MCP Mastery — Server Catalog, Advisor, Task Router
The mental model
Skills teach Claude HOW to think — workflows, patterns, playbooks.
MCP servers give Claude WHERE things live — real connections to systems and data.
You need both. Skills without MCP = brilliant employee with no tools. MCP without skills = employee with every key but no playbook.
MCP = Model Context Protocol. An open standard that lets Claude connect to external tools, databases, APIs, SaaS platforms, files, browsers, and cloud infra through a universal plug-and-play interface. Without it, the human is the middleware: copy-paste in, copy-paste out. With it, Claude reads the DB directly, opens the PR, sends the Slack message — the human describes intent.
Where to find servers (search these first, don't build from scratch)
| Source |
URL |
When to use |
| Reference implementations |
github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers |
Start here. Filesystem, git, memory, fetch, sequential-thinking — official + free. |
| Official registry |
registry.modelcontextprotocol.io |
500+ indexed servers. The "app store". Anthropic + GitHub + Microsoft + PulseMCP-backed. |
| Awesome list |
github.com/wong2/awesome-mcp-servers |
Community catalog, organized by category, fastest to skim. |
| Sandbox runner |
mcp.run |
Try a server without local install. |
Install a server (Claude Code, user scope)
# Stdio server via npx
claude mcp add --scope user <name> -- npx -y <package>@latest
# Stdio with env vars
claude mcp add --scope user -e API_KEY=xxx <name> -- npx -y <package>
# HTTP transport (remote)
claude mcp add --scope user --transport http <name> https://server.example.com/mcp
# Verify
claude mcp list # should show ✓ Connected
Scope options:
--scope user — global, across all projects (recommended for tools you use everywhere)--scope project — shared in .mcp.json, committed to repo--scope local — this project, your machine only (default)
Config files:
- User:
~/.claude.json under mcpServers
- Project:
.mcp.json at repo root
- Local:
~/.claude.json under projects[<cwd>].mcpServers
Before installing, ask: does the user actually use this service? Most MCPs past the foundation tier need paid accounts or API keys. Don't install speculatively.
The 30-server catalog (priority order)
Tier 1: Foundation (install first — free, official, make everything else better)
| # |
Server |
Purpose |
Install |
| 1 |
filesystem |
Direct fs read/write/search beyond cwd |
claude mcp add --scope user filesystem -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem <allowed-path> |
| 2 |
git |
Git operations via MCP (diff, log, blame) |
claude mcp add --scope user git -- uvx mcp-server-git |
| 3 |
memory |
Knowledge-graph persistent memory |
claude mcp add --scope user memory -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-memory |
| 4 |
sequential-thinking |
Multi-step structured reasoning |
claude mcp add --scope user sequential-thinking -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking |
Tier 2: Development & code
| # |
Server |
Auth |
Use for |
| 5 |
GitHub (github.com/github/github-mcp-server) |
GITHUB_PAT |
#1 most popular. PRs, issues, code search, workflows. |
| 6 |
Playwright (github.com/microsoft/playwright-mcp) |
none |
Browser automation, UI tests, screenshots. |
| 7 |
Sentry (github.com/getsentry/sentry-mcp) |
Sentry auth |
Read crash reports, stack traces. |
| 8 |
Semgrep (github.com/semgrep/mcp) |
free tier |
SAST, security scanning. |
| 9 |
CircleCI (github.com/circleci/mcp-server-circleci) |
CCI token |
Debug pipelines. |
Tier 3: Databases & data
| # |
Server |
Auth |
| 10 |
PostgreSQL / Neon (github.com/neondatabase/mcp-server-neon) |
DB URL / Neon acct |
| 11 |
Supabase (github.com/supabase-community/supabase-mcp) |
Supabase project |
| 12 |
Neo4j (github.com/neo4j/neo4j-mcp) |
local desktop ok |
| 13 |
Qdrant (github.com/qdrant/mcp-server-qdrant) — vector DB |
local ok |
| 14 |
ClickHouse / Tinybird (github.com/tinybirdco/mcp-tinybird) |
paid |
Tier 4: Cloud & infrastructure
| # |
Server |
Auth |
| 15 |
AWS suite (github.com/awslabs/mcp) |
AWS creds |
| 16 |
Cloudflare (github.com/cloudflare/mcp-server-cloudflare) — 16 specialized servers |
CF acct |
| 17 |
Grafana (github.com/grafana/mcp-grafana) |
Grafana instance |
| 18 |
Railway (github.com/nichochar/railway-mcp) |
Railway token |
| 19 |
Render (github.com/render-oss/render-mcp-server) |
Render token |
Tier 5: Productivity & business
| # |
Server |
Auth |
| 20 |
Notion (github.com/makenotion/notion-mcp-server) |
Notion integration token |
| 21 |
Slack (github.com/anthropics/slack-mcp) |
Slack bot token |
| 22 |
Gmail |
OAuth (claude.ai provides this) |
| 23 |
Jira / Asana |
workspace auth |
| 24 |
Stripe (github.com/stripe/agent-toolkit) |
Stripe secret key |
| 25 |
HubSpot |
HubSpot auth |
Tier 6: Web scraping & extraction
| # |
Server |
Auth |
| 26 |
Firecrawl (github.com/mendableai/firecrawl) |
free tier |
| 27 |
Browserbase (github.com/browserbase/mcp-server-browserbase) |
paid |
| 28 |
Bright Data |
paid |
| 29 |
Apify (github.com/apify/actors-mcp-server) |
free tier |
Tier 7: Media & design
| # |
Server |
Auth |
| 30 |
Figma (github.com/nichochar/figma-mcp) |
Figma PAT (free) |
| + |
ElevenLabs (github.com/elevenlabs/elevenlabs-mcp) |
API key |
| + |
Context7 (github.com/upstash/context7) — library docs |
free |
Recommended install order (tell the user this every time)
- Foundation — filesystem, git, memory, sequential-thinking (always).
- Personal stack — whichever 2-3 match the user's actual daily tools (GitHub + Postgres + AWS, or GitHub + Supabase + Cloudflare, etc.).
- Productivity — Notion, Slack, Gmail if they live in those tools.
- Extraction/scraping — only when a specific task needs it (don't speculatively install Firecrawl).
Task → MCP routing
When the user describes a task, map to the minimum set of MCPs needed.
| Task signal |
Primary MCP |
Supporting |
| "Review this PR" |
github |
git (local diff) |
| "Query my database" |
postgres / supabase |
— |
| "Summarize Slack thread" |
slack |
— |
| "Find me current info about X" |
tavily / brave-search |
— |
| "Extract brand tokens from URL" |
chrome-devtools |
playwright, puppeteer |
| "Lookup this library's API" |
context7 |
— |
| "Read / edit my notes" |
obsidian |
filesystem |
| "Check error rate in production" |
sentry + grafana |
— |
| "Deploy the infra change" |
terraform / kubernetes |
github |
| "Design / extract from Figma" |
figma |
— |
| "Scrape a SaaS page without an API" |
firecrawl / browserbase |
playwright |
| "Process a payment / refund" |
stripe |
— |
| "Ticket triage" |
jira / asana / github issues |
slack |
Your current stack (ground truth, 2026-04-16)
Run claude mcp list for the live authoritative view.
Actually connected (8):
filesystem (user, stdio) — foundation, fs read/write beyond cwdmemory (user, stdio) — foundation, knowledge-graph memorysequential-thinking (user, stdio) — foundation, multi-step reasoninggit (user, stdio, via uvx) — foundation, git ops via MCPchrome-devtools (user, stdio) — brand design-token extraction via Huegmail via claude.ai OAuth ✓supabase (~/.mcp.json, HTTP) — project_ref: pzpaebzlwwmyhgwcjsgecode-review-graph (~/.mcp.json, stdio)
Auth-pending (2): google-calendar, google-drive (claude.ai OAuth, need refresh).
Aspirational (19 — documented in CLAUDE.md as targets, not yet installed): github, context7, postgres, playwright, puppeteer, docker, kubernetes, terraform, slack, notion, stripe, brave-search, tavily, google-maps, obsidian, aster, sim-studio, hermes, penpot, aidesigner.
See GAPS.md in this skill's directory for a structured matrix and install recommendations.
Relationship to other skills in this setup
mcp-builder — when the user needs to build a new MCP server from scratch, not look up an existing one.paperclip — governance/authority-aware MCP dispatch in the broader org pipeline.coremind-core — 10-stage CoreMind pipeline; Stage 4 (Planner) routes task domains to MCP servers using the table above.governance-gate — policy layer; MCP security gate auto-validates tool calls against whitelist.
Rules for Claude
- When the user says "set up MCP for X", give them: repo link + exact install command + verify command. Don't paraphrase.
- When the user describes a task, name the minimum MCP set needed from the routing table. Don't recommend an MCP the user doesn't have without flagging it.
- Before suggesting an install, check
claude mcp list and ~/.claude.json + ~/.mcp.json for what's already there.
- Always remind: MCP = access. Skills = playbook. Need both.
- If a task can be done with built-in tools (Read, Write, Bash, WebFetch), don't invent an MCP for it.
- Never install a paid-auth MCP without explicit user authorization.
1---2name: mcp-mastery3description: MCP server catalog, advisor, and task router. Use when the user asks 'which MCP do I need for X', 'set up MCP for [service]', 'install MCP server', 'what MCP servers exist', or describes a task needing external system access (databases, GitHub, Slack, browsers, cloud, payments). Maps workflow needs to the right server from a curated 30-server catalog. Pairs with `mcp-builder` (for creating new servers) and GAPS.md (gap analysis vs. current stack).4---56# MCP Mastery — Server Catalog, Advisor, Task Router78## The mental model910**Skills** teach Claude HOW to think — workflows, patterns, playbooks.11**MCP servers** give Claude WHERE things live — real connections to systems and data.1213You need both. Skills without MCP = brilliant employee with no tools. MCP without skills = employee with every key but no playbook.1415MCP = Model Context Protocol. An open standard that lets Claude connect to external tools, databases, APIs, SaaS platforms, files, browsers, and cloud infra through a universal plug-and-play interface. Without it, the human is the middleware: copy-paste in, copy-paste out. With it, Claude reads the DB directly, opens the PR, sends the Slack message — the human describes intent.1617## Where to find servers (search these first, don't build from scratch)1819| Source | URL | When to use |20|--------|-----|-------------|21| Reference implementations | github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers | Start here. Filesystem, git, memory, fetch, sequential-thinking — official + free. |22| Official registry | registry.modelcontextprotocol.io | 500+ indexed servers. The "app store". Anthropic + GitHub + Microsoft + PulseMCP-backed. |23| Awesome list | github.com/wong2/awesome-mcp-servers | Community catalog, organized by category, fastest to skim. |24| Sandbox runner | mcp.run | Try a server without local install. |2526## Install a server (Claude Code, user scope)2728```bash29# Stdio server via npx30claude mcp add --scope user <name> -- npx -y <package>@latest3132# Stdio with env vars33claude mcp add --scope user -e API_KEY=xxx <name> -- npx -y <package>3435# HTTP transport (remote)36claude mcp add --scope user --transport http <name> https://server.example.com/mcp3738# Verify39claude mcp list # should show ✓ Connected40```4142Scope options:43- `--scope user` — global, across all projects (recommended for tools you use everywhere)44- `--scope project` — shared in `.mcp.json`, committed to repo45- `--scope local` — this project, your machine only (default)4647Config files:48- User: `~/.claude.json` under `mcpServers`49- Project: `.mcp.json` at repo root50- Local: `~/.claude.json` under `projects[<cwd>].mcpServers`5152**Before installing**, ask: does the user actually use this service? Most MCPs past the foundation tier need paid accounts or API keys. Don't install speculatively.5354## The 30-server catalog (priority order)5556### Tier 1: Foundation (install first — free, official, make everything else better)5758| # | Server | Purpose | Install |59|---|--------|---------|---------|60| 1 | filesystem | Direct fs read/write/search beyond cwd | `claude mcp add --scope user filesystem -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem <allowed-path>` |61| 2 | git | Git operations via MCP (diff, log, blame) | `claude mcp add --scope user git -- uvx mcp-server-git` |62| 3 | memory | Knowledge-graph persistent memory | `claude mcp add --scope user memory -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-memory` |63| 4 | sequential-thinking | Multi-step structured reasoning | `claude mcp add --scope user sequential-thinking -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking` |6465### Tier 2: Development & code6667| # | Server | Auth | Use for |68|---|--------|------|---------|69| 5 | **GitHub** (github.com/github/github-mcp-server) | GITHUB_PAT | #1 most popular. PRs, issues, code search, workflows. |70| 6 | Playwright (github.com/microsoft/playwright-mcp) | none | Browser automation, UI tests, screenshots. |71| 7 | Sentry (github.com/getsentry/sentry-mcp) | Sentry auth | Read crash reports, stack traces. |72| 8 | Semgrep (github.com/semgrep/mcp) | free tier | SAST, security scanning. |73| 9 | CircleCI (github.com/circleci/mcp-server-circleci) | CCI token | Debug pipelines. |7475### Tier 3: Databases & data7677| # | Server | Auth |78|---|--------|------|79| 10 | PostgreSQL / Neon (github.com/neondatabase/mcp-server-neon) | DB URL / Neon acct |80| 11 | Supabase (github.com/supabase-community/supabase-mcp) | Supabase project |81| 12 | Neo4j (github.com/neo4j/neo4j-mcp) | local desktop ok |82| 13 | Qdrant (github.com/qdrant/mcp-server-qdrant) — vector DB | local ok |83| 14 | ClickHouse / Tinybird (github.com/tinybirdco/mcp-tinybird) | paid |8485### Tier 4: Cloud & infrastructure8687| # | Server | Auth |88|---|--------|------|89| 15 | AWS suite (github.com/awslabs/mcp) | AWS creds |90| 16 | Cloudflare (github.com/cloudflare/mcp-server-cloudflare) — 16 specialized servers | CF acct |91| 17 | Grafana (github.com/grafana/mcp-grafana) | Grafana instance |92| 18 | Railway (github.com/nichochar/railway-mcp) | Railway token |93| 19 | Render (github.com/render-oss/render-mcp-server) | Render token |9495### Tier 5: Productivity & business9697| # | Server | Auth |98|---|--------|------|99| 20 | Notion (github.com/makenotion/notion-mcp-server) | Notion integration token |100| 21 | Slack (github.com/anthropics/slack-mcp) | Slack bot token |101| 22 | Gmail | OAuth (claude.ai provides this) |102| 23 | Jira / Asana | workspace auth |103| 24 | Stripe (github.com/stripe/agent-toolkit) | Stripe secret key |104| 25 | HubSpot | HubSpot auth |105106### Tier 6: Web scraping & extraction107108| # | Server | Auth |109|---|--------|------|110| 26 | Firecrawl (github.com/mendableai/firecrawl) | free tier |111| 27 | Browserbase (github.com/browserbase/mcp-server-browserbase) | paid |112| 28 | Bright Data | paid |113| 29 | Apify (github.com/apify/actors-mcp-server) | free tier |114115### Tier 7: Media & design116117| # | Server | Auth |118|---|--------|------|119| 30 | Figma (github.com/nichochar/figma-mcp) | Figma PAT (free) |120| + | ElevenLabs (github.com/elevenlabs/elevenlabs-mcp) | API key |121| + | Context7 (github.com/upstash/context7) — library docs | free |122123## Recommended install order (tell the user this every time)1241251. **Foundation** — filesystem, git, memory, sequential-thinking (always).1262. **Personal stack** — whichever 2-3 match the user's actual daily tools (GitHub + Postgres + AWS, or GitHub + Supabase + Cloudflare, etc.).1273. **Productivity** — Notion, Slack, Gmail if they live in those tools.1284. **Extraction/scraping** — only when a specific task needs it (don't speculatively install Firecrawl).129130## Task → MCP routing131132When the user describes a task, map to the minimum set of MCPs needed.133134| Task signal | Primary MCP | Supporting |135|-------------|-------------|------------|136| "Review this PR" | github | git (local diff) |137| "Query my database" | postgres / supabase | — |138| "Summarize Slack thread" | slack | — |139| "Find me current info about X" | tavily / brave-search | — |140| "Extract brand tokens from URL" | chrome-devtools | playwright, puppeteer |141| "Lookup this library's API" | context7 | — |142| "Read / edit my notes" | obsidian | filesystem |143| "Check error rate in production" | sentry + grafana | — |144| "Deploy the infra change" | terraform / kubernetes | github |145| "Design / extract from Figma" | figma | — |146| "Scrape a SaaS page without an API" | firecrawl / browserbase | playwright |147| "Process a payment / refund" | stripe | — |148| "Ticket triage" | jira / asana / github issues | slack |149150## Your current stack (ground truth, 2026-04-16)151152Run `claude mcp list` for the live authoritative view.153154**Actually connected (8)**:155- `filesystem` (user, stdio) — foundation, fs read/write beyond cwd156- `memory` (user, stdio) — foundation, knowledge-graph memory157- `sequential-thinking` (user, stdio) — foundation, multi-step reasoning158- `git` (user, stdio, via uvx) — foundation, git ops via MCP159- `chrome-devtools` (user, stdio) — brand design-token extraction via Hue160- `gmail` via claude.ai OAuth ✓161- `supabase` (~/.mcp.json, HTTP) — project_ref: pzpaebzlwwmyhgwcjsge162- `code-review-graph` (~/.mcp.json, stdio)163164**Auth-pending (2)**: `google-calendar`, `google-drive` (claude.ai OAuth, need refresh).165166**Aspirational (19 — documented in CLAUDE.md as targets, not yet installed)**: github, context7, postgres, playwright, puppeteer, docker, kubernetes, terraform, slack, notion, stripe, brave-search, tavily, google-maps, obsidian, aster, sim-studio, hermes, penpot, aidesigner.167168See `GAPS.md` in this skill's directory for a structured matrix and install recommendations.169170## Relationship to other skills in this setup171172- `mcp-builder` — when the user needs to **build** a new MCP server from scratch, not look up an existing one.173- `paperclip` — governance/authority-aware MCP dispatch in the broader org pipeline.174- `coremind-core` — 10-stage CoreMind pipeline; Stage 4 (Planner) routes task domains to MCP servers using the table above.175- `governance-gate` — policy layer; MCP security gate auto-validates tool calls against whitelist.176177## Rules for Claude1781791. When the user says "set up MCP for X", give them: repo link + exact install command + verify command. Don't paraphrase.1802. When the user describes a task, name the minimum MCP set needed from the routing table. Don't recommend an MCP the user doesn't have without flagging it.1813. Before suggesting an install, check `claude mcp list` and `~/.claude.json` + `~/.mcp.json` for what's already there.1824. Always remind: MCP = access. Skills = playbook. Need both.1835. If a task can be done with built-in tools (Read, Write, Bash, WebFetch), don't invent an MCP for it.1846. Never install a paid-auth MCP without explicit user authorization.
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