Proxy MCP Server via Akto

Route MCP server traffic from Copilot Studio agents through the Akto agent-proxy

Overview

Microsoft Copilot Studio agents can call external Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers as tools. By pointing the agent at Akto's agent-proxy instead of the MCP server directly, every tool call — both the request the agent makes and the response the MCP server returns — flows through Akto for inspection, policy enforcement, and audit.

The proxy is fully transparent: the MCP server sees a normal request and returns a normal response. The agent sees the same MCP server contract. Akto sits in the middle.

How It Works

Copilot Studio agent
        │ (MCP tool call)
        ▼
https://<proxy-host>/agent-proxy/<target-mcp-host>/<path>
        │ (inspected, policies applied)
        ▼
Target MCP server  (e.g. docs.akto.io/~gitbook/mcp)

The proxy URL is built by dropping https:// from the target MCP server URL and appending it to the Akto agent-proxy base:

Target MCP server	Final proxy URL
https://docs.akto.io/~gitbook/mcp	https://<proxy-host>/agent-proxy/docs.akto.io/~gitbook/mcp
https://mcp.example.com/api/v1/mcp	https://<proxy-host>/agent-proxy/mcp.example.com/api/v1/mcp

The proxy preserves the full path, query string, and request body of the original MCP server call. No changes are needed on the MCP server side.

Prerequisites

• A Microsoft Copilot Studio agent you can edit (Author or Maker role on the agent).

• The full HTTPS URL of the MCP server you want to expose to the agent.

• The Akto proxy host (<proxy-host>) — provisioned and shared by Akto.

• Permission to publish the agent after the tool is added.

Steps to Connect

1

Open the Copilot Studio agent

Go to copilotstudio.microsoft.com and open the agent you want to attach the MCP server to.

2

Open the Tools tab

In the agent's top navigation, select the Tools tab. This is where every external action available to the agent — connectors, custom skills, and MCP servers — is registered.

3

Add a new tool

Select + Add a tool (top-right of the Tools tab). A side panel opens with the list of tool types Copilot Studio supports.

4

Select MCP Server

From the New tool panel, choose Model Context Protocol (sometimes labelled MCP Server). The form switches to the MCP-specific fields.

5

Enter the name and description

• Name — a short, human-readable label (e.g. Akto Docs MCP). The agent uses this name when deciding which tool to call.

• Description — one or two sentences explaining what the MCP server does. The model relies on this description to pick the tool, so be specific (e.g. "Search and retrieve Akto documentation pages").

6

Enter the proxy URL

In the URL field, paste the Akto agent-proxy URL — not the raw MCP server URL.

Build it by taking your target MCP server URL and dropping https://, then appending the remainder to https://<proxy-host>/agent-proxy/:

https://<proxy-host>/agent-proxy/<mcp_server_url_without_https>

Example

Target MCP Server	https://docs.akto.io/~gitbook/mcp
Final Proxy URL	https://<proxy-host>/agent-proxy/docs.akto.io/~gitbook/mcp

Do not include https:// after /agent-proxy/. The proxy expects only the host and path of the upstream MCP server.

7

Add the tool

Select Add at the bottom of the panel. Copilot Studio registers the proxy URL as the MCP endpoint for this tool.

8

Connect

Select Connect. Copilot Studio performs an MCP handshake against the proxy URL — the proxy forwards the handshake to the upstream MCP server and returns the advertised tools list to the agent.

If the upstream MCP server requires authentication (API key, OAuth, etc.), Copilot Studio will prompt for it here. Credentials are sent through the proxy verbatim — Akto does not store them.

9

Add and Configure

Select Add and Configure. The tool is attached to the agent and the configuration pane opens — review the auto-discovered MCP tool list and toggle individual tools on or off as needed.

Once finished, Publish the agent so the tool becomes available in conversations.

Verify the Integration

1. Open your agent in the Test agent pane on the right side of Copilot Studio.

2. Ask the agent a question that requires the MCP server (e.g. "Look up the Akto MCP connector docs").

3. The agent should invoke the new tool. In the Activity panel, expand the tool call — the request URL should be the agent-proxy URL, not the original MCP server.

4. Open the Akto dashboard → Argus → Traffic and confirm the MCP request and response appear with the corresponding policy verdict.

Troubleshooting

Tool fails to connect

• Verify the proxy URL is correctly formatted: https://<proxy-host>/agent-proxy/<host>/<path> — no https:// after /agent-proxy/, and no trailing slash.

• Confirm the upstream MCP server is reachable from the Akto agent-proxy environment. If the MCP server is internal-only, contact Akto to allow-list it.

MCP tools do not appear after Connect

• The handshake against the upstream server may have failed silently. Try the original MCP URL directly in an MCP client to confirm it responds, then re-create the tool in Copilot Studio.

• Check the Akto dashboard for proxy errors — the response from the upstream server is logged with the same trace ID.

Tool calls are not visible in Akto

• Confirm the agent has been published after the tool was added — unpublished tools may not route through the configured URL in some tenants.

• Verify the agent is actually using the tool. Inspect the Activity panel during a test conversation — the agent may be answering from its model knowledge without calling the tool at all.

Get Support

If you need help proxying an MCP server through Akto:

• In-app Chat — use the chat widget in your Akto dashboard for instant support.

• Discord Community — join us at discord.gg/Wpc6xVME4s.

• Email Support — contact [e-mail].

• Contact Form — submit a request at https://www.akto.io/contact-us.