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1 change: 1 addition & 0 deletions docs.json
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Expand Up @@ -307,6 +307,7 @@
"group": "Customize deployment",
"pages": [
"self-host/customize-deployment/enterprise-license-keys",
"self-host/customize-deployment/configure-mcp-for-lightdash",
"self-host/customize-deployment/configure-a-slack-app-for-lightdash",
"self-host/customize-deployment/configure-github-for-lightdash",
"self-host/customize-deployment/configure-lightdash-to-use-an-external-database",
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60 changes: 60 additions & 0 deletions self-host/customize-deployment/configure-mcp-for-lightdash.mdx
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---
title: Configure MCP for self-hosted Lightdash
description: "Enable the Model Context Protocol (MCP) integration on your self-hosted Lightdash instance."
sidebarTitle: MCP integration
---

<Note>
🛠 This page is for engineering teams self-hosting their own Lightdash instance. If you want to use MCP with Lightdash Cloud, go to the [Lightdash MCP](/references/integrations/lightdash-mcp) guide.
</Note>

<Warning>
🔑 **Enterprise feature** — MCP on self-hosted instances requires a valid [Enterprise License Key](/self-host/customize-deployment/enterprise-license-keys). Without an active license, the MCP service will not be registered and the `/api/v1/mcp` endpoint will return an error.
</Warning>

## Prerequisites

- A self-hosted Lightdash instance
- A valid `LIGHTDASH_LICENSE_KEY` configured ([setup guide](/self-host/customize-deployment/enterprise-license-keys))

## Enable MCP

Set the following environment variable on your Lightdash deployment:

```bash
MCP_ENABLED=true
```

No additional services or external OAuth configuration is needed — the OAuth server is built into Lightdash, so the authentication flow works the same as Lightdash Cloud once MCP is enabled.

## MCP URL format

Once enabled, the MCP endpoint is available at:

```
https://<your-lightdash-host>/api/v1/mcp
```

Replace `<your-lightdash-host>` with your instance's domain (e.g. `lightdash.yourcompany.com`).

## Connect an AI assistant

Follow the same setup steps as Lightdash Cloud, using your self-hosted URL instead of a `.lightdash.cloud` address. See the [Lightdash MCP installation guide](/references/integrations/lightdash-mcp#installation) for detailed instructions for each AI assistant (Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor, Claude Code).

For example, with Claude Code:

```bash
claude mcp add lightdash https://<your-lightdash-host>/api/v1/mcp -t http
```

## Network requirements

If your Lightdash instance is behind a firewall or VPN, ensure the MCP client can reach your Lightdash host over HTTPS. See the [network requirements](/references/integrations/lightdash-mcp#network-requirements) section for additional domains that may need to be allowlisted depending on your AI assistant.

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---------|-------------|
| `/api/v1/mcp` returns an error or 404 | `MCP_ENABLED` is not set to `true`, or the license key is missing/invalid |
| OAuth flow fails | Ensure your Lightdash instance is reachable from the browser performing the OAuth redirect |
| AI assistant can't connect | Check that the MCP URL is correct and the instance is accessible over HTTPS |
1 change: 1 addition & 0 deletions self-host/enterprise-on-prem.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ Once your license key is active, most Enterprise features are controlled by envi
| AI agents | `AI_AGENTS_ENABLED=true` | [AI agents](/guides/ai-agents) |
| Caching | `RESULTS_CACHE_ENABLED=true` | [Caching](/guides/developer/caching) |
| Embedding | `EMBEDDING_ENABLED=true` | [Embedding](/references/embedding) |
| MCP | `MCP_ENABLED=true` | [MCP integration](/self-host/customize-deployment/configure-mcp-for-lightdash) |

You can [search "enterprise" on the environment variables page](/self-host/customize-deployment/environment-variables) to see all variables that require an Enterprise license key.

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