your authentication.

```sh
apono logout
apono login
```

3. Quit and reopen your AI client. MCP servers load when the client starts.
4. Verify the [MCP installation](#install-the-mcp-server).
5. If you still don't see the MCP tools, uninstall the MCP server and reinstall it after you've verified the Apono CLI version and logged in.
6. Enable debug logging.

```sh
apono mcp --debug
```

{% hint style="success" %}
To enable persistent logging, add `"--debug"` to the args in your configuration file.

```json
"args": ["mcp", "--debug"]
```

{% endhint %}

By default, logs are written to platform-specific locations.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="MacOS" %}
**$HOME/Library/Application\ Support/apono-cli/mcp\_logging.log**
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Windows" %}
**%APPDATA%\apono-cli\mcp\_logging.log**
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Linux" %}
**$XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/apono-cli/mcp\_logging.log**
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

6. If the problem persists, send the **mcp\_logging.log** file to Apono Support.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.apono.io/docs/access-requests-and-approvals/apono-assist-mcp-server.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.