Unable to Create Connector – “Connector is not safe” Error

ChatGPT Apps SDK
1

I’m trying to create a new connector using the Apps SDK, but it consistently fails with the error message:

“Connector is not safe.”

:receipt: Configuration

  • Name: DemoApp
  • MCP Server URL: https://7d231a69e54f.ngrok-free.app/mcp
  • Authentication: No authentication
  • :white_check_mark: I selected “I trust this application.”

:satellite: Network Request

curl 'https://chatgpt.com/backend-api/aip/connectors/mcp' \
--data-raw '{
  "name": "DemoApp",
  "mcp_url": "https://7d231a69e54f.ngrok-free.app/mcp",
  "description": "",
  "logo_url": null,
  "authTypeOverride": "NONE",
  "auth_request": {
    "supported_auth": [],
    "oauth_client_params": null
  }
}'

Response:

{ "detail": "Connector is not safe" }

:magnifying_glass_tilted_left: What I’ve Verified

  • The SSL certificate is valid:

    curl --verbose https://7d231a69e54f.ngrok-free.app/mcp 2>&1 | grep 'SSL certificate verify'
SSL certificate verify ok.

  • The MCP server works correctly when tested with:

    npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector

:red_question_mark:Question

What does the “Connector is not safe” error mean, and how can I fix it?
Is there an additional validation step required for external MCP servers (e.g., via ngrok URLs)?

Thanks in advance for your help!

5 Likes
4

I found that ChatGPT reviews security/privacy issues from tool descriptions.. I also got “Connector is not safe” error when I had “personal information” in one of the tool description. Once I removed it, it doesn’t happen anymore for the app.

1 Like
5

Getting this on Pizza now. Connector is not safe.

6

I had a similar issue and it was related to OAuth Server endpoints where not using https.

So the MCP Server tunnel URL was https but the oauth server /register and /token endpoints where http.

7

In my case, this behavior occurred when I included the phrase “no authentication” in the tool description. After trying several times, I realized that it seems to be reviewing the alignment of the tool name and description, as well as their individual content.

If encountering the “Connector is not safe.” error, I recommend first trying to simplify the name and tool description.

8

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