Installing Apps

Apps in NimbleBrain are MCP server bundles. Each bundle provides tools the agent can use. You install apps from the in-product Apps catalog (the connectors directory), by asking the agent, or by pointing the config at a local bundle directory.

Tip

For point-and-click OAuth services (Linear, Stripe, Gmail, Notion, and others), use Connectors. This page covers stdio bundles and the agent-driven install path; the underlying catalog is shared.

Apps in the sidebar

Apps give the agent specific capabilities — a calendar app lets it check your schedule, a notes app lets it search meeting notes, a database app lets it query data. Each installed app that ships a UI appears in the sidebar with an icon and label.

Click an app to open its interface in the main content area. Some apps have full UIs (dashboards, forms, data views); others are tool-only and work entirely through chat. When you open an app, the chat panel automatically scopes to it — the agent knows you’re focused on that app and prioritizes its tools.

The chat panel and app content work side by side. Ask the agent a question about the data you’re looking at, or ask it to take an action in the app.

Installing apps

Apps catalog (web)

Apps install per workspace from the connectors directory.

1. Open Settings for the workspace you’re in, then go to Connectors.

2. Click Browse to open the directory. Each card shows the app’s name and a short description; use the search box to filter by name, description, or tag.

3. Click Install on the app you want.

   • For a remote OAuth service, you’re sent straight into the vendor’s sign-in flow.
   • For a stdio bundle, the install completes in place and you land on the app’s Configure page to fill in any required fields.

Installs are scoped to the workspace named by the URL you’re viewing (/w/<wsId>/..., where <wsId> is the opaque workspace ID with its ws_ prefix dropped). Installing an app requires the admin role in that workspace.

Ask the agent

The agent can install apps for you. Just ask:

“I need to connect to my Granola meeting notes. Can you set that up?”

The agent will:

1. Search the app directory for a matching bundle (nb__search with scope: "registry")
2. Present options to you
3. Install your choice via manage_connectors

If an app needs credentials (like an API key), the agent will ask you for them during setup.

Tip

If you’re not sure what’s available, ask: “What apps can I install?” The agent searches the directory and shows you what’s out there.

Local bundle (config)

For a bundle you’re developing locally, point a bundles entry at its directory. Each entry needs one of name, path, or url:

{
  "bundles": [
    { "path": "../mcp-servers/hello" }
  ]
}

After editing, restart the server. In dev mode, bun run dev reloads on source changes.

Note

Bundles are not managed from the CLI. Install through the Apps catalog or the agent; for local development, edit the config directly as shown above.

Browsing the registry

To find apps, open the Apps catalog in the web UI or ask the agent — it searches the directory with nb__search (scope: "registry") and installs your choice via manage_connectors.

Bundle types

Type	Config field	How it resolves
Named (mpak)	name	Downloads via mpak install, cached at ~/.mpak/cache/
Local	path	Reads manifest.json from the directory. Path resolved relative to the config file.
Remote	url	Connects directly via HTTP transport (streamable-http or SSE). No download.

Setting bundle credentials

Most bundles need API keys or tokens. In most cases, exporting the env var the bundle already looks for is enough:

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

For workspace-scoped values or when env vars aren’t a good fit, set them from workspace settings in the web UI. Stdio bundles that declare user_config fields surface them on the app’s Configure page. See Credentials for the full picture.

Passing non-credential environment variables

Sensitive values belong in Credentials. For non-secret env vars (log level, region, connection tuning), use the env field on a local bundle entry:

{
  "bundles": [
    {
      "name": "@nimblebraininc/postgres",
      "env": {
        "PG_MAX_CONNECTIONS": "10",
        "PG_STATEMENT_TIMEOUT": "30000"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Values in env merge with the bundle’s own mcp_config.env and the filtered process environment; env takes precedence.

Verify the install

After installing, installed apps and their health appear on the workspace Settings → About tab in the web UI. Apps that ship a UI also show up in the sidebar. You can also ask the agent which apps are installed and whether they’re running.

What’s next

• Connectors — point-and-click OAuth services
• Managing Apps — start, stop, and monitor installed bundles
• Chat — start using your newly installed apps
• Configuration: Bundles — full config reference for bundle entries