Overview
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a standard that lets AI assistants interact with external services and tools. With MCP integrations enabled, your IllumiChat assistant can search Notion pages, read GitHub repositories, create documents, list issues, and more — all within a natural conversation.MCP connections are configured at the workspace level. Once a provider is connected, all assistants in that workspace can use its tools during conversations.
What MCP Enables
| Without MCP | With MCP |
|---|---|
| Answers from training data only | Searches your Notion workspace in real time |
| Static knowledge base content | Reads current GitHub repository files |
| Cannot create external content | Creates Notion pages from conversation |
| No visibility into project issues | Lists and summarizes GitHub issues |
Available Integrations
Notion
Search pages, read content, and create new pages in your Notion workspace.
GitHub
Search repositories, read files, list issues, and search code across your organization.
Setting Up Notion
Start the Connection
In your IllumiChat workspace, go to Settings > Integrations > MCP. Click Connect next to Notion.
Authorize with Notion
You will be redirected to Notion’s OAuth authorization page. Sign in and select the pages and databases you want IllumiChat to access.
Confirm the Connection
After authorization, you will be redirected back to IllumiChat. The Notion integration will show as Connected.
Notion Tools
| Tool | What It Does | Example Query |
|---|---|---|
| Search Pages | Finds Notion pages matching a query | ”Find the product roadmap in Notion” |
| Read Page Content | Retrieves the full text of a page | ”Read the API documentation page” |
| Create Page | Creates a new page under an existing parent | ”Create a Notion page summarizing today’s action items” |
Tips
- Page titles matter. Search matches against page titles, so descriptive titles improve results.
- Structure helps. Well-organized Notion workspaces produce better search results.
- Content extraction converts Notion blocks to plain text. Complex layouts are simplified.
Setting Up GitHub
Start the Connection
In workspace settings, go to Integrations > MCP and click Connect next to GitHub.
Install the GitHub App
You will be redirected to GitHub to install the IllumiChat GitHub App. Choose whether to install for all repositories or selected repositories.
Authorize Access
After installing the GitHub App, authorize IllumiChat to access the app on your behalf.
GitHub Tools
| Tool | What It Does | Example Query |
|---|---|---|
| Search Repositories | Finds repositories matching a query | ”Find repos related to microservices” |
| Read File Content | Retrieves a specific file | ”Show me the package.json from the API repo” |
| List Issues | Lists open, closed, or all issues | ”What are the open bugs in the frontend repo?” |
| Search Code | Searches for code patterns | ”Find files that import the auth middleware” |
Tips
- Be specific when asking about files. Include the repository name and file path when you know them.
- Issue queries default to open issues. Ask for “closed issues” or “all issues” explicitly if needed.
- Code search works best with specific function names or unique strings rather than generic terms.
Using MCP Tools in Chat
Once connected, MCP tools are available automatically. The AI decides when to use them based on conversation context. You do not need to explicitly request a specific tool.Examples
Notion examples
Notion examples
- “What does our style guide say about button colors?” — searches and reads from Notion
- “Summarize the project brief for Project Atlas” — finds and summarizes a Notion page
- “Create a meeting notes page with these action items: …” — creates a new Notion page
GitHub examples
GitHub examples
- “What dependencies does the backend use?” — reads package.json from the repo
- “Are there any open issues about login bugs?” — searches issues
- “Show me how the authentication middleware works” — reads the source file
Multi-Tool Conversations
The assistant can use multiple MCP tools in a single response. For example:You: “Compare what our Notion docs say about the API rate limits with what’s actually implemented in the codebase.” The assistant will:
- Search Notion for rate limit documentation
- Read the relevant Notion page
- Search GitHub for rate limit implementation
- Read the source file
- Provide a comparison
Managing Connections
Disconnecting a Provider
- Go to Settings > Integrations > MCP
- Click Disconnect next to the provider
- Confirm the disconnection
Disconnecting immediately revokes access. Past conversation content retrieved via MCP is preserved in chat history.
Refreshing Connections
If a connection stops working (expired token, changed permissions), disconnect and reconnect the provider to generate a fresh access token.Security
- OAuth tokens are encrypted at rest using AES-256
- Workspace scoping — connections are available only within the workspace where they were created
- Admin only — only workspace owners and admins can manage MCP connections
- Audit trail — all MCP tool invocations are logged in conversation history
Troubleshooting
Assistant not using MCP tools
Assistant not using MCP tools
- Verify the integration is connected in workspace settings
- Try a direct request like “Search Notion for [topic]” to force tool use
- Ensure the assistant’s model supports tool calling
Notion returns no results
Notion returns no results
- Confirm you granted access to the correct pages during OAuth setup
- Try broader search terms; search matches page titles primarily
- Reconnect if permissions were changed in Notion
GitHub file access denied
GitHub file access denied
- Check that the GitHub App has access to the repository
- For organization repos, ensure the App was installed at the org level
- Reconnect if repository access permissions were changed