Salesforce MCP Tools Explained: Standard vs Custom Servers (2026)

Module 2 · Headless 360 for Claude Users

MCP Tools Deep Dive
Standard vs Custom Servers (2026)

In one line: Salesforce ships 60+ MCP tools two ways — pre-built Standard Hosted MCP Servers for common operations (SObject CRUD, Data 360, Marketing Cloud, Slack) and Custom Hosted MCP Servers you configure yourself to expose your own Apex Actions, Flows, or REST endpoints as agent-callable tools.

Standard Hosted MCP Servers

These are pre-built, maintained by Salesforce, and require zero infrastructure on your end. Every connection authenticates through standard OAuth, so Claude or any MCP client interacts with your data and automation in a secure, governed way from day one.

SObject Servers

SObject CRUD, SOQL queries, and search — the everyday "read and write records" workhorse tools.

Data 360 MCP Server

~200 REST operations consolidated behind 3 facade tools (search, describe, execute) instead of registering every endpoint individually — keeps the model's context window usable.

Marketing Cloud Engagement MCP Server

Exposes data extensions and journeys as natural-language callable tools.

Slack Hosted MCP Server

Lets the same agent session reach into Slack directly — the piece that makes Slack a first-class Headless 360 surface, not just a rendering target.

Tableau & MuleSoft Servers

Round out the portfolio for analytics and integration-layer access under the same Headless 360 umbrella.

Standard vs Custom — How Tools Reach Claude

Two paths, one destination: any MCP-compatible client.

Building a Custom MCP Server

When the standard servers don't cover a use case, a custom hosted MCP server gives you granular control over exactly what's exposed. Three source types are supported:

Apex Action — expose any @InvocableMethod-annotated Apex method as a tool
Lightning Flows — expose autolaunched flows directly, no code required
Apex REST — expose custom Apex REST endpoints for more complex request/response shapes

Two requirements to know before you build one: the Apex method must be declared global, not public, and it must be wrapped as an Agent Action in Agentforce Studio before it's discoverable as a tool. Neither is documented in Salesforce's own material yet. Module 4 walks through the full working setup step by step.

🏨 Example: Cancel Booking as an MCP Tool

Instead of building a full custom integration, expose an existing Cancel Booking Flow as a custom hosted MCP server tool. Once added to Claude, a prompt combining calls to that tool plus a standard SObject query lets you validate the booking data first, then run the cancellation — keeping a human in the loop before anything destructive executes. Same pattern applies to a Quote approval action, a case escalation, or any Flow you already trust.

Why Data 360 Uses "Facade Tools" Instead of 200 Separate Ones

Registering every REST endpoint as its own MCP tool overwhelms an LLM's context window once you cross a few dozen tools — the model spends more effort choosing between similar-looking tools than doing the actual task. Salesforce's engineering team solved this (inspired by Cloudflare's research on MCP tool management at scale) by consolidating ~200 operations behind three facade tools: search (discover capabilities by intent or keyword), describe (fetch a payload example to understand the data shape), and execute (run the operation). This is a pattern worth reusing in your own custom servers if you're exposing more than a handful of tools.

Standard vs Custom — Which One Do You Need?

	Standard Hosted	Custom Hosted
Setup effort	None — just OAuth connect	Configure Apex Action, Flow, or REST
Control over exposure	Fixed, Salesforce-defined	Full — you decide exactly what's exposed
Best for	CRUD, SOQL, standard cloud data	Business-specific logic and approvals

Common Setup Issues

"Custom tool doesn't show up in Claude"

Check three things in order: the Apex method is annotated with @InvocableMethod, the class is declared global rather than public, and it's been wrapped as an Agent Action in Agentforce Studio before being added as a tool on the MCP server. All three are required — see Module 4 for the full walkthrough.

"Claude picks the wrong tool when several look similar"

This is the exact problem the facade pattern solves. If you've exposed many narrow custom tools, consolidate them behind fewer, better-described tools rather than adding more.

"Data 360 MCP server only runs locally"

Correct as of Developer Preview — it's single-tenant, connecting one user to one org at a time. Don't design a multi-user production flow around it yet; check current GA status before relying on it in production.

Glossary (New Terms This Module)

Facade Tool

A small set of general-purpose tools (search, describe, execute) standing in front of a much larger API surface, so the model doesn't have to choose between hundreds of near-identical tools.

stdio transport

A local process communication method used by MCP clients like Claude Code, Cursor, or Codex to talk to a locally-running MCP server.

Developer Preview vs GA

Developer Preview means the tool is usable but may change and isn't multitenant/production-ready. GA (Generally Available) means it's stable and supported for production use.

Coding Skill

A packaged instruction set (like the 30+ open-sourced sf-skills) that teaches a coding agent Salesforce-specific development patterns, separate from the MCP tools that give it data access.

Key Points for Interviews & Real Projects

Standard Hosted MCP Servers require zero infrastructure; custom ones give full control at the cost of setup effort
Always confirm GA vs Developer Preview status before designing production workflows around a specific MCP server
Past a handful of tools, use the facade pattern (search/describe/execute) instead of registering every operation individually
Every custom tool that performs a write action should have a human confirmation step built into the calling prompt or workflow

One-Line Answer for Interviews

"Salesforce offers Standard Hosted MCP Servers for common operations like SObject CRUD and Data 360, plus Custom Hosted MCP Servers you configure yourself to expose Apex Actions, Flows, or REST endpoints as agent-callable tools — both authenticated through standard OAuth."

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Salesforce Hosted MCP servers?

Pre-built MCP servers maintained by Salesforce that let any MCP-compatible client, including Claude, connect to your org's data and automation through OAuth, with no extra infrastructure to manage.

What's the difference between a standard and a custom MCP server?

Standard servers are pre-built by Salesforce for common operations. Custom servers are ones you configure yourself to expose specific Apex Actions, Flows, or REST endpoints as tools.

How many MCP tools does Salesforce offer?

More than 60 new MCP tools shipped with Headless 360, alongside 30+ preconfigured coding skills, covering data, workflows, and business logic across the platform.

Can I build my own MCP tool in Salesforce?

Yes, via a Custom Hosted MCP Server, exposing an Invocable Apex method, an autolaunched Flow, or an Apex REST endpoint as a callable tool.

Is the Data 360 MCP server production-ready?

As of its Developer Preview release, it runs locally and is single-tenant (one user, one org). Check current release notes for GA status before using it in production.

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