MCP Server

AI Integration System

Automad includes a built-in MCP server that allows AI agents and other MCP-compatible clients to read and manage pages and content on your site over the Model Context Protocol. Instead of copying content back and forth between your site and an AI chat, a connected agent can search and read your pages, draft new ones or update existing content — while all edits are saved as drafts for you to review.

Public and Private Access

There is only a single MCP endpoint for your site. The tools that a client can use depend on whether it authenticates with an access token or not:

AccessAuthenticationCapabilities
Public MCPNoneRead-only access to published pages, the site tree, search and tags.
Private MCPAccess tokenAll public tools plus access to drafts, private pages, templates, snippets and components, as well as tools for creating, editing, publishing, moving and deleting pages and importing files.

Setup

The MCP server works out of the box without any further setup. The following sections explain how to turn it on and off, where to find the endpoint and what the server card is used for.

Enabling the Server

The MCP server is enabled by default. It can be turned on and off using the MCP Server toggle in the MCP Server section of the System Settings. Disabling the server also disables the public tools, so that no content can be accessed over MCP at all.

Alternatively, the server can be configured using the following options in the configuration file or as environment variables:

OptionDefaultDescription
AM_MCP_SERVER_ENABLEDtrueEnables or disables the MCP server.
AM_MCP_SERVER_URL/mcpThe path of the MCP endpoint relative to the site URL.

Endpoint

The full URL of the endpoint is shown in the Connect area of the MCP server settings. With the default configuration, it looks as follows:

https://yoursite.com/mcp

The endpoint uses the Streamable HTTP transport. When opening the URL in a browser, a short overview of the server including setup instructions for clients is displayed instead.

Server Card

The server card is a machine-readable JSON description of the MCP server. MCP clients and other tools can use it to discover the endpoint, protocol version, transport and supported authentication schemes of your site. It is available at the following URL as long as the server is enabled:

https://yoursite.com/.well-known/mcp/server-card.json

In This Section

PageDescription
Public MCPWhat anonymous clients can see and how to connect without a token.
Private MCPCreating access tokens, connecting clients and the full list of tools.
SafetyDrafts and publishing, permissions and a recommended workflow for working with agents.
AI Assistant Public MCP
Getting Started
Automad is a PHP application that runs on most standard web servers. The system requirements are intentionally minimal, and you can choose between several installation options depending on your setup. Alternatively you can also try out a live demo first.
Configuration
Automad is a flat-file content management system designed for performance and straightforward configuration. Configuration can be managed through several methods depending on the context and scope of the settings being configured.
Caching
Caching is essential for site performance and should generally be enabled. However, there are circumstances where you might want to disable or clear your cache. The dashboard provides an easy way to manage your cache behavior with just a few clicks.
Email Configuration
Automad requires proper email configuration on your server to send transactional emails using PHP. These emails are sent for user invitations, password resets, and when using the mail block on a page.
Debugging
Understanding what Automad is doing internally can be helpful during theme and extension development or when troubleshooting an installation. Debug logging can be enabled temporarily through System Setting → Debug.