The MCP server lets your employees connect AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT to Aboard. Once connected, an assistant can answer questions and help with everyday tasks using your company's data, for example checking who's off next week, finding a colleague's manager, or preparing an agenda for an upcoming 1:1.
Everything goes through each person's own Aboard account. An assistant can never see more than the person using it can see in Aboard, so an employee's assistant sees what an employee sees, and nothing more.
As an admin, you decide whether the MCP server is on, who can connect, and which tools assistants can use.
Turn the MCP server on
Go to Settings → Integrations → MCP server. You need to be an admin to see this page.
Turn on Enable MCP server.
Once enabled, a widget on the dashboard will be available for your employees:
MCP server settings page
There's no save button, every change saves automatically and takes effect right away.
When the server is off, no one in your company can connect an AI assistant, and any assistants that were already connected stop working immediately.
Choose who can connect
By default, anyone with portal access can connect an AI assistant. If you want to limit this, turn on Restrict by role under Access and pick the roles that should have access: Employee, Manager, or Admin.
Access settings with role restriction
A couple of things to keep in mind:
Role restrictions take effect immediately, even for people who are already connected.
If you turn on Restrict by role but don't select any roles, nobody can connect. Aboard shows a warning if you end up in this state.
Choose which tools assistants can use
Under Tools you'll find everything an AI assistant can do, grouped by area: People, Time off, Meetings, Agenda templates, Tasks, Skills, and Performance reviews. Each tool has a short description of what it does.
Tools list grouped by area
Untick any tool you don't want assistants to use. The change applies to everyone in your company right away.
For example, if you're happy for assistants to look things up but don't want them making changes, untick the create and update tools (like Create Meeting or Create Skill Rating) and leave the list and get tools on.
New tools that we add to Aboard are enabled by default, so it's worth revisiting this page now and then.
How your employees connect
Find the MCP widget on the employee dashboard:
Each person then connects their own AI assistant using your company's MCP address:
<https://app.aboardhr.com/mcp>
In Claude or ChatGPT, for example, they add Aboard as a connector with that address, then sign in with their Aboard account to approve the connection. After that, they can ask their assistant things like "Who's out of office this week?" or "Prepare an agenda for my next 1:1 with Pam."
Good to know
Permissions always apply. Assistants use the same permissions as the person who connected them. A manager's assistant can see their team's 1:1s, an employee's assistant can't.
Changes are instant. Disabling the server, restricting roles, or turning off a tool applies to all connected assistants on their very next request. There's no need to ask anyone to disconnect.
Turning it back on is just as easy. Your tool and access settings are kept, so if you switch the server off and on again, everything is back the way you left it.
FAQ
Can I see who has connected an assistant?
Not yet. If you need to cut off access for everyone at once, turn off the MCP server.
Does this give AI assistants access to all our HR data?
No. Every request runs as the individual person, with their permissions. On top of that, you control which tools are available at all.
A user gets an error when their assistant tries to use Aboard. Why?
Most likely the server has been turned off, their role is no longer allowed, or the tool they tried to use has been disabled. Check the MCP server settings page.
Which AI assistants work with this?
Any assistant that supports MCP (Model Context Protocol) with remote servers, for example Claude and ChatGPT. Check your assistant's documentation for how to add a custom connector.