MCP server · Developer tools

MCP CLI

Test and chat with MCP servers from your terminal, with tools, plans, and a live dashboard.

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MCP CLI is a program you run in your computer's terminal. It lets you talk to MCP servers, which are small helpers that give an AI new skills, and see exactly what those helpers can do. It is handy if you want to try out an MCP server before trusting it with your everyday work.

What is an MCP server? The 30-second version

On its own, your AI can only chat. An MCP server is a small helper program that gives your AI a new skill or a connection to an app or service. This tool, MCP CLI, is a way to connect to those helper servers from your terminal and try them out. You type a request, the AI picks a tool from the server, and you watch the result come back.

What this MCP server does

You start MCP CLI in your terminal and it connects to one or more MCP servers you list. You then type a message or a command, and the AI decides which tool from the server to use. MCP CLI runs that tool and shows you the answer, the timing, and the token usage. You can also run plans, attach files, and open a browser dashboard to watch everything live.

Flow diagram: you ask your AI “List the tools this MCP server offers”, on your own computer the MCP CLI works with your terminal, and you get back answer in your terminal.

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What you can do with it

Chat with an AI that can use tools from your MCP servers
Run single commands without entering a chat
Attach images, text files, or audio to a message
Create and run multi-step plans of tool calls
Export a conversation as Markdown or JSON
Watch tool calls and reasoning in a live browser dashboard
Check server health and token usage

Try asking your AI

“List the tools this MCP server offers”
“Use the server to look up the weather in Paris”
“Create a plan to fetch a user and then send them a message”
“Attach this screenshot and ask the AI what it shows”

What it gives back to you

You get answers in your terminal, with the AI's reply, the tools it used, and how long each step took. Plans show as a small diagram with steps and their status. You can also export the whole conversation as a Markdown or JSON file.

Before you start

What you need

A terminal on your computer
Python 3.10 or newer
At least one MCP server you want to test
Optional: an API key if you use a cloud AI provider instead of the default local one

Good to know

It runs commands and tools on your computer, so only connect servers you trust, and review plans before running them.

Install it with your AI

Add MCP CLI to your AI, no technical skills needed

You don't install anything by hand. You copy one prompt, paste it into an AI that can work on your computer, and it checks, installs and connects the server for you, asking you when it needs something.

Sign in to get the install prompt

Members get a ready-made prompt that lets the Claude desktop app check MCP CLI, install it and connect it for them, step by step. You don't need any technical skills: you copy, paste and answer a few questions. Your connected AI can also find and install any of the 4,066 MCP servers here for you.