Some AI work needs an agent that can reach for any app. Other work, like a server your whole support team shares, needs a fixed set of actions that nobody changes mid-conversation.
You can now choose that per server. Switch any Zapier MCP server between agentic mode and managed mode from its Settings tab, and every AI tool connected to that server follows the same rules.
Agentic mode: let your agent find the right tools
In agentic mode, your agent finds and runs tools on its own across thousands of apps, with no manual setup. Ask for something that needs an app, and the agent looks for the right action itself.
It's the only mode with skills and code actions. Automatic setup uses your own app connections, not ones other people have shared with you.
Managed mode: give your team a fixed toolset
In managed mode, you pick the actions, and each one you turn on becomes a tool. The agent can use only those tools and can't add new ones.
You can also lock field values for each tool. On a support team's server, for example, you could lock the channel a message posts to, so the agent always uses the same one. Account-level and workspace-level app and action restrictions apply in both modes.
Switch in a few clicks
At mcp.zapier.com, open your server's Settings tab, choose Agentic mode or Managed mode, and select Save changes. Switching to managed mode turns off skills and code actions without deleting them, and switching back brings them back.
Most MCP clients cache their tool list, so refresh it after you switch. The switch modes guide has steps for ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and other clients.
Availability
Zapier MCP is included in every Zapier plan. Anyone with Owner or Editor access to a server can switch its mode, and sharing a server with teammates requires a Team or Enterprise plan.
