**Source URL:** https://limited.veevavault.dev/regulatory/mcp/vault-mcp-server/guides/initializing-a-session

# Initializing a Session

Session initialization is a three-step process:

1.  Send an `initialize` request.
2.  The server returns a response with the MCP session ID.
3.  Send an `initialized` notification to indicate you are ready to begin working with the MCP server tools.

## Send an `initialize` request

Using the Bearer token, send an `initialize` request to the Vault MCP Server specifying the MCP version and client information. The Vault MCP Server supports MCP versions `2024-11-05` and later.

```bash
curl 'https://myvault.veevavault.com/api/ai/mcp' \
  --header 'Accept: application/json, text/event-stream' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer {access_token}' \
  --data '{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "method": "initialize",
    "params": {
      "protocolVersion": "2024-11-05",
      "clientInfo": { "name": "my-agent", "version": "1.0.0" }
    }
  }'
```

## Save the session ID from the response header

The server response provides the Vault MCP Server version (`protocolVersion`) and the `Mcp-Session-Id`.

```bash
Mcp-Session-Id: 1868a90c-b249-4158-9a3c-396561f2510b

{
  "result": {
    "protocolVersion": "2024-11-05",
    "serverInfo": { "name": "myvault.veevavault.com", "version": "26.1.3" },
    "capabilities": { "tools": { "listChanged": false } }
  }
}
```

## Send the initialized notification

Include `Mcp-Session-Id` on this request and all subsequent requests.

```bash
curl 'https://myvault.veevavault.com/api/ai/mcp' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer {access_token}' \
  --header 'Mcp-Session-Id: 1868a90c-b249-4158-9a3c-396561f2510b' \
  --data '{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "notifications/initialized" }'
# Response: 202 Accepted
```

You have successfully initialized the Vault MCP Server session.

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