---
title: "Arcade Gateway Assistant"
description: "Create and manage MCP Gateways using AI directly from your chat interface"
---

import { Callout, Steps } from "nextra/components";
import { SignupLink } from "@/app/_components/analytics";

# Arcade Gateway Assistant

<GuideOverview>
<GuideOverview.Outcomes>

Create and manage MCP gateways directly from your chat interface using natural language.

</GuideOverview.Outcomes>

<GuideOverview.Prerequisites>

1. Create an <SignupLink linkLocation="docs:gateway-assistant">Arcade account</SignupLink>
2. An MCP-compatible chat client ([Cursor](/get-started/mcp-clients/cursor), [Claude Desktop](/get-started/mcp-clients/claude-desktop), [VS Code](/get-started/mcp-clients/visual-studio-code), etc.)

</GuideOverview.Prerequisites>

</GuideOverview>

## Setup

<Steps>

### Connect to the Gateway Assistant

The Gateway Assistant is an MCP server that creates and manages MCP gateways. To use it, add the Arcade Gateway Assistant (using Arcade Auth) to your MCP client using this URL:

```
https://ctl.arcade.dev/mcp
```

<Callout type="info">
The Gateway Assistant uses **Arcade Auth**. This means you'll authenticate with your Arcade account to access the assistant.
</Callout>

Each MCP client has a different setup process. See [Connect to MCP clients](/get-started/mcp-clients) for detailed instructions for adding the Gateway Assistant to Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code, and other supported clients with Arcade Auth.

### Authenticate

When you first use the Gateway Assistant, the system will prompt you to authenticate with your Arcade account. This is a one-time setup that allows the assistant to create and manage gateways on your behalf.

### Start creating gateways

Ask your AI assistant to create a gateway by describing what you want to do. For example:

> "I want to send emails with Gmail and manage my calendar with Google Calendar. Create a gateway for this."

> "Create a gateway that creates and manages MCP gateways for GitHub PRs and post updates to Slack."

The assistant will select the appropriate tools from Arcade's catalog and create a gateway for you.

</Steps>

<iframe
  className="aspect-video w-full max-w-[900px] rounded-xl shadow-2xl"
  src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6thtA-9TA7g"
  title="Arcade Gateway Assistant - Create Gateways via AI"
  allow="fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"
  referrerPolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin"
></iframe>

## After creating a gateway

Once you've created a gateway, you'll need to add it to your chat client as a separate MCP server. The assistant will provide your new gateway's MCP URL (for example, `https://api.arcade.dev/mcp/<YOUR-GATEWAY-SLUG>`).

Follow the same process you used to add the Gateway Assistant - see [Connect to MCP clients](/get-started/mcp-clients) for setup instructions specific to your client.

<Callout type="info">
The Gateway Assistant creates gateways that use **Arcade Auth** by default. This means you'll authenticate with your Arcade account to access the gateway. For production use cases with end users who don't have Arcade accounts, you can modify the gateway's authentication settings in the [dashboard](https://api.arcade.dev/dashboard/mcp-gateways).
</Callout>