Ask for the Amazon work in plain language and get it back done: pull a Sponsored Products report, find why a listing went suppressed, check yesterday's orders, size an Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) audience. Answers come from your live Amazon Ads, Seller Central, and Vendor Central data rather than the model's training set, and every action stays scoped to the credentials you grant.
Connect ChatGPT to your private MCP server in a few minutes. Use ChatGPT's Apps or custom connector flow when you want ChatGPT to call tools and retrieve live context from your own MCP deployment.
Your MCP server hostname is private to your deployment. It comes from your cloud provider, belongs to your environment, and is not shared across customers. Replace {your-private-mcp-host} with the private host shown in your dashboard.
Prerequisites
- A connected workspace with access to your private MCP server.
- A dashboard API key or signed connector URL from the dashboard Keys tab.
- A ChatGPT plan that supports apps, connectors, or custom MCP connectors.
- Developer mode or workspace permission to create custom connectors, if your ChatGPT plan requires it.
ChatGPT custom app or connector
Use this path for ChatGPT on the web. ChatGPT's interface may call this an app, custom app, or custom connector, depending on your plan and workspace settings.
Copy prompt
Paste this into ChatGPT if you want it to walk you through setup:
Walk me through setting up my private MCP server in ChatGPT, step by step.
Use ChatGPT's Settings > Apps or Apps & Connectors flow for a custom MCP app or connector.
If developer mode or admin permission is required, tell me where to check before continuing.
Do not ask me to paste my raw API key into this chat. If ChatGPT needs authentication, tell me to copy the key or signed connector URL from my dashboard Keys tab and paste it only into the ChatGPT connector setup form.
Keep each step short, tell me what to click, and wait for me after each step.
The MCP server URL will look like:
https://{your-private-mcp-host}/mcp1. Confirm custom connectors are enabled
In ChatGPT, open Settings > Apps or Settings > Apps & Connectors.
If you do not see an option to create a custom app or custom connector, check developer mode or workspace permissions:
- Plus and Pro accounts may need developer mode enabled before custom MCP connectors appear.
- Business, Enterprise, and Edu workspaces may require an owner or admin to allow custom connectors.
2. Copy your MCP server details
In your dashboard, open the Keys tab. Create a key if needed, then copy the endpoint and authentication value for ChatGPT.
Use the normal MCP endpoint unless your dashboard provides a ChatGPT-specific signed connector URL:
https://{your-private-mcp-host}/mcpDo not paste your raw API key into a chat conversation. Use the ChatGPT connector setup form or your workspace's approved secret flow.
3. Add the custom app or connector
In ChatGPT:
- Open Settings > Apps or Settings > Apps & Connectors.
- Choose the option to create or add a custom app or connector.
- Name it something clear, such as
private-mcp. - Paste your MCP server URL.
- Configure authentication using the value from your dashboard.
- Save or connect the app.
If ChatGPT asks what type of server this is, choose the MCP or remote MCP option.
4. Enable it in a chat
Start a new ChatGPT conversation. Add the connector from the composer, usually through the + button, More, or by mentioning the app by name if your workspace supports app mentions.
If ChatGPT shows a tool approval setting, start with approval enabled until you have verified the tools and behavior.
5. Verify the connection
Ask ChatGPT to list the available tools without calling write actions:
What tools are available from my private MCP connector?If the connector is active, ChatGPT should enumerate the tools exposed by your private MCP server.
Troubleshooting
The custom connector option is missing
Check whether your ChatGPT plan supports custom apps or custom MCP connectors. If you are in a workspace, ask an owner or admin to enable custom connectors and developer mode permissions.
The MCP server does not meet ChatGPT requirements
ChatGPT may reject an MCP server that does not implement the required MCP shape for custom connectors. Confirm that your server exposes the expected MCP endpoint, tool discovery, and any required search or fetch tools for your ChatGPT plan.
Unauthorized or 401 errors
Create a fresh key in the dashboard and re-enter the authentication value in ChatGPT's connector setup form. Make sure the server URL ends with /mcp and that the key belongs to the same workspace as the MCP server.
Tools not appearing
Start a new chat after saving the connector. Add the connector from the composer or mention it by name, then ask for the available tools again.
Slow responses
Check your network path to the private host and confirm the cloud deployment is healthy. The hostname is specific to your environment, so connectivity issues are usually tied to your cloud provider, DNS, firewall, or deployment status.
Start using tools
Try read-only prompts first:
- "What tools are available from my private MCP server?"
- "Show me the account or workspace context this server can access."
- "List the read-only tools before calling any write actions."
- "Summarize the last 7 days of available advertising, inventory, or operational data."
For write-capable workflows, ask ChatGPT to explain the proposed action and wait for approval before it calls any mutating tool.
Add reusable workflows
After ChatGPT can reach your MCP server, install ChatGPT skills for repeatable workflows and task-specific instructions. See the ChatGPT Skills quick start.