# Best Practices

Essential guidance for managing external MCP server connections through Vendia MCP Gateway.

## Naming Conventions

Use descriptive names that identify the service and environment:

- ✓ “Engineering Team Notion”
- ✓ “Production Stripe Account”
- ✓ “Customer Support Atlassian”
- ✗ “Notion” or “Server 1”

Include team, environment, or purpose in the name to make connections easy to identify.

## Security

### Authentication Methods

- Prefer OAuth 2.0 (Auto-configure) for the most secure and user-friendly experience
- Use OAuth 2.0 (Use app credentials) when your organization requires centralized control

### Review Permissions

When connecting an MCP server with OAuth:

- Carefully review the permission requests before authorizing
- Only approve permissions that are necessary for your use case
- Deny overly broad permission requests
- Only connect MCP servers from trusted sources

### Regular Audits

Periodically review your connected servers in the MCP Gateway dashboard:

- Remove connections you no longer use
- Test connections that may have authentication issues

## Related Resources

- **[Connecting External MCP Servers](https://docs.vendia.com/platform/vendia-mcp-server/mcp-gateway/connecting-mcp-servers)**: Step-by-step connection guide
- **[Authentication Methods](https://docs.vendia.com/platform/vendia-mcp-server/mcp-gateway/authentication)**: Authentication options and configuration
- **[Use Cases](https://docs.vendia.com/platform/vendia-mcp-server/mcp-gateway/use-cases)**: Real-world examples and scenarios
- **[Troubleshooting](https://docs.vendia.com/platform/vendia-mcp-server/mcp-gateway/troubleshooting)**: Common issues and solutions

## Need Help?

**Free Tier Support:**

- Submit questions via our [contact form](https://www.vendia.com/contact-us/)

**Enterprise Tier Support:**

- Contact [Vendia Support](mailto:support@vendia.com)
- Reach out to your account team for assistance