ActionKit by Paragon + mcp-agent: Complete MCP Integration

ActionKit by Paragon is a MCP server that Connect to 130+ SaaS integrations (e.g. Slack, Salesforce, Gmail) with Paragon’s ActionKit API..

When integrated with mcp-agent, you can:

• Connect to 130+ SaaS applications via ActionKit API
• Handle OAuth and API authentication for integrations
• Execute custom OpenAPI action definitions

This guide provides step-by-step instructions to set up ActionKit by Paragon in mcp-agent, including configuration, examples, and troubleshooting.

What You'll Achieve

After completing this setup:

• ActionKit by Paragon will be fully integrated and operational
• You can use ActionKit by Paragon tools directly in mcp-agent
• All ActionKit by Paragon capabilities will be available for your workflows
• Access to 4 different tools

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

• Node.js 22.14.0
• npm
• Paragon account
• Paragon project identifier from dashboard
• RS256 JWT signing key for authentication
• mcp-agent installed and configured
• Compatible operating system (Python 3.9+, pip Installation, uv Installation, Temporal (Optional))

Installation

Step 1: Install ActionKit by Paragon

Install using npm:

git clone https://github.com/useparagon/paragon-mcp.git && cd paragon-mcp && npm install

Verify installation:

npm run start

Configuration

Step 2: Configure mcp-agent

1. Open mcp-agent settings
2. Navigate to MCP server configuration
3. Add ActionKit by Paragon server with appropriate settings
4. Save and restart if needed

Examples

Once configured, you can use ActionKit by Paragon in mcp-agent:

Schedule Team Meeting

Create a Google Calendar event and notify team via Slack

Ask mcp-agent: "Schedule a team standup for tomorrow at 9 AM and send a Slack notification to the dev-team channel"

Expected Result: Calendar event created and Slack message sent with meeting details

Create Sales Lead

Add new lead to Salesforce from customer inquiry

Ask mcp-agent: "Create a new lead in Salesforce for John Doe from Acme Corp with email [email protected]"

Expected Result: Lead record created in Salesforce with contact information and follow-up tasks

Email Campaign Follow-up

Send follow-up emails via Gmail for marketing campaign

Ask mcp-agent: "Send a follow-up email to all prospects who opened our product demo email last week"

Expected Result: Targeted emails sent to qualified prospects with personalized content

Multi-Platform Data Sync

Sync customer data between HubSpot and Salesforce

Ask mcp-agent: "Update all HubSpot contacts that were modified today in our Salesforce CRM"

Expected Result: Contact records synchronized with latest information across both platforms

Testing Your Setup

1. Launch mcp-agent
2. Verify ActionKit by Paragon is available in the tools list
3. Test basic ActionKit by Paragon functionality

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

JWT Authentication Failed

Symptoms: 401 Unauthorized errors, Invalid token messages

Cause: Incorrect SIGNING_KEY or expired credentials

Solution:

• Verify SIGNING_KEY matches private key from Paragon dashboard
• Ensure key is in correct RS256 format
• Check PROJECT_ID is correct for your account
• Regenerate keys if necessary

Integration Not Available

Symptoms: Service not found errors, Integration disabled messages

Cause: Integration not enabled in Paragon project or LIMIT_TO_INTEGRATIONS restriction

Solution:

• Enable required integrations in Paragon dashboard
• Remove or update LIMIT_TO_INTEGRATIONS environment variable
• Verify integration is available in your Paragon plan
• Check integration-specific requirements

User Authorization Required

Symptoms: OAuth flow errors, Permission denied messages

Cause: User has not authorized the integration or scope issues

Solution:

• Guide user through OAuth authorization flow
• Check required scopes for the integration
• Verify callback URLs are configured correctly
• Re-authorize if tokens are expired

Server Connection Timeout

Symptoms: Connection timeouts, SSE endpoint not responding

Cause: Server not running or network connectivity issues

Solution:

• Start server with npm run start
• Verify PORT is not in use by another service
• Check firewall settings allow connections
• Test endpoint with curl: curl http://localhost:3001/health

Import Error - Module Not Found

Symptoms: ModuleNotFoundError: No module named mcp_agent, Import fails

Cause: mcp-agent not installed or wrong Python environment

Solution:

• Verify installation: pip show mcp-agent
• Ensure using correct Python environment/virtualenv
• Reinstall: pip install --upgrade mcp-agent
• Check Python version is 3.9 or higher

MCP Server Connection Failures

Symptoms: Server not starting, Connection timeout, Tool execution errors

Cause: Invalid MCP server configuration or missing dependencies

Solution:

• Verify npx is installed and accessible (required for stdio servers)
• Check MCP server package name and arguments are correct
• Test server independently: npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /path
• Review agent logs for detailed error messages
• Ensure required environment variables are set

LLM API Authentication Errors

Symptoms: 401 Unauthorized, API key invalid, Provider authentication failed

Cause: Missing or incorrect API keys for LLM provider

Solution:

• Set environment variables: ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, OPENAI_API_KEY, etc.
• Verify API key is valid and has correct permissions
• Check API key format matches provider requirements
• Pass api_key parameter explicitly in Agent initialization

Workflow Execution Failures

Symptoms: Workflow hangs, Timeout errors, Incomplete results

Cause: Workflow pattern misconfiguration or task complexity

Solution:

• Increase timeout values for long-running tasks
• Break complex workflows into smaller steps
• Verify all workflow dependencies are available
• Check Temporal backend is running (for production deployments)
• Review workflow logs for specific error messages

Temporal Backend Connection Issues

Symptoms: Cannot connect to Temporal, Workflow registration fails, Worker errors

Cause: Temporal server not running or misconfigured

Solution:

• Verify Temporal server is running: temporal server health
• Check Temporal connection settings (host, port, namespace)
• Ensure Temporal workers are registered correctly
• Review Temporal server logs for connection errors
• Start local Temporal dev server: temporal server start-dev

Performance Issues with Large Workflows

Symptoms: Slow execution, High memory usage, Timeout errors

Cause: Inefficient workflow design or resource constraints

Solution:

• Use map-reduce pattern for parallelizable tasks
• Implement batching for large data processing
• Enable Temporal backend for better resource management
• Monitor agent memory usage and optimize task size
• Consider streaming responses for large outputs

ActionKit by Paragon not appearing in mcp-agent

Symptoms: Server not listed, Tools not available

Cause: Configuration or installation issue

Solution:

• Verify configuration syntax
• Check ActionKit by Paragon installation
• Restart mcp-agent
• Check logs for error messages

Next Steps

Now that ActionKit by Paragon is integrated with mcp-agent:

• Explore all ActionKit by Paragon capabilities through mcp-agent
• Check out other MCP servers that work with mcp-agent
• Join the MCP community for tips and support
• Consider contributing to ActionKit by Paragon development

Need Help?

• Search for ActionKit by Paragon documentation
• Check the mcp-agent MCP guide
• Join the MCP community discussions