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Connecting AI Agents to Honeycomb MCP

Beta

Connect your AI agents to Honeycomb MCP using OAuth or API keys.

Important
This feature is in beta, and we would love your feedback!

Introduction 

You can connect Honeycomb to any AI agent that supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP). This guide shows you how to set up that connection using either OAuth 2.1 (recommended) or API key authentication.

Before You Begin 

Make sure you have:

  • A Honeycomb team with Honeycomb Intelligence enabled.
  • An AI agent or MCP host program to connect, such as Cursor, Claude Code/Desktop, or OpenAI Codex.

Choose a Connection Method 

Honeycomb supports two authentication methods for MCP:

  • OAuth (recommended): Use this option for most cases because it is secure, user-friendly, and works well with interactive agents.
  • API key access: Use this only for headless or unattended agents that cannot support an OAuth flow.

Setting Up OAuth 

Important
We recommend using OAuth whenever possible.

Many modern agents support OAuth out of the box or through a few CLI commands. Once connected, your agent can access Honeycomb’s MCP tools without needing a key or manual setup.

Using Built-in Support 

If your tool supports one-click or command-line configuration, use one of these options:

Using the Command-Line 

You can also connect using built-in CLI support:

  • Claude Code:
    • US: claude mcp add honeycomb --transport http https://mcp.honeycomb.io/mcp
    • EU: claude mcp add honeycomb --transport http https://mcp.eu1.honeycomb.io/mcp
  • Amazon Q Developer:
    • US: qchat mcp add --name honeycomb --command npx --args mcp-remote,https://mcp.honeycomb.io/mcp
    • EU: qchat mcp add --name honeycomb --command npx --args mcp-remote,https://mcp.eu1.honeycomb.io/mcp

Setting Up Manually (Generic MCP Hosts) 

If your agent does not support one-click integration, you can still connect manually:

  1. Find the setting or preference for adding an MCP Server.

  2. Create a new server with these parameters:

    • Transport: HTTP
    • URL:
      • US: https://mcp.honeycomb.io/mcp
      • EU: https://mcp.eu1.honeycomb.io/mcp

Your agent should guide you through the OAuth flow to authenticate and authorize your Honeycomb account.

If your agent does not support HTTP streaming (or if you encounter issues), you can fall back to a stdio bridge like mcp-remote. Here’s a sample mcp.json for that option:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "honeycomb": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.honeycomb.io/mcp",
      ],
    }
  }
}

Setting Up an API Key 

If you are building autonomous or unattended agents and cannot use OAuth, then you can authenticate with an API key.

Note
Prefer OAuth in most use cases. Use an API key only when your agent cannot support interactive login.

Step 1: Generate an API Key in Honeycomb 

  1. Log in to your Honeycomb account.
  2. Navigate to Account > Team Settings > API Keys.
  3. Select Create Management API Key.
  4. Name your key (for example, “MCP Integration”).
  5. Choose the Model Context Protocol scope and grant permissions:
    • Read: Required for all Honeycomb MCP operations
    • Write: Not currently used
  6. Copy the Key ID and Key Secret, and save them somewhere secure. You will need them later and you will not be able to see them again.

Step 2: Add Your API Key to Your Agent 

The exact configuration process varies by agent, but here is an example configuration mcp.json snippet used by agents like Claude Code or Cursor:

Tip
Be sure to use the appropriate endpoint for your region, and replace KEY_ID and SECRET_KEY with your actual key values.
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "honeycomb": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.honeycomb.io/mcp",
        "--header",
        "Authorization: Bearer $HONEYCOMB_API_KEY" 
      ],
      "env": {
        "HONEYCOMB_API_KEY": "<KEY_ID>:<SECRET_KEY>"
      }
    }
  }
}
Important

Watch out formatting, including spacing and colon (:) characters.

If your tool cannot parse the Authorization header correctly, try putting the Bearer prefix directly in the environment variable: "HONEYCOMB_API_KEY": "Bearer KEY_ID:SECRET_KEY".

As a security best practice, make sure that keys being used for MCP integrations do not carry any other scopes, and that you do not commit them to source control.

Step 3: Confirm the Connection 

Once connected, test by asking your agent t o list available tools or fetch available teams and environments. You should get results if your key and permissions are set up correctly.

Next Steps 

Continue your MCP journey with these focused resources:

  • Example Use Cases: Explore real-world use cases and tips for working with Honeycomb via MCP.
  • Troubleshooting: Find solutions to common configuration issues and learn how to verify that your agent is connected and working correctly.
  • Pollinators Slack Community: Join to ask questions or share feedback.
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