AutomationToolsMCP tools

Troubleshooting

Common MCP tool questions and how to resolve them
Not sure where to begin? Explore our Getting started guidelines to set up your first AI Agent, review Key concepts to understand the essentials, or check out Improvement tactics to resolve issues and keep things running smoothly.

Common questions

If an MCP tool isn’t behaving as you expect, the cause is usually discovery, the auth mode, the connection, or a Playbook mapping. Here’s how to resolve each.

  • A tool you added on your server isn’t listed yet. New tools appear after you refresh the tool list on the Tools page. Refresh, then turn the tool on.
  • You want the Agent to choose a different tool. The Agent picks a tool from the name and description your server declares, so clear, specific descriptions guide it to the right one. If an API tool covers the same job, turn one of them off so there’s a single clear choice.
  • A customer sign-in tool works on some channels but not others. Tools that ask the end user to sign in run on Ada web chat, Twilio SMS, Twilio WhatsApp, and Ada Instagram. On other channels the Agent answers without them, so use a connected-account tool where you need coverage everywhere. See Authentication and channels.
  • An end user is asked to sign in when you didn’t expect it. That tool is set to customer signs in. If it doesn’t need a person’s own data, switch it to connected account so it runs on the shared company account.
  • A connection needs reconnecting. Sign-in credentials refresh as tools are used. If a connection has been idle and its sign-in has lapsed, reconnect the server from the Tools page to restore its tools.
  • Setting up an OAuth connection. If your server limits which redirect URLs it accepts, add Ada’s redirect URL so the sign-in completes. The connect form shows the URL to add.
  • A Playbook variable is empty. Check the path against what the tool returns: JSON lets you pull one value by path, and plain text is captured whole. Run the tool in a conversation, read the result, and map from what you see.

Have any questions? Contact your Ada team, or email us at .