PlantDemand MCP Security and Authentication for AI Agents

Practical security checklist: the easiest single security win is to create a least-privilege, time-limited API key. The API token walkthrough shows you how to scope permissions and set an expiration date.

If you are responsible for IT, security, or data governance at your plant, this page explains exactly how the PlantDemand MCP server controls access. The short version: the MCP server uses the same permission model as the rest of PlantDemand. There is no MCP-only bypass.

Authentication

Every request to the MCP endpoint requires a Server-Api-Key header. The key is generated through the standard PlantDemand API key process (see SOP 4.1 in your customer documentation). The same key controls which plants the agent can access — there is no separate MCP key type.

POST https://plantdemand.com/mcp
Content-Type: application/json
Server-Api-Key: <your key value>

Requests without a valid key receive a 401 Unauthorized response and never reach the data layer.

Permission model

Once authentication succeeds, every tool call flows through the same permission checks as the regular PlantDemand application:

  • Plant-level access — The agent can only see plants the API key is associated with. Calling order_dates for a plant outside that scope returns a permission error.
  • Field-level visibility — Custom fields configured as private remain private through MCP. The agent sees the same fields a regular API consumer with the same key would see.
  • Customer and material scope — Customer records and material data are filtered by the same rules that apply to the rest of the application.

What MCP does not do

  • The MCP server does not expose any tool that bypasses normal authorization.
  • The MCP server does not give the agent direct database access.
  • The MCP server does not grant the agent the ability to read data outside the API key’s scope, even temporarily.
  • The MCP server does not store or forward your prompts or AI responses anywhere — it only handles the tool calls themselves.

Read-only vs. write capability

The current PlantDemand MCP toolset focuses on read operations: discovering plants, retrieving orders, listing materials, and reading scheduling data. Write capability (creating or modifying orders through MCP) follows the same permission model and is documented separately in the tool reference as it is added.

Recommended security practices

Issue purpose-specific API keys

Generate a separate API key for each AI integration. If you connect Claude Desktop and Cursor for the same user, give each one its own key. This makes audit trails clearer and lets you revoke a single integration without affecting others.

Scope keys to the plants they need

If an AI assistant only needs access to one plant or region, scope the API key accordingly. Smaller scopes mean smaller blast radius if a key is ever compromised.

Treat API keys like passwords

Never commit API keys to version control or share them in chat. Most MCP clients support environment variable substitution — for example:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "plantdemand": {
      "url": "https://plantdemand.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Server-Api-Key": "${PLANTDEMAND_SERVER_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Rotate keys on a schedule

Set a calendar reminder to rotate API keys at least annually, or whenever a team member with access to a key leaves the organization.

Audit and observability

Because every MCP request flows through the standard PlantDemand backend, requests are logged through the same channels as direct API calls. If you need an audit trail of what an AI agent accessed and when, contact your PlantDemand representative for guidance on accessing your account’s API logs.

Compliance considerations

The MCP server does not change your data residency, encryption, or backup posture. Data flows through the same TLS-encrypted endpoints, is stored in the same locations, and is subject to the same backup and retention policies as the rest of your PlantDemand data.

Where to go next

This guide is part of PlantDemand’s asphalt software for plant operations hub for asphalt plant operations, scheduling, and sales management.