Answer
Does Mintlify's MCP work on private docs? (No — here's the fix)
Mintlify's MCP server only works on public documentation. If you need an MCP on private docs, here's why Mintlify can't and what to use instead for role-aware access to private docs.
The short answer
No — Mintlify's MCP server works only on public documentation. There's no supported way to expose private Mintlify docs over MCP with per-user access. If you need an MCP on private docs, use a role-aware MCP built for it: Miradorly runs a read-only MCP over your private GitHub/GitLab docs, scopes results to each user's role (OAuth 2.1 + PKCE), and excludes internal files via .docignore — so a client's AI agent can query private docs within their permissions.
Short answer up front: Mintlify's MCP does not work on private docs. It's built for public documentation. If you came here because your client docs are private and you want an AI agent to query them, Mintlify's MCP won't do it — but there's a tool that will.
What Mintlify's MCP does and doesn't do
Mintlify auto-generates an MCP server for your documentation — for published, public docs. That's genuinely useful if your docs are public API references. But there are two things it doesn't do:
- It doesn't serve private docs over MCP.
- It doesn't scope results to individual users' permissions (because public docs have no per-user access to enforce).
For private, client-facing documentation, both gaps are blockers.
Why this matters
The modern use case is: a client connects their AI agent and asks questions about the project docs you shared. Those docs are private. With a public-only MCP, there's nothing to connect to — you'd have to make the docs public, which defeats the point.
The fix: a role-aware MCP on private docs
Use an MCP server designed for private documentation with per-user access. Miradorly:
- Runs a read-only MCP over your private GitHub/GitLab docs.
- Scopes every result to the connecting user's role and project (OAuth 2.1 + PKCE).
- Excludes internal files via
.docignore— secrets, drafts,CLAUDE.mdare never indexed.
claude mcp add miradorly https://mcp.miradorly.com/<your-workspace>A client connects with their account; their agent retrieves only their project's allowed docs; nothing internal leaks.
Side-by-side
| Mintlify MCP | Miradorly MCP | |
|---|---|---|
| Public docs | ✅ | ✅ |
| Private docs | ❌ | ✅ |
| Per-user role-aware | ❌ | ✅ |
| Excludes internal files | — | ✅ .docignore |
| Read-only | — | ✅ |
If you're staying on Mintlify
If your docs are public and you're happy with Mintlify otherwise, its MCP is fine — just know it stops at public. For any private content, you'd pair it with (or move to) a private-docs MCP. The full platform comparison is in Miradorly vs Mintlify.
Bottom line
Mintlify's MCP is public-only by design — great for public API docs, unusable for private client docs. If you need AI access to private documentation with per-user scoping, that's a different tool: a role-aware MCP over your private repo, which is exactly what Miradorly provides.
Frequently asked questions
Can Mintlify's MCP serve private documentation?
No. Mintlify's MCP is designed for public docs. Private documentation isn't served over its MCP, and there's no per-user role-aware scoping for private content.
What's the alternative for an MCP on private docs?
Miradorly — a role-aware, read-only MCP over your private repo docs. Each connection inherits the user's permissions, and .docignore-excluded files are never indexed.
Why does the public-only limit matter for client work?
Because client and project docs are private. A public-only MCP can't serve them, so the 'let my client's AI query the docs' use case doesn't work on Mintlify — which is the gap Miradorly fills.
Is Mintlify still worth it for public docs?
Yes — for public, developer-facing API docs, Mintlify is strong. The private-docs MCP limitation only matters when your docs are private and client-facing.