Install MCP CLI

A CLI tool to install and manage MCP servers.

Installing MCPs is a huge pain, so I made a CLI tool to make it easier.

Usage

The CLI now supports multiple installation methods with automatic detection:

Simple package names

npx install-mcp mcp-package-name --client claude

Scoped packages

npx install-mcp @org/mcp-server --client claude

Full commands (for custom arguments)

npx install-mcp 'npx some-mcp-server --custom-args' --client claude

SSE URLs (with automatic naming)

npx install-mcp https://mcp.example.com/server/sse --client claude

The tool automatically:

• Converts simple package names to npx package-name
• Preserves full commands as-is
• Infers server names from package names or URLs (e.g., mcp.example.com → mcp-example-com)
• Handles URL-based servers with supergateway SSE support

Headers Support

You can pass headers for authentication or other purposes using the --header flag:

# Single header
npx install-mcp https://api.example.com/mcp --client claude --header "Authorization: Bearer token123"

# Multiple headers
npx install-mcp https://api.example.com/mcp --client claude \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer token123" \
  --header "X-API-Key: secret-key"

Transport Methods for Remote Servers

When installing remote servers (URLs), the CLI needs to know which transport method the server uses. There are two transport methods:

• Streamable HTTP (modern, recommended)
• SSE (legacy)

The CLI handles this in several ways:

Automatic Detection

By default, the CLI will automatically detect the transport method:

npx install-mcp https://api.example.com/mcp --client claude
# Output: Detecting transport type... this may take a few seconds.
# Output: We've detected that this server uses the streamable HTTP transport method. Is this correct? (Y/n)

If the detection succeeds, it will ask you to confirm. If you answer "no", it will use the other transport method.

Manual Specification

You can skip detection by specifying the transport method directly:

# For streamable HTTP servers
npx install-mcp https://api.example.com/mcp --client claude --transport http

# For legacy SSE servers
npx install-mcp https://api.example.com/mcp --client claude --transport sse

Fallback to Manual Questions

If auto-detection fails, the CLI will ask you directly:

Could not auto-detect transport type, please answer the following questions:
Does this server support the streamable HTTP transport method? (Y/n)

Note: This only applies to URL-based installations. Package names and custom commands don't require transport selection.

where <client> is one of the following:

• claude
• cline
• roo-cline
• windsurf
• witsy
• enconvo
• cursor
• vscode
• gemini-cli
• claude-code
• warp (outputs config to copy/paste into Warp's cloud-based settings)

License

MIT