# MCP Management > Search, install, configure, update, and remove MCP servers across coding agents (Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Claude Desktop, Gemini CLI, Codex, Goose, Zed, and more). Supports multi-agent installation via npx add-mcp, the official MCP registry, and direct config editing. Use when this capability is needed. - Skill: `tomevault-io/mcp-management` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/mcp-management` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/mcp-management/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector CAUTION) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: AI & ML - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/mcp-management --- # MCP Server Management **IMPORTANT**: After adding, removing, or updating MCP servers, inform the user to **restart the affected agent** for changes to take effect. **CRITICAL**: Before removing any server, use `AskUserQuestion` to confirm with the user. ## Quick Reference (Claude Code) ```bash # Install claude mcp add --transport http claude mcp add --transport stdio -- [args...] # List/inspect claude mcp list claude mcp get # Remove (confirm with user first!) claude mcp remove ``` Options must come BEFORE the server name. ## Multi-Agent Installation (npx add-mcp) Install MCP servers to multiple coding agents at once using [add-mcp](https://github.com/neondatabase/add-mcp): ```bash # Remote server (HTTP) npx add-mcp https://mcp.example.com/mcp # npm package (stdio) npx add-mcp @modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres # Local command npx add-mcp "npx -y @org/mcp-server --flag value" # SSE transport npx add-mcp https://mcp.example.com/sse --transport sse ``` ### Options | Flag | Description | |------|-------------| | `-g, --global` | Install globally instead of project-level | | `-a, --agent ` | Target specific agent(s), repeatable | | `-n, --name ` | Custom server name | | `-t, --transport ` | HTTP (default) or SSE | | `--header
` | Custom HTTP headers, repeatable | | `-y, --yes` | Skip confirmation prompts | | `--all` | Install to all detected agents | ### Supported Agents | Agent | CLI Argument | Supports Project-Level | |-------|-------------|----------------------| | Claude Code | `claude-code` | Yes (`.mcp.json`) | | Claude Desktop | `claude-desktop` | No (global only) | | Cursor | `cursor` | Yes (`.cursor/mcp.json`) | | VS Code | `vscode` | Yes (`.vscode/mcp.json`) | | Gemini CLI | `gemini-cli` | Yes (`.gemini/settings.json`) | | Codex | `codex` | Yes (`.codex/config.toml`) | | Goose | `goose` | No (global only) | | GitHub Copilot CLI | `github-copilot-cli` | Yes (`.vscode/mcp.json`) | | OpenCode | `opencode` | Yes (`opencode.json`) | | Zed | `zed` | Yes (`.zed/settings.json`) | ### Examples ```bash # Install to Claude Code and Cursor only npx add-mcp -a claude-code -a cursor https://mcp.stripe.com # Install npm package to all agents, globally npx add-mcp -g --all @modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres # Install with custom name and headers npx add-mcp -n my-api --header "Authorization: Bearer TOKEN" https://api.example.com/mcp # List available agents npx add-mcp list-agents ``` See [references/multi-agent.md](references/multi-agent.md) for agent-specific config paths, formats, and transformations. ## Searching for MCP Servers When users ask to find or install an MCP server, see [references/search.md](references/search.md) for: - Official vendor server lookup (always try first) - MCP Registry API queries (fallback) - Known official servers table - User choice template format **Trust hierarchy**: Official vendor > MCP reference servers > Verified partners > Community ## Adding Servers (Claude Code) ### With Environment Variables The `--env` CLI flag is unreliable with special characters. Instead: 1. Add server without env vars: ```bash claude mcp add --transport stdio -- npx -y @package/mcp-server ``` 2. Edit config file to add env vars. See [references/scopes.md](references/scopes.md) for file locations. ### Collect Configuration First Before installing, check if the server needs API keys or tokens. Use `AskUserQuestion` to collect required values before running install commands. ## Updating Servers No direct update command exists. Options: 1. **Edit config directly** (preferred for credential changes) 2. **Remove and re-add** (confirm removal with user first) 3. **Use environment variables** for credentials that change often For OAuth servers (GitHub, Sentry): Run `/mcp` in Claude Code to re-authenticate. ## Removing Servers Always confirm with user via `AskUserQuestion` before removing. ```bash claude mcp remove ``` For project-scoped servers in `.mcp.json`, delete the entry from the file after user confirmation. ## Reference - **Search and known servers**: [references/search.md](references/search.md) - **Multi-agent installation**: [references/multi-agent.md](references/multi-agent.md) - **Transport types**: [references/transports.md](references/transports.md) - **Scopes and config files**: [references/scopes.md](references/scopes.md) - **Troubleshooting**: [references/troubleshooting.md](references/troubleshooting.md) ## Scopes Summary (Claude Code) | Scope | Flag | Config Location | Use Case | |-------|------|-----------------|----------| | Local | `--scope local` (default) | `~/.claude.json` | Personal dev servers | | Project | `--scope project` | `.mcp.json` | Team-shared servers | | User | `--scope user` | `~/.claude.json` | Cross-project tools | ## Environment Variable Syntax In config files: `${VAR}` or `${VAR:-default}` ## Windows Note Use `cmd /c` wrapper for npx: ```bash claude mcp add --transport stdio my-server -- cmd /c npx -y @some/package ``` --- > Converted and distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io/claim/codealive-ai) — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.