Gateway how-to guides
Task guides for running and extending the MDK Gateway
Overview
The Gateway is an HTTP router for apps: it reads each app's route table, forwards every request to that app's own runtime
process over HRPC, and runs no app code itself. Each app builds its own @tetherto/mdk-client inside its
runtime. These guides cover how to run the Gateway and how to build, publish and install the apps it serves.
An AI agent reaches MDK over MCP, not the Gateway's HTTP surface directly. MCP is served by a standalone
@tetherto/mdk-mcp process that derives tools from an app's routes; the Gateway hosts no MCP itself.
If Gateway, Kernel, or app are unfamiliar, terminology defines them. The Gateway concept page covers the full developer model (extension, data access, auth design).
Choose a guide
| Goal | Guide |
|---|---|
| Start the Gateway for the first time | Run the Gateway |
| Declare the apps MDK ships, or build and publish your own | Gateway apps |
| Stop Kernel, Gateway, and Workers cleanly | Tear down MDK services |
| Operator in the loop: submit and approve write actions | Submit and approve write actions |
| Secure the site you are assembling | Site security blueprint |
Next steps
- Understand the Gateway as a development surface
- Read the Gateway API reference
- Choose a deployment shape
- Give an operator a chat interface to the fleet by deploying the operator agent behind the Gateway
- Follow the site security blueprint: identity in controllers, Kernel allowlist, and UI session options