# MCP Server Best Practices

## 📌 Glue AI prompting tips for MCP

* Mention the name of the MCP server you want to take action with
* Use clear, very specific instructions
  * *e.g. "Update the status of Issue ID 12345 in Linear to 'In Progress'.”*
  * Note: You may need [ID numbers](#save-time-by-storing-default-ids-in-server-rules) in order to run specific tasks, which you can [store in the server's custom rules](https://docs.glue.ai/labs/mcp-servers#id-4-configure-rules-for-your-mcp-server-optional-but-recommended) for future requests.
* Break a complicated request into multiple parts
  * e.g. ask Glue AI first to fetch data, then ask it to take action on the data in a separate request
  * Avoid asking for multiple actions in a single prompt
* Specify the format you want the output to be in, such as a table or list — or better yet, save your preferences in AI Rules!

***

## Optimize your experience by configuring rules

### Save time by storing default IDs in server rules

When connecting a tool via an MCP server, you often need to provide IDs that identify where or how an action should happen — for example, which **project**, **board**, **database**, or **repository** to create something in. By saving these IDs in your [server's rules](https://docs.glue.ai/profile-and-preferences/mcp-servers/..#configure-rules-for-your-mcp-server-for-the-best-experience), you can save yourself the step of manually providing IDs each time — Glue AI will do it for you.

**Here’s how to discover the necessary IDs:**

<details>

<summary><strong>Read the tool's MCP manifest or docs</strong></summary>

Most MCP-exposed tools will document their parameters. Look for:

* Required fields (e.g., `project_id`, `repo_name`, `board_id`)
* Default-able fields (i.e., things you can pre-fill with a rule)
* Example payloads

</details>

<details>

<summary>Use the tool in Glue to see what it asks for</summary>

Try manually triggering the tool from a thread. If Glue prompts you for a value, that’s a strong hint you can set it ahead of time.

> Example: If Glue AI ask *“Which Linear project ID should this go into?”*, that means you could write a rule that injects `"project_id": "proj_abc123"`.

</details>