> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.budecosystem.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Introduction to Connectors

> Connect Bud agents to tools, business systems, and event sources

## Overview

Bud AI Foundry Connectors let teams give agents secure access to external systems. Use them to configure MCP tool gateways, attach selected tools to agents, and provision shared event connections for trigger-driven workflows.

Connectors are managed from the **Connectors** page in Bud Admin. The page separates the connector lifecycle into three tabs: registry-backed connector setup, configured connections, and trigger/event connections.

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart LR
  A[Connector Registry] --> B[Configure Connection]
  B --> C{Visibility Scope}
  C -->|Global| D[Available to all projects]
  C -->|Selected projects| E[Available to scoped projects]
  D --> F[Attach tools to agents]
  E --> F
  G[Trigger Providers] --> H[Shared Event Connection]
  H --> I[Agent trigger subscriptions]
```

## Key Features

**Registry-backed MCP connectors**
Browse connectors from the MCP Foundry registry, review metadata, enter connector-specific credentials, and create reusable gateways.

**Custom MCP gateways**
Create custom gateways when a tool server is not in the registry. Define the name, URL, transport, authentication type, credentials, and agent visibility.

**Agent-scoped tool attachment**
Attach only the tools an agent needs. Existing shared connections can be authorized once and reused across agents without re-entering credentials.

**Shared event connections**
Provision event-provider connections for systems such as Slack, GitHub, Linear, Asana, and Microsoft Teams so agents can respond to external activity.

**Project and global visibility**
Control whether a connection is available globally or only to selected projects. Project-scoped event connections always include the agent's project.

## Connector Types

| Type                        | Purpose                              | Typical Flow                                                                       |
| --------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **MCP connector**           | Expose external tools to agents      | Configure gateway → authorize if required → fetch tools → attach tools             |
| **Custom gateway**          | Register a non-catalog MCP server    | Add name and URL → choose auth → save credentials → scope access                   |
| **Event connection**        | Receive provider events for triggers | Choose provider → enter descriptor credentials → choose scope → subscribe triggers |
| **Legacy prompt connector** | Prompt-level connector registration  | Register credentials or OAuth → fetch tools → add tools to prompt config           |

<Info>
  Connector credentials and event credentials are submitted as provider-defined key-value payloads. Secret fields are rendered as password inputs in Bud Admin and validated by the backend descriptor or connector schema.
</Info>

## How It Works

1. **Discover** - Search the connector registry or choose an event provider.
2. **Configure** - Enter credentials, optional gateway name, and visibility scope.
3. **Authorize** - Complete OAuth when the connector requires user consent.
4. **Fetch Tools or Events** - Load tool definitions for MCP gateways or event catalogs for trigger providers.
5. **Attach** - Add selected tools to an agent or use the event connection in a trigger.
6. **Operate** - Rename, enable, disable, update scope, detach, or delete connections.

## Use Cases

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Agent Tooling" icon="plug">
    Let agents call tools from SaaS systems, databases, internal APIs, and MCP servers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Event-Driven Agents" icon="bolt">
    Start agent workflows from provider events such as chat messages, repository updates, or tickets.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Reusable Enterprise Connections" icon="share-nodes">
    Configure a connector once and share it with selected projects or the whole organization.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Governed Access" icon="shield-halved">
    Keep tools disabled, project-scoped, or globally available depending on operational policy.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Getting Started

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Quick Start" icon="play" href="/connectors/quickstart">
    Configure a connector and attach tools to an agent.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Connector Concepts" icon="book" href="/connectors/connector-concepts">
    Learn about gateways, scopes, OAuth, tools, and event connections.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Detailed Tutorial" icon="graduation-cap" href="/connectors/creating-first-connector">
    Create your first reusable connector step by step.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>