---
title: "MCP Gateways"
description: "Connect multiple MCP servers to your agent, application, or IDE with Arcade MCP Gateways"
---

import { Cards } from "nextra/components";
import { SignupLink } from "@/app/_components/analytics";

# MCP Gateways

MCP Gateways are a way to connect multiple MCP Servers to your agent, application, or IDE. MCP Gateways allow you to federate the tools from multiple MCP Servers into a single collection for easier management, control, and access. You can mix and match tools from different MCP Servers in the same project.

## Why use MCP Gateways?

- Federate tools - Combine tools from multiple MCP servers into a single endpoint
- Control access - Choose exactly which tools are available to each gateway
- Mix and match - Use different tool combinations for different use cases
- Simplify configuration - One gateway URL instead of multiple server configurations
- Server Instructions - Set instructions for how the MCP client should use your gateway to help the LLM better understand your use case

## Create an MCP Gateway

You can create an MCP Gateway in two ways:

<Cards>
  <Cards.Card
    title="Create via Dashboard"
    href="/guides/mcp-gateways/create-via-dashboard"
  />
  <Cards.Card
    title="Create via AI Assistant"
    href="/guides/mcp-gateways/create-via-ai"
  />
</Cards>

Dashboard - Use the web interface for full control over gateway settings, authentication modes, and tool selection. Best for production configurations and when you need to use tools
that you built yourself, or were not built by Arcade.

AI Assistant - Describe what you want in natural language and let AI select the right tools for you. Best for quickly creating a gateway without ever leaving your chat interface.

## Connect to an MCP Gateway

Any MCP client that supports the Streamable HTTP transport can use an Arcade MCP Gateway. Use your gateway URL in the following format:

```
https://api.arcade.dev/mcp/<YOUR-GATEWAY-SLUG>
```

Learn how to [connect MCP Gateways to your preferred client](/get-started/mcp-clients).

## Authentication

MCP Gateways support two authentication modes:

| Mode | Best For | How It Works |
|------|----------|--------------|
| **Arcade Auth (Recommended)** | Development, testing, internal use | Users authenticate with their Arcade account via OAuth |
| **Arcade Headers** | Production when end-users shouldn't authenticate via Arcade | Pass `Authorization: Bearer {your_api_key}` header and `Arcade-User-ID` header with the end-user identifier |

See [Create via Dashboard](/guides/mcp-gateways/create-via-dashboard) for detailed authentication configuration.

## Next Steps

- <SignupLink linkLocation="docs:mcp-gateways">Create an Arcade account</SignupLink> if you haven't already
- [Browse available integrations](/resources/integrations) to see what tools you can add to your gateway