> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.orcapods.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connected Apps

> OAuth into third-party SaaS apps via Composio and expose them to agents as managed MCP servers — no manual MCP configuration.

<Note>
  Connected Apps is a **newer, provider-gated** feature. It requires the **Composio** integration to be configured. On self-hosted deployments, set `COMPOSIO_API_KEY`; when it is absent, the Connected Apps gallery is unavailable and its routes return `503`.
</Note>

## Overview

**Connected Apps** let you **OAuth into third-party SaaS apps** — via **[Composio](https://composio.dev)**, which brokers **250+ apps** — and expose them to your agents as **managed [MCP servers](/concepts/mcp-integration)**.

The key benefit: you **don't hand-configure an MCP URL or headers**. Connecting an app **auto-registers a managed MCP server** that your agents can attach to. Orca (through Composio) holds the credentials and manages the connection for you.

## Flow

<Steps>
  <Step title="Browse the gallery">
    Open the app gallery and pick a SaaS app to connect.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect (OAuth)">
    Click **Connect**. An OAuth popup takes you through the provider's consent
    screen. The connection begins in an **INITIATED** state.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connection goes ACTIVE">
    Once OAuth completes, the connection flips to **ACTIVE**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Managed MCP server appears">
    A **managed MCP server** for that app is auto-registered. It shows up
    alongside your other MCP servers, and agents can attach to it — no URL or
    header configuration required.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Connection status

| Status      | Meaning                                                                   |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `INITIATED` | OAuth has started but isn't complete yet.                                 |
| `ACTIVE`    | Connected and usable; the managed MCP server is available to agents.      |
| `FAILED`    | The connection attempt failed.                                            |
| `EXPIRED`   | The connection's authorization has lapsed and needs to be re-established. |

## Managing connections

From the dashboard you can:

* See each connection's **status** (`ACTIVE` / `INITIATED` / `FAILED` / `EXPIRED`).
* See **which agents have access** to a connected app.
* **Disconnect** an app, which **revokes** the connection and its managed MCP server.

<Info>
  Because Composio manages the credentials for connected apps, you typically don't need to store their tokens yourself. For MCP servers you configure by hand, put credentials in **[Secrets](/concepts/secrets)** and reference them as `secret://` in the headers.
</Info>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="MCP servers" icon="plug" href="/dashboard/mcp-servers">
    Where managed MCP servers appear.
  </Card>

  <Card title="MCP Integration" icon="network-wired" href="/concepts/mcp-integration">
    How agents consume MCP servers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Secrets" icon="key" href="/concepts/secrets">
    Credentials for hand-configured MCP servers.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>