Retool MCP Server

The Retool MCP Server connects AI assistants to your own Retool organisation. Retool is a widely used platform on which companies build internal tools: admin panels for customer support, approval dashboards, database front ends or automated workflows. With the MCP server you can create and iterate on such apps from Claude, Codex, Cursor or ChatGPT, query connected data sources and handle user administration without opening the Retool interface. MCP, the Model Context Protocol, is an open standard through which an AI assistant calls external tools. Retool runs the server itself, so there is nothing to install.

How the server is provided

Every Retool instance comes with its own MCP endpoint. The address follows the pattern https://your-instance.retool.com/mcp, or your own domain for self-hosted installations. The server uses HTTP as its transport and signs users in with OAuth 2.0. When you first connect, a browser window opens where you log in to Retool and pick the permissions you want to grant. According to Retool, the server is live in the cloud and available on self-hosted instances from version 4.0.0. It launched on 23 April 2026 as a public beta on all plans, at first only with tools for the organisation and its users. App building has been added since.

It is worth separating this from the so-called MCP resource in Retool, which works the other way round: it plugs third-party MCP servers into Retool apps, workflows and agents. The server described here instead opens Retool itself to external assistants.

Building apps from a prompt

The most striking capability is app building. You describe what you need in your editor or chat, for example "a screen where support can look up orders by customer number and trigger refunds". Your local assistant hands the request to Retool's app-building agent, which generates the app and returns a preview link. Further tools let the assistant follow progress, read the generated files, answer the agent's questions (human in the loop), cancel stuck runs and finally publish the app into a folder. Existing React apps can be imported as well. According to the documentation, the server does not build classic Retool apps from the drag-and-drop editor. The app tools require the mcp:write scope.

Resources, data and administration

The second area covers resources, Retool's term for connected databases, APIs, storage and AI providers. The assistant can list them, read their configuration, create new ones and generate TypeScript definitions for selected resources. It can then run short TypeScript queries against them, for instance for a quick data analysis. The third area is the organisation itself: listing users and invites, sending or withdrawing invites in bulk, inspecting workflows, folders and environments, and searching audit logs. These tools require the mcp:admin scope, which only organisation administrators can select. According to the tool reference, audit logs are limited to the Business and Enterprise plans and permission groups to Enterprise.

Permissions and security

The OAuth scopes are mcp:read, mcp:write and mcp:admin. According to Retool, they never grant more than your Retool account already allows, and the assistant only sees apps, resources and workflows you have access to. Even so, a tool like retool_execute_resource_ts runs code against real databases, and retool_delete_workflow deletes without a recycle bin. Start with mcp:read and only grant write and admin rights once you actually need them.

Costs and requirements

According to Retool, the MCP server itself costs nothing extra and is available on every plan, including the free plan for small teams. Administration and resource exploration tasks consume no Retool credits. App building, however, draws AI credits from the plan's monthly allowance, except for Enterprise customers who bring their own API key. Your local assistant bills separately on top. Besides the free entry point, Retool offers the paid Team and Business plans and an Enterprise plan with custom pricing; details are on Retool's pricing page.

Who is the Retool MCP Server for?

It pays off for teams that already build internal tools on Retool or want to start. Developers can kick off a first version of an admin panel straight from Claude Code or Cursor and follow its progress in the tool they already use. Administrators handle recurring chores with a sentence instead of a dozen clicks, such as "Who hasn't used their access in three months?" or "Invite these 40 addresses to the support group". If you don't use Retool, it offers you nothing, because the server only talks to your own Retool instance.

A Retool cloud organisation or a self-hosted instance on version 4.0.0 or later, a Retool account with suitable rights (organisation admin for the administration tools) and an MCP client with HTTP transport and OAuth, such as Claude Code, Claude, Codex, ChatGPT in developer mode, Cursor, Kiro CLI or VS Code 1.102 or later with GitHub Copilot Chat.

With the Retool MCP Server, an AI assistant builds internal apps in Retool, queries connected data sources and handles user administration. This guide takes you from setup to your first app.

Step 1: Prerequisites

You need a Retool cloud organisation or a self-hosted instance on version 4.0.0 or later, and an MCP client with HTTP transport and OAuth, such as Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or VS Code 1.102 or later with GitHub Copilot Chat. The administration tools require you to be an organisation admin. Your server address is your instance address with /mcp appended, for example https://your-instance.retool.com/mcp.

Step 2: Connect it to Claude Code

The command is claude mcp add --transport http retool https://your-instance.retool.com/mcp. Then start a new session, run /mcp, select retool and sign in to Retool in the browser, where you also choose the scopes.

claude mcp add --transport http retool https://your-instance.retool.com/mcp

Step 3: Codex, Cursor and VS Code

In Codex, codex mcp add retool --url https://your-instance.retool.com/mcp is all it takes; then confirm the scopes in the browser. In Cursor, add an entry retool under mcpServers with "type": "http" and the address, either globally in the settings or in .cursor/mcp.json in your project. Sign-in starts on the first tool call. In VS Code, create a .vscode/mcp.json file, choose Add Server, then HTTP, and enter the address. The chat.mcp.access setting must not be set to none.

codex mcp add retool --url https://your-instance.retool.com/mcp

Claude and ChatGPT

In the Claude app, users on the Free, Pro and Max plans find Retool under Customize, Connectors, Browse connectors. In Team and Enterprise organisations, an owner has to add the server as a custom connector. ChatGPT requires developer mode; there you create a new app under Settings, Apps, Advanced settings with the address and OAuth.

Pick the right scope

mcp:read only allows read tools, such as listing apps and resources. mcp:write is needed for app building and resource changes, as well as for running TypeScript against data sources. mcp:admin unlocks users, invites, workflows and audit logs and can only be selected by admins. No scope grants more than your Retool account already allows.

Build your first app

Describe in your assistant what the app should do, for example: "Build a Retool screen where I can look up orders from our Postgres resource by customer number." The assistant passes the request to Retool's app-building agent and returns a preview link. If the agent asks questions, answer them in the chat. Once you are happy with the result, have the app published into a folder.

OAuth 2.0 with browser sign-in; the scopes mcp:read, mcp:write and mcp:admin (organisation admins only) are chosen on the consent screen.

Read: apps, app access, resources and their configuration, workflows, folders, environments, users, invites, organisation settings and (Business/Enterprise) audit logs. Write: create, change, import and publish apps from a prompt, grant and revoke app access, create and update resources, run TypeScript against resources, create and delete invites, delete workflows. What succeeds depends on the scope and account rights.

The server runs on the respective Retool instance, so at Retool for cloud customers and in your own infrastructure when self-hosted. Data retrieved from resources, user lists and audit logs enters the AI client context and therefore reaches the model provider. For app building, Retool's app-building agent also processes the request, using Retool-managed keys or, on Enterprise, your own key.

With mcp:write the assistant can run TypeScript against real databases and APIs, change resource configuration and publish apps; with mcp:admin it can send invites and delete workflows. Content from databases, apps or audit logs can carry prompt injection. Start with mcp:read, select the admin scope only when needed and confirm write actions in the client.