Connecting a Seismic MCP server to Responsive

Overview

Responsive can connect to the Seismic Model Context Protocol (MCP) server so that Seismic tools and content become available to Responsive AI. In this setup, Responsive acts as the MCP client and Seismic is the external MCP server.

Setting up the connection involves steps on both platforms:

1. In Seismic, you create and install an MCP app, which provides the OAuth credentials and scopes Responsive needs.

2. In Responsive, an administrator adds an MCP connector that points at the Seismic MCP server and uses those credentials. Each user then connects their own Seismic account.

Prerequisites

In addition to the Responsive prerequisites in Setting up MCP connectors in Responsive, you need the following on the Seismic side:

• Admin access to a Seismic tenant that has the MCP server enabled.

• Permission to access the Seismic MCP server and its tools.

Creating and installing the MCP app in Seismic

Perform these steps in Seismic.

Note: Seismic owns this part of the setup and may change it. For the most current steps to create the app, configure authentication, and select scopes, always follow the Seismic guide, Creating and installing an MCP app in Seismic. The steps below summarize what Responsive needs from that process.

Creating the app

1. Go to the Seismic App Registration portal at apps.seismic.com.

2. Click Create App.

3. Select an MCP-enabled tenant.

4. Choose MCP App as the app type.

5. Enter an app name.

6. Click Create.

Configuring authentication

1. Open the Authentication section of the app.

2. For the flow type, select Authorization Code. MCP apps support only this flow.

3. Enable Require PKCE. Responsive uses PKCE by default, so keep PKCE enabled on the Seismic side.

4. (Optional) Generate a Client Secret using the Generate button, and copy it immediately since it is not shown again. A client secret is optional for standard MCP clients when PKCE is enabled. Generate one only if you plan to use the manual, non-PKCE setup in Responsive.

5. Add the callback (redirect) URI for Responsive. See Finding the callback URI for Responsive section below to get this value.

Finding the callback URI for the Seismic MCP connector

The callback (redirect) URI for your Seismic MCP app is your Responsive My Account URL, up to your company ID. You enter it in Seismic when configuring the app's authentication..

1. In Responsive, click your avatar and select My Account.

2. In your browser address bar, copy the page URL up to, but not including, &tab. The result looks like https://app.rfpio.com/v2/my-account?companyId=<companyId>. If your organization uses a custom domain, the copied URL keeps that domain automatically, for example https://acme.rfpio.com/v2/my-account?companyId=<companyId>.

   Note: Do not include &tab or anything after it. The callback URI must end with your company ID.

3. Enter the copied URL as the callback (redirect) URI for the Seismic MCP app.

Selecting scopes

1. Scroll to the Scopes section.

2. Confirm that seismic.mcp is selected. This is the top-level scope required for any MCP app and is selected by default.

3. (Recommended) Select the additional OIDC Connect sub-scopes shown under seismic.mcp.

4. (Optional) Add offline_access if you want Responsive to refresh tokens without re-authorization.

5. Click Save.

Values you will need in Responsive

Before leaving Seismic, note the values below. The table maps each Responsive field to the Seismic value and tells you where to find it in Seismic. Replace {tenant_name} with the tenant name you use to access the Seismic platform.

Installing the app

The app must be enabled by a tenant administrator before it can be used.

1. In Seismic, go to Settings > System Settings > My Apps.

2. Locate the MCP app. A newly created app is disabled.

3. Enable the app.

4. Review the MCP tools the app requests.

5. Select the approved tools.

6. Click Allow.

Note: Enabling the seismic.mcp scope alone does not grant permission to invoke tools. Tool invocation requires the tool permissions your tenant administrator approves in this step.

Adding the Seismic connector in Responsive

Perform these steps in Responsive as an administrator.

1. Go to Organization Settings > Responsive AI > MCP Connectors.

2. Select Browse Marketplace.

3. (Optional) Upload a Connector icon to identify Seismic in the connector list.

4. Enter a unique Connector name, for example Seismic.

5. (Optional) Add a Description. Responsive AI uses it to decide when to route a request to this connector, for example "Seismic enablement content and search."

6. In MCP connector URL, enter your tenant's Seismic MCP server URL from the mapping table in the Seismic section above.

7. For Authentication, select OAuth 2.0. Seismic MCP uses the OAuth 2.0 Authorization Code flow, so each user signs in to Seismic and grants their own consent.

8. Complete the OAuth 2.0 fields as described below.

9. Select Add.

Configuring OAuth 2.0 for Seismic

1. Leave Use PKCE selected. Seismic recommends PKCE for MCP connections.

2. Choose a Connection Setup option:

   Automatic (recommended)

   Responsive discovers the Seismic OAuth endpoints and registers the client automatically. Use this option first. If Seismic cannot register the client dynamically, use Manual.

   Manual

   Enter the Seismic OAuth values from the mapping table in the Seismic section above:

   1. Enter the Authorization URL and the Token URL.

   2. Clear Use dynamic client registration, then enter the Client ID and Client Secret you generated in Seismic. This is the standard path, since Seismic issues these when you create the app. Select dynamic client registration only if your Seismic tenant supports it, in which case Client ID and Client Secret are hidden.

   3. (Optional) In Scopes, enter seismic.mcp. Add offline_access to refresh tokens without re-authorization.

3. Select Add.

Note: The Add button stays disabled until all required fields are complete.

Connecting your Seismic account

After an administrator adds the Seismic connector, each user connects their own Seismic account.

1. Go to My Account > MCP Servers.

2. Click Connect for the Seismic connector.

3. Complete the Seismic sign-in and authorization flow when prompted.

4. After the connection succeeds, a Connected status is displayed.

To disconnect, go to My Account > MCP Servers and click Disconnect. Disconnecting removes the connection for your account only. It does not remove the organization-level connector configuration.

Managing Seismic tools in Responsive

After the connection is established, Responsive automatically discovers the tools exposed by the Seismic MCP server and retrieves their names and descriptions.

1. Go to Organization Settings > Responsive AI > MCP Connectors.

2. Locate the Seismic connector.

3. Click the connector. A panel is displayed on the right.

4. The Overview shows the connection details.

5. Click Tools to view the available tools.

6. Enable or disable individual tools as needed, then click Save.

Note: By default, all discovered tools are enabled and available to Responsive AI users. In Seismic, a tool is only usable if the tenant administrator approved it when installing the app.

For how Responsive AI decides when to retrieve from a connector, see Setting up MCP connectors in Responsive.

Related articles

• Setting up MCP connectors in Responsive

• Creating and installing an MCP app in Seismic