---
title: "MCP Server Submissions"
url: "/docs/mcp_server_submissions"
canonical_url: "https://docs.litellm.ai/docs/mcp_server_submissions"
type: "docs"
last_updated: "2026-10-09"
summary: "LiteLLM supports a submission and approval workflow for MCP servers. Team members can submit MCP servers for admin review, and the server is held in a pending_review state until an admin approves or rejects it."
related:
  - "/docs/mcp_guardrail"
  - "/docs/mcp_toolsets"
---
# MCP Server Submissions

> Index of all LiteLLM docs: https://docs.litellm.ai/llms.txt


LiteLLM supports a submission and approval workflow for MCP servers. Team members can submit MCP servers for admin review, and the server is held in a `pending_review` state until an admin approves or rejects it.

This lets organizations give team members self-service MCP registration without immediately exposing unapproved servers to all users.

:::info[Related Documentation]
- [MCP Overview](./mcp.md) - Adding and managing MCP servers
- [MCP Permission Management](./mcp_control.md) - Control MCP access by key, team, or org
:::

## How It Works

```
Team member submits MCP server via API
        ↓
Server saved as "pending_review" (NOT loaded into registry)
        ↓
Admin reviews in the Submitted MCPs tab
        ↓
Approve → server goes "active" and is loaded into the registry
Reject  → server stays out with optional review notes
```

**Prerequisites:**
- `store_model_in_db: true` must be set in your proxy config (required to persist MCP servers)
- The submitting user must use a **team-scoped API key** (admin keys bypass the workflow and use `POST /v1/mcp/server` directly)

```yaml title="config.yaml" showLineNumbers
general_settings:
  store_model_in_db: true
```

---

## User: Submit an MCP Server

Use a team-scoped API key. Admin keys are rejected at this endpoint; admins should use `POST /v1/mcp/server` directly.

**curl**

```bash title="Submit MCP server for review" showLineNumbers
curl -X POST http://localhost:4000/v1/mcp/server/register \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TEAM_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "server_name": "github_mcp",
    "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp",
    "transport": "sse",
    "description": "GitHub MCP for code search and PR management"
  }'
```

**Python**

```python title="Submit MCP server for review" showLineNumbers
import requests

response = requests.post(
    "http://localhost:4000/v1/mcp/server/register",
    headers={
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {team_api_key}",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    json={
        "server_name": "github_mcp",
        "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp",
        "transport": "sse",
        "description": "GitHub MCP for code search and PR management",
    },
)
print(response.json())
```

**Response.** The server is created in `pending_review` state:

```json
{
  "server_id": "832d6abc-7a5c-457a-a9f6-cfe4ae05f776",
  "server_name": "github_mcp",
  "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp",
  "transport": "sse",
  "approval_status": "pending_review",
  "submitted_by": "7fd77c87-207b-4d6c-9d51-b72efb8962dc",
  "submitted_at": "2026-04-29T18:50:34Z"
}
```

:::note
The server is **not** accessible to MCP clients yet. It only becomes active after an admin approves it.
:::

---

## Admin: Review Submissions

### Via UI

Go to **MCP Servers → Submitted MCPs** tab. You'll see:
- Submission counts: Total Submitted, Pending Review, Active, Rejected
- Each submission card with server name, description, URL, transport, and submission date
- **Approve** and **Reject** buttons on each card

**Approving** a server pops a confirmation dialog. Click **Approve** to make it active and load it into the MCP registry immediately.

After approval, the card badge changes to **Active** and the counters update:

**Rejecting** opens a dialog with an optional review notes field, where you can explain why the submission was declined:

### Via API

Admin or `proxy_admin_viewer` role required.

**List submissions**

```bash title="List all MCP submissions" showLineNumbers
curl http://localhost:4000/v1/mcp/server/submissions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ADMIN_API_KEY"
```

Response:

```json
{
  "total": 1,
  "pending_review": 1,
  "active": 0,
  "rejected": 0,
  "items": [
    {
      "server_id": "832d6abc-7a5c-457a-a9f6-cfe4ae05f776",
      "server_name": "github_mcp",
      "approval_status": "pending_review",
      "submitted_by": "7fd77c87-207b-4d6c-9d51-b72efb8962dc",
      "submitted_at": "2026-04-29T18:50:34Z"
    }
  ]
}
```

**Approve**

```bash title="Approve a submitted MCP server" showLineNumbers
curl -X PUT http://localhost:4000/v1/mcp/server/{server_id}/approve \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ADMIN_API_KEY"
```

The server status changes to `active` and it is immediately loaded into the MCP runtime registry.

**Reject**

```bash title="Reject a submitted MCP server" showLineNumbers
curl -X PUT http://localhost:4000/v1/mcp/server/{server_id}/reject \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ADMIN_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"review_notes": "This URL is not on the approved vendor list."}'
```

`review_notes` is optional. The server stays out of the registry.

---

## Approval Status Values

| Status | Meaning |
|--------|---------|
| `pending_review` | Submitted, waiting for admin review. Not accessible to MCP clients. |
| `active` | Approved. Loaded into the MCP registry and available to clients. |
| `rejected` | Rejected by admin. Not accessible. May include `review_notes`. |

---

## FAQ

**Can an admin re-approve a rejected server?**

Yes. Call `PUT /v1/mcp/server/{id}/approve`; the endpoint accepts servers in both `pending_review` and `rejected` status.

**What happens if a previously-active server is rejected?**

It is evicted from the runtime registry immediately, so clients will no longer see its tools.

**Do I need a special config flag to enable submissions?**

No. The submission endpoints are available by default as long as `store_model_in_db: true` is set. No additional feature flags are required.

## Related pages

- [MCP Guardrails](https://docs.litellm.ai/docs/mcp_guardrail.md)
- [MCP Toolsets](https://docs.litellm.ai/docs/mcp_toolsets.md)