- Agentic mode (default): your agent discovers and enables its own tools during conversation, with no manual setup.
- Managed mode: you choose the tools in advance, and your agent uses only those.
Agentic mode
In agentic mode, your MCP client manages its own toolset through dynamic tool discovery. Zapier auto-provisions tools from your existing app connections, and from there your agent searches for, enables, and runs actions as your requests come up. It does not need a pre-configured list of tools before it can help. The full set of always-available meta-tools that make this work is below.Meta-tools
In agentic mode, your server exposes 16 static meta-tools across six categories. These are always available regardless of which apps you have connected.Some servers also expose a
write_code_action meta-tool. It creates a custom code action for an app when no built-in action matches the request, and runs the generated code in a secure sandbox with authenticated API access. This tool is rolling out to more accounts over time.Auto-provisioning and app connections
Zapier auto-provisions your server based on the apps you have already connected in your Zapier account: it enables their actions and sets each app’s default connection. Your agent can also trigger the same setup mid-conversation with theauto_provision_mcp tool, for example if you ask it to set up your tools from scratch.
After auto-provisioning completes, your agent can immediately start working with those apps using their default connections. You can expand coverage at any time by asking your agent to search for and enable additional actions, or change a default connection with manage_zapier_connections.
If your Zapier account has no app connections, auto-provisioning has nothing to pre-enable and your server starts empty. Your agent still works: it finds an action with discover_zapier_actions, enables it with enable_zapier_action, and prompts you to connect the app the first time it needs one.
Auto-provisioning covers your own app connections only. App connections shared with you by another Zapier user are not included.
list_zapier_connections and passes it as connection_id. You never handle the ID yourself.
Every tool call runs through your existing Zapier app connections, so each one is recorded in the 
History tab at mcp.zapier.com alongside the rest of your Zapier activity.
Skills
Skills are reusable, Markdown-based workflow instructions your agent can load on demand. Zapier includes packaged skills, including an onboarding skill and example skills, to show how to build your own. With skills, you can capture complex, multi-step workflows and turn them into reusable instructions. You can manage skills using the five skills meta-tools, or directly in the
Skills tab at mcp.zapier.com. Skills are not available in managed mode.
Managed mode
In managed mode, each action is exposed as a dedicated tool, and you configure tools at mcp.zapier.com rather than through the agent. Managed mode is useful when you need:- A fixed, predictable toolset: your MCP client always has the same tools available, with no dynamic tool discovery.
- Tightly scoped access: you control exactly which actions are available, with no ability for the agent to enable new ones.
- Pre-configured field values: lock specific field values for each tool, useful for repeatable or automated tasks.
Next steps
Quickstart
Connect via OAuth, auto-provision tools, and run your first tool call end to end.
Switch between agentic and managed mode
Change your server’s mode, and refresh your MCP client’s tool list afterward.
Tool bundles
Share your tool configuration with other users.