Salesforce CRM MCP server
An AI agent connected to Salesforce CRM can automate customer relationship management tasks—creating and updating leads, opportunities, and accounts; executing SOQL queries; and managing bulk data operations. Sales teams, administrators, and operations professionals use this integration to streamline data management and workflow automation without manual portal access.
Setting up an MCP server
This article covers the standard steps for creating an MCP server in AI Gateway and connecting it to an AI client. The steps are the same for every integration — application-specific details (API credentials, OAuth endpoints, and scopes) are covered in the Authentication section on this page.
Before you begin
You'll need:
- Access to AI Gateway with permission to create MCP servers.
- API credentials for the application you're connecting (see the Authentication section on this page for what to collect).
Create an MCP server
Find the app in the catalog
- Sign in to AI Gateway and select App Catalog from the left navigation.
- Search for the application you want to connect, then select it from the catalog.
- Select Create MCP Server to start the wizard.
App Configuration
Confirm the Base URL for the API, then, under Tools, select the endpoints you want to expose. Select Next.
MCP Server Setup
- Enter a Name for your server — something descriptive that identifies both the application and its purpose.
- Enter a Description so your team knows what the server is for.
- Set the log level: choose Production Mode for terser logs, or Non-Production Mode for more verbose logs that can help with debugging.
- Select Next.
Authentication
Enter the authentication details for the application. This varies by service — see the Authentication section on this page for the specific credentials, OAuth URLs, and scopes to use.
Review
Look over the summary of your MCP server configuration, then select Create & Deploy. AI Gateway provisions the server and provides a server URL you'll use when configuring your AI client.
Connect to an AI client
Once your server is deployed, you'll need to add it to the AI client your team uses. Select your client for setup instructions:
Tips
- You can create multiple MCP servers for the same application — for example, a read-only server for reporting agents and a read-write server for automation workflows.
- If you're unsure which OAuth scopes to request, start with the minimum read-only set and add write scopes only when needed. Most application pages include scope recommendations.
Authentication
Salesforce uses OAuth 2.0 through a Connected App for secure API access. Your Connected App provides a Client ID and Client Secret to exchange for access tokens. In Salesforce, go to Setup > App Manager and create a new Connected App with OAuth enabled to obtain your credentials.
| Value | Setting |
|---|---|
| Auth endpoint | https://{instance}.salesforce.com/services/oauth2/authorize |
| Scopes | api, refresh_token, id |
Available tools
The MCP server exposes operations for complete CRM data lifecycle management. You can create, read, update, and delete records across all Salesforce objects; execute SOQL queries with filtering, sorting, and aggregates; run bulk operations for high-volume updates; and access analytics reports and dashboards.
Core operations
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| createRecord | Create new record for any object type (Lead, Account, Opportunity, Contact, etc.) |
| getRecord | Retrieve specific record by ID with selectable fields |
| updateRecord | Update existing record with partial or full data |
| deleteRecord | Delete record by ID |
Query & search
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| executeQuery | Run SOQL queries with WHERE, ORDER BY, LIMIT, and aggregates |
| executeQueryAll | Query including deleted and archived records for historical analysis |
| executeSearch | Full-text SOSL search across multiple objects simultaneously |
Bulk operations
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| executeComposite | Execute multiple operations in single request with dependent references |
| executeBatch | Run up to 25 independent operations in parallel |
| createBulkJob | Process millions of records asynchronously for INSERT, UPDATE, UPSERT, DELETE |
Metadata & reporting
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| listApiVersions | Discover available REST API versions |
| listAllObjects | Retrieve all standard and custom objects in your org |
| describeObject | Get field definitions, picklist values, and relationships for any object |
| getReport | Execute reports and retrieve data with filtering |
| getOrganizationLimits | Monitor API usage and org limits (storage, API calls, etc.) |
Tips
Use api and refresh_token scopes as a starting minimum for most integrations — add full only if you need admin-level operations like deploying metadata.
Use specific field lists and WHERE clauses in SOQL queries rather than broad SELECT * statements to reduce payload size and improve performance.
Use the Bulk API 2.0 endpoints (createBulkJob) instead of individual create/update calls for bulk data operations exceeding 10,000 records to avoid hitting daily API limits.
Respect field-level security and record sharing rules — the Salesforce API enforces your org's permission model, so users see only data they have access to.
Implement token refresh logic to maintain persistent authentication for background workflows, since refresh tokens expire after long periods of inactivity.
Cequence AI Gateway