MCP Servers

Extend SafeAppeals with custom tools using the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Connect to external services, databases, APIs, and more.

What is MCP?

The Model Context Protocol is an open standard that allows AI assistants to connect to external tools and data sources. With MCP, you can give SafeAppeals access to web search, databases, file systems, APIs, and more.

Step 1: Open SafeAppeals Settings

First, navigate to the SafeAppeals settings panel:

  1. Click the gear icon in the bottom-left corner of SafeAppeals, or
  2. Press Ctrl+Shift+P and type "SafeAppeals: Open Settings"
  3. Alternatively, click the settings gear in the top-right layout controls
💡

Quick Tip: You can also right-click on the sidebar gear icon and select "SafeAppeals Settings" to go directly to the settings panel.

Step 2: Open the MCP Configuration File

SafeAppeals stores MCP server configurations in a JSON file. To edit it:

  1. In the Settings panel, scroll down to the MCP Servers section
  2. Click the "Open MCP Config" button
  3. This opens the mcp.json file in the editor

The config file is located at:

# Windows

%USERPROFILE%\.safeappeals\mcp.json

# macOS / Linux

~/.safeappeals/mcp.json

Step 3: Add Your MCP Server

The MCP config file uses a simple JSON structure. Each server needs a unique name and either a command (for local servers) or a url (for remote servers).

Basic Structure

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "server-name": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-name"],
      "env": {
        "API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration Options

commandstringrequired

The command to run the MCP server (e.g., 'npx', 'node', 'python').

argsstring[]

Command-line arguments passed to the command.

envobject

Environment variables to set when running the server (great for API keys).

urlstring

For remote MCP servers, the WebSocket or HTTP URL to connect to.

headersobject

HTTP headers to send when connecting to a remote server.

Popular MCP Servers

Here are some popular MCP servers you can add to SafeAppeals:

Google Drive

List, read, and search files in Google Drive. Google Docs export as Markdown, Sheets as CSV.

View Docs →
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gdrive": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-gdrive"],
      "env": {
        "GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH": "C:\\Users\\YourName\\.gdrive-server-credentials.json"
      }
    }
  }
}

Gmail

Access Gmail with automatic authentication for reading and managing emails.

View Docs →
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gmail": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@gongrzhe/server-gmail-autoauth-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

GitHub

Access GitHub repositories, issues, and pull requests.

View Docs →
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic/mcp-server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_your_github_token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Supabase

Query and manage Supabase databases and edge functions.

View Docs →
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "supabase": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@supabase/mcp-server-supabase"],
      "env": {
        "SUPABASE_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your-access-token"
      }
    }
  }
}

PostgreSQL

Query PostgreSQL databases directly from AI chat.

View Docs →
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "postgres": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic/mcp-server-postgres"],
      "env": {
        "DATABASE_URL": "postgresql://user:pass@localhost:5432/dbname"
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 4: Save and Reload

After adding your MCP server configuration:

  1. Save the file — Press Ctrl+S
  2. Wait for detection — SafeAppeals automatically detects changes to mcp.json
  3. Check the status — Return to Settings → MCP Servers to see your server status
Loading

Server is connecting...

Connected

Server is ready to use

Error

Check configuration

Step 5: Use MCP Tools in Chat

Once connected, your MCP tools are automatically available to the AI:

  1. Open the AI chat sidebar (Ctrl+L)
  2. Switch to Case Manager or Drafting mode for full tool access
  3. Ask the AI to use your tools naturally

Example Prompts

  • • "Search my Google Drive for documents related to the Smith case"
  • • "Check my Gmail for any emails from the insurance company this week"
  • • "List all issues in my GitHub repository"
  • • "Query my Supabase database for all cases filed this month"

Toggling Servers On/Off

You can enable or disable individual MCP servers without removing them from the config:

  1. Go to SafeAppeals Settings
  2. Find the MCP Servers section
  3. Click the toggle next to any server to enable/disable it

Disabled servers won't connect or consume resources, but their configuration is preserved.

Troubleshooting

Server shows 'Error' status

  • • Check that the command exists and is in your PATH
  • • Verify all required environment variables are set
  • • Try running the command manually in a terminal to see error messages
  • • Check if the MCP server package is installed correctly

Server stuck on 'Loading'

  • • The server may be taking time to initialize
  • • Check your internet connection for remote servers
  • • Look for firewall or antivirus blocking the connection
  • • Try restarting SafeAppeals

Tools not appearing in chat

  • • Make sure you're in Case Manager or Drafting mode
  • • Verify the server shows 'Connected' status in Settings
  • • Try starting a new chat thread
  • • Check that the server actually exposes tools (some only provide resources)

JSON parse error

  • • Ensure your mcp.json is valid JSON (use a JSON validator)
  • • Check for missing commas, quotes, or brackets
  • • Escape backslashes in Windows paths (use \\ instead of \)
  • • Remove any trailing commas

Complete Example Configuration

Here's a full example with multiple MCP servers configured:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gdrive": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-gdrive"],
      "env": {
        "GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH": "C:\\Users\\YourName\\.gdrive-server-credentials.json"
      }
    },
    "gmail": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@gongrzhe/server-gmail-autoauth-mcp"]
    },
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic/mcp-server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_..."
      }
    }
  }
}

Security Best Practices

Keep Your API Keys Safe

  • • Never share your mcp.json file with others
  • • Don't commit API keys to version control
  • • Use environment variables when possible
  • • Regularly rotate API keys for sensitive services
  • • Only grant MCP servers the minimum permissions needed

Learn More

Explore the MCP ecosystem:

Next Steps

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