Controlling Tool Access
DataGrail Model Context Protocal (MCP) product must be enabled for your organization. Please contact your account manager to enable the MCP product.
The MCP Tool Access settings page allows administrators to manage how users in your organization interact with Vera through external MCP clients such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, and other compatible tools.
To access these settings, navigate to Settings > MCP Tool Access in your DataGrail dashboard.
External MCP Access Toggle
At the top of the page, the External MCP Access toggle controls whether users in your organization can connect external MCP clients via OAuth.
- Enabled (default when the MCP product is active): Users can connect external MCP clients and authorize them to interact with Vera on their behalf.
- Disabled: All external MCP access is immediately revoked. Existing OAuth connections are terminated, new client registrations are blocked, and the OAuth consent screen displays an error message.
Use this toggle as an emergency control if you need to immediately revoke all external MCP access across your organization. This does not affect users accessing Vera through the DataGrail web interface or Slack integration — only external MCP client connections are impacted.
When disabling external access, a confirmation dialog will appear showing the number of active OAuth connections that will be revoked. Once confirmed, all active connections are terminated immediately. Users who had connected tools like Claude Desktop or Cursor will need to re-authorize if access is later re-enabled.
Per-User Tool Access
The main table on the MCP Tool Access page lists all users in your organization along with their current MCP access status.
User Status
Each user's MCP status is displayed as one of the following:
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Unrestricted | The user has full access to all MCP tools available to their role. |
| Partially Restricted | An administrator has restricted access to one or more specific tools for this user. |
| Disabled | An administrator has disabled all MCP tool access for this user. |
| No Access | The user's role does not grant access to any MCP tools. |
Managing Individual User Access
Click on any user row to open the Manage MCP Access drawer, where you can:
- Disable all MCP access for the user by toggling off the MCP Access switch. You can optionally provide a reason for the restriction.
- Restrict specific tools by unchecking individual tools in the tool list. Each restriction can include an optional reason.
Tools are organized by product area (e.g., Request Manager, Live Data Map, Consent, Risk Management). A tool's availability depends on the user's role and your organization's product entitlements:
- Available: The user has role-based access and the tool can be toggled on or off.
- No Access: The user's role or product entitlements do not include this tool. It cannot be enabled by an administrator.
- Restricted by Admin: An administrator has explicitly restricted this tool for the user.
How Restrictions Work
Admin-configured restrictions are an additional layer on top of the platform's existing permission model:
- Product entitlements: Tools are only available if your organization has the corresponding product enabled.
- Role-based permissions: Users can only access tools that their assigned role permits.
- Admin restrictions: Administrators can further restrict tools that a user would otherwise have access to. Admins cannot grant access to tools that a user's role does not permit.
This means the MCP Tool Access settings allow you to narrow a user's access, but not expand it beyond what their role already allows.
Security Considerations
All external MCP client connections use OAuth 2.0 with PKCE (Proof Key for Code Exchange) for secure authorization. Each connection:
- Requires explicit user consent through the OAuth authorization screen
- Is scoped to a specific set of tools selected during authorization
- Can be individually revoked by the user or globally revoked by an administrator
- Is bound to the specific DataGrail environment it was authorized against
- Is fully audit-logged, including all tool invocations and administrative actions such as toggling access or restricting users
Vera's MCP gateway enforces the same multi-layered security model as the web interface — tenant isolation, user permission inheritance, and full audit logging apply to all MCP tool interactions regardless of the client used.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this message does not constitute as legal advice. We would advise seeking professional counsel before acting on or interpreting any material.