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Plugins give Onyx agents live access to external tools and services. An agent can use a plugin to read current data or to take an action, such as post a Slack reply or create a ticket. Admins manage all plugins in Admin Panel → Plugins (/admin/plugins). Users connect their accounts and set personal defaults in Plugins in the main sidebar (/app/plugins). The Admin Panel Plugins page with an MCP server, an OpenAPI plugin, and a Slack Craft App

Where things moved in Onyx 5

In Onyx 5.0, MCP servers, OpenAPI actions, and Craft Apps moved to one Plugins page. Existing servers, tools, credentials, and Craft App settings stay the same. Only the location changed. Old links open the new pages.

Plugin types

Onyx has three plugin types. Each type connects to a different kind of external system.

Choose a plugin type

  • Use a Craft App for Slack, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Gmail, Linear, GitHub, HubSpot, Notion, or Zendesk work in Craft. Craft Apps call the provider API as the connected user. Each action has its own approval policy.
  • Use an MCP server for an application that is not a built-in Craft App, or when you also need the tools in Chat. MCP servers work in Chat, custom agents, and Craft.
  • Use an OpenAPI plugin to make an existing REST API available in Chat and custom agents. Onyx turns each operation in the schema into a tool.
You can add the same service more than once. For example, add the Slack Craft App for Craft and the Slack MCP server for Chat.

Plugins compared to connectors

Connectors and plugins solve different problems. When a user connects a personal account, the plugin can read only what that account can read. For example, a Slack Craft App can read a private channel only if the connected user is a member of that channel.

Add a plugin

1

Open the Plugins page

Click your user profile icon, select Admin Panel, then select Plugins under Agents & Actions.
2

Select a plugin type

Click Add, then select MCP, OpenAPI, or Craft Apps.The Add menu with MCP, OpenAPI, and Craft Apps options
3

Complete the setup

Follow the guide for the plugin type: MCP, OpenAPI, or Craft Apps.
Only full admins can add Craft Apps. Users with the Manage Actions permission can add and edit MCP and OpenAPI plugins. Only full admins can change which plugins are on in default Chat for the workspace.

The Plugins page

Each card shows the plugin name, its URL or description, its type, and a status icon.
  • Use the All, MCP, OpenAPI, and Craft Apps filters, or search by name.
  • Click a card to open its settings.
  • Click the trash icon to delete the plugin.
Deleting a plugin removes it from the workspace, from every custom agent, and from every user. To keep a plugin but stop default Chat or Craft from using it, turn off its availability switch instead.

Plugin settings

Plugin settings open in a dialog with tabs. Changes stay as a draft until you click Save Changes.

Availability and personal defaults

Onyx keeps four kinds of settings separate. Use the table to find the setting that controls a behavior. A personal default can only narrow what the admin allows. If an admin turns off Enable in default Chat, no user can turn the plugin on in default Chat. Custom agents that already use the plugin keep it, and its credentials and settings stay the same.
Default Chat selection for MCP and OpenAPI plugins is now on the Plugins page. Chat Preferences manages only built-in tools, such as Internal Search and Web Search. In Terraform, onyx_custom_tool.enabled sets the default Chat selection for an OpenAPI plugin.

Status icons

The status icon on each card shows where the plugin is available. Hover over the icon to see details. Each segment of the icon is one surface: Main Chat, Custom agents, and Craft. The status icon is read only. Change availability in the plugin’s Configuration tab.

Approvals in Craft

Craft can ask a user to approve an action before it runs. Admins set the policy for each MCP tool and each Craft App action: Turn on Let users manage approval settings to let users choose a stricter or more permissive policy for actions that the admin did not disable.
Approval policies apply only in Craft. In default Chat and custom agents, an agent calls MCP and OpenAPI tools without an approval prompt. Turn off tools in Chat that must not run without review.

Next steps

MCP servers

Connect an MCP server and choose its tools.

OpenAPI plugins

Turn a REST API schema into agent tools.

Craft Apps

Let Craft act as each user in Slack, Gmail, Notion, and more.

Plugins for users

Connect accounts and set personal defaults.