Getting Started
Authentication
How to authenticate with the MCP Gateway API using API keys or OAuth.
All API requests to MCP Gateway require authentication. Pass a Bearer token in the Authorization header with every request.
API Keys
API keys follow a prefixed format so you can identify their purpose at a glance:
mgw_usr_live_*— production keysmgw_usr_test_*— test mode keys
Include the key in the Authorization header:
curl https://YOUR_GATEWAY_URL/api/v1/servers \
-H "Authorization: Bearer mgw_usr_live_abc123..."Creating API Keys
- Open the MCP Gateway web UI.
- Navigate to Settings > API Keys.
- Click Create and give the key a descriptive name.
- Copy the key immediately — it is only shown once.
OAuth Apps
MCP Gateway supports OAuth 2.0 for third-party integrations that need to act on behalf of users. See the Authentication API docs for the full OAuth flow, scopes, and token lifecycle.