An MCP server in one sentence
An MCP server is a program that gives an AI agent a described set of tools it can call. MCP stands for Model Context Protocol, an open protocol for connecting AI applications to data and actions. Your AI client — a desktop assistant, a coding agent or your own agent — is the MCP client. The system that holds the data, such as your ERP or inventory software, runs the MCP server.
Without a connection to your business system, an assistant cannot look up its current records. With an MCP server, it can look up the record it needs, read the result and, when you allow it, carry out an operation. The model still does the reasoning. The server decides what the agent may see and do.
What happens during one request
Take one question to an agent connected to Wholety: “What is still unpaid on sales order SO-1074?”
| Step | The agent asks the MCP server | The server answers |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Find the operation | Which operations match “sales order receipts”? | A short list of business operations |
| 2. Read the contract | What parameters does the sales order detail need? | The fields, units and response schema |
| 3. Call it | Read sales order SO-1074 | Order total, recorded receipts and balance |
| 4. Answer | — | The agent reports the open balance and the records it used |
In this sample, the order totals CAD 3,240.00 and two receipts cover CAD 2,000.00, so CAD 1,240.00 is still open. The numbers come from records; the wording comes from your agent.
The Wholety MCP tools
Wholety exposes business operations through a small set of MCP tools rather than one tool per screen:
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
wholety_account |
Check the connected workspace and current plan usage. |
wholety_list_operations |
Find business operations by keyword. |
wholety_describe_operation |
Read parameters and the response schema before acting. |
wholety_call_operation |
Use inventory, orders, finance and document operations. Writes require write access. |
wholety_query |
Analyse business data in your account with read-only SQL, up to 1,000 rows. |
Migration tools add field-mapping guidance and preflight checks for moving spreadsheets or exports into Wholety. See Agent data migration.
Remote HTTP or stdio?
An MCP server can be reached in two common ways:
- Remote HTTP. The client sends requests to a URL with an authorization header. Wholety’s endpoint is
https://wzapi.wholety.com/mcpwithAuthorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_KEY>. - stdio. The client starts a local process and talks to it through standard input and output. The downloadable Wholety Skill includes a Python 3 bridge for clients that only support stdio.
Configuration formats differ between clients. Use the template on the Agent access page and adapt it to your client’s settings.
Permissions are the important part
Connecting an agent to business data is useful only if the access is controlled:
- Create a separate API key for each agent. Keys belong to one account and can be revoked immediately. Full keys are shown once and stored as hashes.
- Start read-only. A read-only key cannot invoke write operations, including writes sent with HTTP POST.
- Enable writes for a specific job. Turn on write access when the agent needs to save a purchase draft or migrate records, then check the returned record.
- Remember where the model runs. Data your agent requests may be processed by the model provider configured in your client. Review that client’s data handling settings.
Business read and write access does not grant account administration. Supported account, member, API key and billing operations require a separate manage scope and owner identity, plus explicit authorization for the action. Check each operation’s required_scope in the live catalogue; do not assume a business key can change account settings. SQL queries remain read-only and limited to the connected account’s allowed business tables.
What an MCP server is not
- It is not the AI model. Your client and model provider supply the reasoning and model calls.
- It is not an automatic approval. Business rules still apply to every operation, and an agent with a read-only key cannot change stock.
- It does not make every system equivalent. Compare what operations are exposed, how permissions work and whether results can be checked afterwards.
What to try first
- Create a free account. The dashboard Agent card prepares a connection prompt with business read and write access; for a read-only trial, create a separate read-only key and use the manual connection guide.
- Ask your agent to check the connected workspace with the account tool.
- Ask for available stock of one product, or the pending sales orders this week.
- Compare the answer with the same records in the Wholety interface.
- When the answers are reliable, enable writes for one task, such as turning a supplier sheet into a purchase draft for review.
The permissions chapter explains how owner accounts, subaccounts and roles divide access in the interface.