MCP templates
An MCP template is a note that carries an AI agent’s working instructions. Instead of writing a prompt, you place the template in a workspace and tell your connected client: “open this note and follow its Agent instructions.” The note is the program — and because it’s an ordinary note, your team can read it, comment on it, and edit the routine like any other page.
Anatomy of an MCP template note
Section titled “Anatomy of an MCP template note”Every MCP template has the same sections:
- What you need — which connectors the routine uses. Some need only the Orbit connector; others also use your CRM, tracker, or GitHub connector in your AI client (Orbit itself never connects to those tools).
- How to run it — the starter prompt and the scheduling sentence.
- Agent instructions — numbered steps the agent follows, including its guardrails: which Orbit tools to use, where the output note goes, what it must never touch, and when to stop and report instead of improvising.
- Output format — the exact shape of the report it produces.
Editing the note changes the routine. Want the digest to cover 14 days, skip a folder, or add a section? Edit the instructions — the agent follows whatever the note says on its next run.
The built-in MCP templates
Section titled “The built-in MCP templates”| Template | Needs | Suggested cadence |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly workspace digest | Orbit only | Monday morning |
| Meeting notes from transcript | Orbit only | On demand |
| Monday pipeline report | CRM connector | Monday morning |
| Sprint status report | Jira or Azure DevOps | Friday afternoon |
| Release notes draft | GitHub | On demand |
Open MCP templates from any empty note (next to Browse templates) or from the home page. Use template creates the note in a workspace you choose — as a regular, visible note, so your agent can read it — then hands you the starter prompt with the real note identifiers filled in.
Scheduling per client
Section titled “Scheduling per client”Schedules live in your AI client, not in Orbit:
- Claude — add “do this every Monday at 8:00 in my time zone” to the prompt; Claude offers to create a scheduled task. Manage or pause it in Claude’s task settings.
- ChatGPT — create a Task with the same message.
- Copilot / Cowork — run the prompt on demand, or use the host’s automation features where available.
The provenance signature
Section titled “The provenance signature”Every MCP template instructs the agent to end its report with one line:
*Drafted by Claude via Orbit · 2026-08-24*It tells readers the note was agent-written, when, and by what — and it’s how the capability spreads: a teammate reads the Monday report, sees the signature, and asks how to get one of their own.
Writing your own (coming)
Section titled “Writing your own (coming)”v1 ships built-in MCP templates only. A future release will recognize user-authored templates via orbitPlaybook: <id> frontmatter; until then, the practical path is to create a built-in template and edit its instructions — the agent follows the note, not the original.
Related: Automate recurring reports for the full setup story, MCP tool reference for what agents can do.