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Understanding MCP

How it works: the 2-click flow

Paste one URL, sign in to your account, click Authorize. The OAuth 2.1 protocol handles the rest, with no API keys to manage.

4 min read

Alpative's MCP servers are remote: they run over HTTP transport (Streamable HTTP). There is nothing to install on your machine, just one address to add in your AI client.

Your AI clientClaude, ChatGPT...Alpative sign-inyour accountAuthorize buttonone clickReadyClick 1Click 2No API key to copy. The OAuth 2.1 protocol does the rest.

The three steps

1
Paste the URLIn your AI client, you add an MCP server with its Alpative address, for example mcp.alpative.com/marketing.
2
Sign in to your accountYou are redirected to Alpative to identify yourself, just like with any online service.
3
AuthorizeOne Authorize button, and you are connected. The AI receives an access token limited to what you approved.

What happens behind the scenes

These two clicks rely on OAuth 2.1 (with PKCE and dynamic client registration), the web's standard authorization mechanism. Alpative issues an encrypted token, limited to one customer and one specific MCP server. No key is ever copied or stored in your AI client.

Why it is safer than an API keyAn API key can be copied, shared, and never expires on its own. An OAuth token is revocable, limited in scope, and tied to your explicit authorization.
How it works: the 2-click flow · Alpative MCP