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Adobe Marketo Engage MCP server

An AI agent connected to Adobe Marketo Engage can manage the complete lead lifecycle—capturing and scoring leads, nurturing prospects through automated email campaigns, triggering sales alerts, and measuring marketing attribution. Marketing automation specialists, campaign managers, and marketing operations teams use this integration to streamline lead management and reduce manual campaign execution.

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 individual application pages.

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 relevant application page for what to collect)

Create an MCP server

Find the API in the catalog

  1. Sign in to AI Gateway and select MCP Servers from the left navigation.
  2. Select New MCP Server.
  3. Search for the application you want to connect, then select it from the catalog.

Configure the server

  1. Enter a Name for your server — something descriptive that identifies both the application and its purpose (for example, "Zendesk Support — Prod").
  2. Enter a Description so your team knows what the server is for.
  3. Set the Timeout value. 30 seconds works for most APIs; increase to 60 seconds for APIs that return large payloads.
  4. Toggle Production mode on if this server will be used in a live workflow.
  5. Select Next.

Configure authentication

Enter the authentication details for the application. This varies by service — see the Authentication section of the relevant application page for the specific credentials, OAuth URLs, and scopes to use.

Configure security

  1. Set any Rate limits appropriate for your use case and the API's own limits.
  2. Enable Logging if you want AI Gateway to record requests and responses for auditing.
  3. Select Next.

Deploy

Review the summary, then select 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.
  • You can edit a server's name, description, timeout, and security settings after deployment without redeploying.

Authentication

Adobe Marketo Engage uses OAuth 2.0 via the LaunchPoint API integration. Create a Custom Service in LaunchPoint Admin, provide a display name and description, and generate credentials. The token endpoint is your REST API endpoint (e.g., https://xxx-xxx-xxx.mktorest.com/identity/oauth/token). Your Client ID and Client Secret enable the MCP server to authenticate using the client_credentials grant type. Create an API-only user in Marketo Admin and assign it an API role with permissions matching your integration scope (e.g., read leads, read campaigns, execute campaigns).

Available tools

The MCP server provides lead management, email campaign operations, campaign automation, program management, and analytics for complete marketing automation.

Lead operations

ToolDescription
createLeadCreate new lead with email, name, company, and custom fields
updateLeadModify lead attributes, status, and score
getLeadRetrieve lead record with full attribute set
searchLeadFind leads by email domain, custom field, or criteria
mergeLeadCombine duplicate lead records into single
importLeadsBulk import contacts from file or list

Email campaigns

ToolDescription
createEmailCreate email from template with subject and body
updateEmailModify email content and dynamic elements
sendEmailCampaignSend email to list or segment with scheduling
sendTestEmailSend preview to internal recipients
getEmailPerformanceRetrieve open rates, clicks, bounces, unsubscribes
cloneEmailDuplicate email for new campaign

Campaigns & programs

ToolDescription
createSmartCampaignCreate trigger-based or batch campaign with flow
updateCampaignFlowModify wait steps, actions, and decision paths
activateCampaignStart campaign for real-time trigger or batch execution
pauseCampaignTemporarily halt running campaign
createProgramSet up engagement, event, or drip program
getProgramMembersRetrieve contacts in program with status

Lead scoring & nurturing

ToolDescription
updateLeadScoreIncrease or decrease lead score by points
createScoringRuleAdd behavioral or demographic scoring criteria
createNurtureStreamBuild engagement program with content sequence
pauseNurturePause contact in nurture stream temporarily
createSmartListBuild audience list with complex criteria
activateSmartListPublish list for campaign targeting

Analytics & insights

ToolDescription
getLeadVelocityTrack how fast leads progress through stages
getCampaignROICalculate revenue attribution by campaign
getEmailAnalyticsRetrieve email performance metrics
getSourceAnalyticsTrack lead sources and conversion rates
exportLeadActivityDownload activity logs for analysis

Tips

Score leads based on both behavior (email opens, link clicks, form submissions) and demographics (company size, industry, job title) for holistic qualification.

Use smart campaigns for common workflows (welcome series, event registration follow-up) to reduce manual send operations and improve consistency.

Set up lead lifecycle stages (MQL, SQL, Customer, etc.) and transition leads between stages using smart campaigns to align marketing and sales.

Monitor email performance metrics (open rate, click rate, unsubscribe) and pause underperforming sends to maintain list hygiene and engagement.

Batch lead imports and bulk updates when possible — use API for one-off operations but orchestrate large data changes through import processes.