Connecting Gemini

Gemini connects to EMCE through Gemini Spark, Google’s agent inside the Gemini app, using its Custom apps feature. Connected apps are set up on the web and then available in the Gemini desktop app (macOS and Windows), gemini.google.com, and the Gemini mobile apps.

Requirements

• A Google account with access to Gemini Spark and its Custom apps feature. As of this writing that means a Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription (or a Workspace plan whose admin has enabled Spark) in a supported country. If you don’t see Connected Apps in Gemini’s settings, your account doesn’t have it yet.
• Keep Activity turned on for your Google account (Gemini → Settings → Activity). Spark won’t use connected apps without it.
• A Director or Administrator profile in an EMCE organization that has enabled MCP connections.

Add the EMCE app

Custom apps are added on the web; the desktop app uses them once they exist.

1. On a computer, go to gemini.google.com and click Settings & help at the bottom left, then Connected Apps. (On some accounts it’s one level down, under Personal Intelligence.)

2. Under Custom apps for Spark, click Add a custom app.

3. Paste the URL for your region into Add a custom app link and click Next:

   Region	URL
   United States	https://mcp.emce.app/mcp
   Canada	https://mcp.ca.emce.app/mcp

4. Google asks you to link your Google Account to the app and lists what it will be allowed to do. Approve it. (This is Google’s own consent for Spark; EMCE’s comes next.)

5. EMCE’s sign-in page opens. Sign in and choose a profile — see Signing in and choosing a profile.

6. Back in Gemini, the Save your custom app dialog shows the EMCE tools it found under Available actions. Name the app EMCE and click Connect.

Use it in a conversation

1. Open the Gemini desktop app (or gemini.google.com) and switch to Spark using the toggle at the top of the window — custom apps are available in Spark, not in a regular Gemini chat.
2. Mention the app with @EMCE in your request, or just ask; Spark picks the tools it needs.
3. Gemini asks permission for each tool call the first time — you’ll see an Allow / Deny prompt naming the tool inline in the chat, above the answer. Allow it to continue.

Try one of these to confirm the connection:

@EMCE who am I connected as, and which organization?

@EMCE list the active cohorts in my program and how many students are in each.

@EMCE which students in [cohort name] haven’t met their skill requirements yet?

Good to know

• Spark connects from Google’s servers, not from your computer. This is true even in the Gemini desktop app.
• Spark can also run EMCE lookups on a schedule — for example, a Monday morning summary of last week’s attendance. Anything it does still goes through your EMCE profile and shows in the audit log.
• One organization per app. If you administer several organizations, add a second custom app (for example, “EMCE — North Campus”) and choose a different profile when you sign in.

Disconnecting

In Settings & help → Connected Apps, find EMCE under Custom apps for Spark and choose Disconnect or Remove.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Try this
No Connected Apps or Custom apps for Spark in settings	Your account doesn’t have Gemini Spark custom apps yet — see the requirements above.
”This app couldn’t be added” right after pasting the URL	Check the URL is exactly https://mcp.emce.app/mcp (or the Canada one), including /mcp.
Available actions is empty on the save dialog	EMCE sign-in didn’t complete, or the profile you chose isn’t eligible. Remove the app and add it again.
Authorized, but Spark never uses the app	Turn on Keep Activity in your Google account’s Gemini settings, and make sure you’re in Spark, not a regular chat.
Nothing happens after you send a request	Spark is waiting on the per-tool Allow prompt, shown inline above the reply.
Sign-in page opens, but the buttons do nothing	Reload the page. If it persists, the page reports “did not load correctly”; contact EMCE Support with the time and your browser.
Gemini worked before, now says it’s not authorized	Your organization turned MCP off, or your profile changed. Remove and re-add the app once it’s resolved.