| name | mcp-onboarding |
| description | Use when choosing, evaluating, or rolling out MCP servers and you need practical guidance on fit, trust boundaries, setup, and safe team adoption. |
MCP Onboarding
Adopt MCP servers deliberately. The goal is useful context and tools without widening risk or support burden.
Selective Reading Rule
| File | Purpose | Read When |
|---|
rollout-checklist.md | readiness and adoption checklist | when deciding whether to add or roll out a server |
Evaluation Order
- Clarify the user workflow the MCP server should improve.
- Check whether local files, built-in tools, or existing skills already solve most of it.
- Evaluate server trust boundaries, auth model, data exposure, and maintenance burden.
- Define a minimal rollout path with one or two high-value use cases.
- Document setup, permissions, failure modes, and owner responsibilities.
Rollout Checklist
- clear use case
- known data sources
- auth and secret handling plan
- sandbox and approval expectations
- setup steps verified
- fallback path if the server is down
Preferred Pairings
- Workflow:
.agents/workflows/plan.md or .agents/workflows/verify.md
- Primary subagent:
docs_researcher
- Common supporting skills:
mcp-builder, documentation-templates
- Pull in
security_auditor when the server reaches sensitive systems or credentials
Avoid
- adding MCP servers because they look generally useful
- giving broad access before the real need is clear
- skipping ownership and maintenance expectations
