Some services you connect to DataMind Oda ask you to sign in before Oda can use them; an MCP server that gives Oda the tools of another service is the usual case. This page covers how that sign-in runs: what it shows you, why it keeps to one attempt at a time, and what happens when an attempt is stopped, declined or cannot finish. To connect a service first, see Memory, skills and connectors.
What happens when you sign in
Find the service where you connected it and click Sign in. For an MCP server, that is its row in Settings > MCP servers.
Follow the steps the sign-in shows. A step may send you on to your browser to finish the sign-in there, for example a step reading Continue in your browser.
Answer the prompts. Oda asks for what the service needs: text you type, a secret, or a choice from a short list, for example Paste the code.
When the sign-in completes, the credential it obtained is stored on this computer, and the service is ready to use. Where the credential is kept and how it is protected is covered in Stored credentials.
Several ways in. If the service offers more than one sign-in method, they are listed with the preferred one first, and Oda runs that one unless you choose another. Only the methods the service offers can run; any other is refused.
Note
A step that only gives you directions never carries a secret. A secret you enter is masked as you type and kept out of logs.
One attempt at a time
One at a time. A service runs one sign-in attempt at a time. While an attempt is running, a second attempt for the same service is refused.
You can stop it. A sign-in you stop ends as cancelled: Oda does not report it as a completed sign-in. A cancelled sign-in is not an error.
A storing sign-in runs to the end. Once the sign-in reaches the point where it stores its credential, a stop no longer takes effect.
Declining a prompt. Each prompt can be set aside on its own while the rest of the attempt carries on. A prompt you decline ends the attempt as cancelled, the same as stopping it.
Sign-ins do not resume. If the page in your browser reloads while an attempt runs, the attempt is abandoned; start again from Sign in.
When a sign-in ends
Completed. Oda reports a sign-in as completed only after its credential is stored on this computer and read back, so a completed sign-in is backed by a stored credential.
Cancelled. You stopped the attempt or declined a prompt. It is not an error, and you can start again whenever you like.
Failed. The attempt ended with an error. A sign-in that finishes without storing a credential is reported as failed, not as completed. Start it again; if it keeps failing, keep the message and contact your DataMind OS administrator.
Questions, answered
What happens when I click Sign in?
Oda runs the sign-in with you, step by step: it tells you what to do, sends you to your browser when the service needs that, and asks for what the service needs, such as text, a secret or a choice. When the sign-in completes, the credential is stored on this computer.
Can I start two sign-ins for the same service at the same time?
No. A service runs one attempt at a time, so a second attempt is refused while the first one runs. Wait for it to finish, or stop it first.
Can I stop a sign-in while it runs?
Yes. The attempt ends as cancelled: Oda does not report it as a completed sign-in, and you can start again whenever you like. Once the sign-in has begun storing its credential, a stop no longer takes effect; it runs to the end.
I was sent to my browser and the page reloaded. Do I start again?
Yes. Sign-ins do not resume: a page reload abandons the attempt, and the next one starts from the beginning. Start again from Sign in.
What does a sign-in ask me for?
Whatever the service needs: text you type, a secret, or a choice from a short list. A secret you enter is masked as you type and kept out of logs, and a step that only gives you directions never carries a secret.
What happens if I decline a prompt?
The attempt ends as cancelled, in the same way as stopping it. A cancelled attempt is a normal outcome, not an error; start again whenever you like.
Why did my sign-in fail?
Oda reports a sign-in as completed only after its credential is stored on this computer and read back, so a sign-in that finishes without storing a credential is reported as failed, not as completed. Start it again; if it keeps failing, keep the message and contact your DataMind OS administrator.
Where is the sign-in kept afterwards?
On this computer, as a stored credential that Oda uses for that service from then on. Where credentials are kept, how they load and how they are protected is covered in Stored credentials.
Why is there no Sign in on my service?
A sign-in starts only when the service offers one in Oda. A service that never asks you to sign in is used with the details you gave when you set it up, such as its address and headers; see Memory, skills and connectors.