MCP Server Configuration Guide

This guide will help you configure your MCP server on MCP-Cloud, even if you don't have technical experience. We've made the process as simple as possible through our user-friendly interface.

Configuration Basics

When setting up your MCP server, you'll configure four main aspects:

1. Template Selection - Choose what your server can do (search the web, access Google Drive, etc.)
2. Environment Variables - Enter API keys and other settings
3. Resource Settings - Choose how powerful your server needs to be
4. Region - Select where your server will be hosted

Choosing a Template

MCP-Cloud offers pre-built templates to help you quickly set up servers for specific tasks:

Template	What It Does	Use Cases
Brave Search	Web search capabilities	Research assistants, fact-checking
Google Drive	Access files from Google Drive	Document management, content analysis
GitHub	Interact with GitHub repositories	Code assistance, repository management
PostgreSQL	Connect to databases	Data analysis, database exploration
AWS KB Retrieval	Connect to AWS Knowledge Bases	Enterprise knowledge access
Playwright	Web automation and screenshots	Website testing, report generation

Simply select the template that matches what you want your AI to connect with. For most users starting out, the Default or Brave Search templates are good choices.

Setting Up Environment Variables

Environment variables are settings your server needs to operate. The most important ones are API keys, which let your server connect to external services.

Common Settings

These settings work with most templates:

Setting	Description	Do I Need to Change This?
NODE_ENV	Technical setting for how the server runs	No - leave as default
LOG_LEVEL	Controls how much detail goes in server logs	No - leave as default
PORT	What network port the server uses	No - leave as default

Template-Specific Settings

Each template requires different API keys. Here are the most common ones:

Default Template

• OPENAI_API_KEY - Your OpenAI API key (required)
• MODEL_NAME - Which AI model to use (optional, defaults to GPT-3.5)

Brave Search Template

• BRAVE_API_KEY - Your Brave Search API key (required)
• COUNT - Number of search results to return (optional)

Google Drive Template

• GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID - From Google Cloud Console (required)
• GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET - From Google Cloud Console (required)
• REFRESH_TOKEN - For Google authentication (required)

GitHub Template

• GITHUB_TOKEN - Your GitHub personal access token (required)

PostgreSQL Template

• POSTGRES_CONNECTION_STRING - Database connection information (required)

Keeping Your Information Secure

When entering API keys and passwords, always mark them as "Secret" using the checkbox in our interface. This prevents them from being visible in logs or to other users.

Choosing Resources

Resources determine how powerful your MCP server will be. For most users, the default settings work well to start.

Memory

Memory affects how much information your server can process at once:

Memory	When to Choose
512 MB	Basic use, limited needs
1024 MB	Standard option - good for most users
2048 MB	Heavy usage or complex operations
4096 MB	Professional/enterprise needs

CPU

More CPU cores mean faster processing:

CPU Cores	When to Choose
1	Standard for most uses
2	When faster response is needed
4+	High-volume professional use

Request Timeout

How long your server will wait for operations to complete:

Timeout	When to Choose
30 sec	Quick operations
60 sec	Standard setting for most uses
120+ sec	For lengthy operations like complex web searches

Auto-Scaling

These settings control how your server handles busy periods:

• Minimum Instances - How many servers are always running (0 is most cost-effective)
• Maximum Instances - How many servers can run during busy times (higher means better handling of traffic spikes)

Choosing a Region

Select a region close to where you or your users are located for the best performance:

Region	Location	When to Choose
Europe (Netherlands)	Western Europe	Default, good for European users
US Central (Iowa)	Central US	Good for North American users
US East (S. Carolina)	Eastern US	Healthcare compliant, East Coast users
US West (Oregon)	Western US	West Coast users
Asia (Taiwan)	Eastern Asia	Asian users

Quick Setup Examples

Basic AI Assistant

For a simple AI assistant with web capabilities:

1. Choose the Default template
2. Add your OPENAI_API_KEY as a secret
3. Select 1024 MB memory, 1 CPU
4. Set timeout to 60 seconds
5. Choose the region closest to you

Research Assistant

For an AI that can search the internet:

1. Choose the Brave Search template
2. Add your BRAVE_API_KEY as a secret
3. Set COUNT to 5 (number of search results)
4. Select 1024 MB memory, 1 CPU
5. Set timeout to 60 seconds

Document Analysis

For working with your Google documents:

1. Choose the Google Drive template
2. Add your Google credentials as secrets
3. Select 2048 MB memory, 2 CPU
4. Set timeout to 120 seconds

Configuration Tips

1. Start Simple - Begin with default settings and adjust as needed
2. Monitor Usage - Check your server's performance metrics after deployment
3. Secure Your Keys - Always mark API keys as secrets
4. Save Configurations - Use the "Save as Template" feature to easily recreate successful configurations
5. Test Before Scaling - Test with minimal resources before increasing for production use

Need Help?

If you're unsure about configuration options:

• Use our default recommended settings
• Check our templates gallery for pre-configured examples
• Contact support for personalized assistance

Remember, you can always change your configuration after deployment if you need to adjust settings.