Om MCP Authentication and Safety
Use the hosted Om MCP with OAuth and keep approval and account-access practices tight.
Hosted Om MCP authenticates through the client’s OAuth flow for remote MCP servers. The direct Om API still uses API keys as its canonical external path, but hosted MCP startup should use the client’s OAuth-connected account session.
Authentication options
| Method | Header | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Hosted MCP | OAuth 2.0 | Use the client’s built-in remote-MCP OAuth flow in Codex or Claude Code. |
| Direct Om API | x-api-key: $OM_API_KEY | Use this for direct `/v2/*` API calls, SDKs, scripts, and automation. |
Safe setup flow
Use OAuth for hosted MCP
Add the hosted server, complete the client OAuth flow, and do not configure API-key headers for hosted MCP startup.
Keep direct API keys separate
If you use the direct API, store API keys in environment variables or client-local secrets, not in tracked config files.
Keep manual tool approval on
Review tool calls before they run, especially when the client can launch jobs or retrieve account data.
Start with read-oriented prompts
Use `om_status`, `pricing_get`, `datasets_catalog`, or `diligence_search` before moving into launches and artifact workflows.
Security guidance
- Treat Om MCP as authenticated account access, not as a public demo surface.
- Do not put direct API keys in screenshots, blog posts, repo config, or shared snippets.
- Keep MCP tool approvals enabled in Codex, Claude Code, and other clients.
- Use separate direct API keys for personal experimentation versus shared team workflows.
- Clear the OAuth connection or rotate API keys if you suspect the client config or environment was exposed.
Prompt safety still matters
MCP gives an LLM the ability to call tools on your behalf. Keep approval gates on and review tool calls before they execute. Om MCP is designed to make workflows faster, but it should still be treated as an authenticated tool surface under your control.
When to use direct API instead
- Use MCP when you want Om tools inside an interactive Codex or Claude Code session.
- Use the direct API when you need production orchestration, custom retries, or service-to-service automation.
- Use the SDK or direct HTTP if you need hard guarantees around payloads, timing, or application-level control.