Zapier's New MCP Server: A Seamless Integration for Automation

Zapier has just launched its MCP server, and this integration is really, really amazing. What this means is that with Zapier offering this integration, we no longer have to deal with the clunky mess of setting up MCP servers over and over again.

The Problem with Multiple MCP Servers

Now, if you dive deep into the problem, the main challenge is that having multiple MCP servers, especially if you're using a lot of them to automate your life, can cause several issues.

• Performance Problems: Running multiple servers simultaneously by command can lead to performance degradation.
• Connectivity Issues: If a server goes down, your API key expires, or something similar happens, everything just breaks down.

Take the MCPS I have in cursor right now as an example. When there are too many, some of them time out. I'll have to refresh them just to get them running again. Two of them use API keys, while others rely on run files. If those run files get deleted, I'd have to go through the entire service process all over again.

The Zapier Solution

This new Zapier integration lets you connect to any app seamlessly. Beyond that, there are plenty of benefits.

• Access to Thousands of Apps: You get access to thousands of apps, currently around 8,000. While not all of them might be available, that's still a massive selection.
• Free for Individuals: It's free for individuals, which is amazing.
• Flexible Workflows: You can use it in any type of workflow. Not into coding? No problem. Zapier offers no-code tools as well, but if you need something highly specific, that's an option too.

So let's dive in. This article will show you how to install it and set up some servers with it.

Installation and Setup

Now for the installation. Once you click the "get started" button, you'll be taken to the dashboard. Here, you'll see a "generate" button that creates your unique MCP server endpoint. I've already generated mine. This endpoint works like a password, allowing your MCP client to connect with the Zapier MCP server. If it gets leaked, others could access it, so keep it secure just like a password.

Once you have it, simply copy it and head over to cursor. In cursor, open the mcp.json file. Let me show you its structure.

If it's a new setup and the file is empty, you can copy this configuration, paste it in, and replace the URL with the one from Zapier.

{
  "mcp_servers": [
    {
      "name": "Zapier",
      "url": "YOUR_ZAPIER_MCP_URL_HERE"
    }
  ]
}

If you already have existing MCP servers, just copy the object section, paste it below your existing servers, and update the URL. Once it's added, you'll see your Zapier MCP listed.

Once this is done, if you want to add MCP actions so they're available as tools in your MCP directly in cursor, just click the "edit" button, and a page will open up. You'll already see some examples like drafting a new Gmail, creating an event in Google Calendar, or sending a DM in Slack.

Available Tools and Integrations

There are plenty of other tools. For example, if you're using a Slack integration, that specific tool within it can now be accessed in MCP form through Zapier MCP—not the entire integration, just the tool you use.

Now, in terms of tool availability, I've noticed there aren't many options for coding. Some major MCP servers, like the Superbase MCP server, are missing. But when it comes to productivity and social apps, most of them are here: ClickUp, HubSpot, Google Calendar, and even some apps that, as far as I know, never had MCP servers before. Since their integrations exist in Zapier, you can now add them.

One coding-related integration that stands out is Postgres. What's great about it is that the Zapier MCP server actually lets you write to a table, not just read from it. The official Postgres MCP server only supports read-only queries, meaning you can't insert or update data. But with Zapier's MCP, you can add a new row, update an existing row, and even query rows. The setup process is straightforward. After adding the MCP server you want, you'll need to connect it to your Postgres account. Here, you'll enter the necessary database details based on how you've hosted it. If you have multiple tables, you'll need to specify them one at a time. So if you want access to multiple tables, you'll have to repeat the process for each. If you ever decide not to use it, you can simply click "delete," and the action will be removed.

Another cool tool they offer is Web Parser by Zapier. When adding a new action, simply search for it, and it will be available to you. Once you open it, you'll see that this action parses a given web page based on the provided URL. Here you have two options: you can either let AI guess a value for this field or set a specific value manually. We're going to leave it on "AI guess a value." The reason for that is we don't want to hardcode it. This way, whenever we provide a URL to be parsed, the agent will dynamically insert it into this parameter instead of being locked to a pre-selected link. Once that's set up, just click "done." Make sure the action is enabled.

If you go back into cursor, you'll see that under "add actions," the Web Parser tool by Zapier is now available. I also tested it out. For example, I asked it to parse the cursor page. As you can see here, it successfully called the tool. It parsed the page and provided a short summary. It even analyzed the code, including CSS classes, to determine the page's styling. When I asked about the sections of the page, it returned a pretty comprehensive list, even identifying logo names included on the page. It also listed sections like the feature section and other content present on the page.

It's also much better to authenticate through Zapier rather than using other services like Composio or random MCP servers where you have to manually grant authentication access for them to function properly.

Demo: Slack and Jira Integration

Here's a demo from Brian Helming, the co-founder and CTO of Zapier, showing how the integration is used with Slack and Jira. You can set up as many actions as you like, allowing you to configure all kinds of different settings. For each action, you can choose which account to use, specify details like a Slack channel, or even have the AI guess the channel. You can configure these with defaults or customize them to restrict what the agent or assistant can do.

The integration isn't limited to Slack and Jira. There are many different apps, from GitHub to GitLab, MS Teams, Trello—you get the idea.

First, a quick demo of posting a message to a Slack channel from cursor. The prompt is:

"say hello to the testing Slack channel"

The tool runs, and even if it provides extra information, the integration uses your pre-set settings, giving you control over where the message actually goes.

Next, let's see how to create a Jira task. For example, imagine we found a bug in some code where a thinking flag needs to be turned off for a specific model. The prompt is:

"let's add a Jira task to swap perform thinking false if R1 is chosen"

The tool generates the task details. Once approved, it sends the information to Jira. It doesn't matter if extra parameters are sent, because they are filtered out on the other end. After a quick refresh in Jira, the new task appears.

This gives you a good idea of the sorts of things you can do using MCP with Zapier. With lots and lots of different apps supported, I encourage you to go check it out and give it a shot.