Umbraco MCP Server — CLI Guide
This MCP server runs as a CLI tool. The CLI handles authentication and configuration, then exposes tools that talk directly to the Umbraco Management API.
Detecting the CLI Command
Determine the CLI command in a single check:
# One command to detect context — check for local build AND .env together
ls dist/index.js .env 2>/dev/null
- If
dist/index.jsexists: usenode dist/index.js - Otherwise: use
npx @umbraco-cms/mcp-dev@latest
All examples below use <cli> as a placeholder — substitute the correct command.
Quick Reference
# List all tools
<cli> --list-tools
# Describe a specific tool's schema
<cli> --describe-tool <tool-name>
# Call a tool directly (requires auth via .env)
<cli> --call <tool-name> --call-args '{"key":"value"}'
# Generate context documentation
<cli> --generate-context > CONTEXT.md
# Debug resolved configuration
<cli> --debug-config
Authentication
Never pass secrets as CLI arguments. Use a .env file.
| Env Var | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
UMBRACO_CLIENT_ID |
Yes | OAuth client ID from Umbraco API user |
UMBRACO_CLIENT_SECRET |
Yes | OAuth client secret |
UMBRACO_BASE_URL |
Yes | Umbraco instance URL |
Create a .env file:
UMBRACO_CLIENT_ID=your-client-id
UMBRACO_CLIENT_SECRET=your-secret
UMBRACO_BASE_URL=https://localhost:44391
Introspection commands (--list-tools, --describe-tool, --generate-context) do not require auth.
Tool Filtering
| Flag | Env Var | Description |
|---|---|---|
--umbraco-tool-modes |
UMBRACO_TOOL_MODES |
Enable named groups of collections |
--umbraco-include-slices |
UMBRACO_INCLUDE_SLICES |
Only expose tools with these slices |
--umbraco-exclude-slices |
UMBRACO_EXCLUDE_SLICES |
Hide tools with these slices |
--umbraco-include-tool-collections |
UMBRACO_INCLUDE_TOOL_COLLECTIONS |
Only expose these collections |
--umbraco-exclude-tool-collections |
UMBRACO_EXCLUDE_TOOL_COLLECTIONS |
Hide these collections |
--umbraco-include-tools |
UMBRACO_INCLUDE_TOOLS |
Only expose these specific tools |
--umbraco-exclude-tools |
UMBRACO_EXCLUDE_TOOLS |
Hide these specific tools |
Available slices: read, list, create, update, delete, search, tree, publish, move, copy.
Exclude takes precedence over include. Filters combine.
Runtime Modes
Readonly mode
<cli> --umbraco-readonly
Mutation tools are completely removed — the LLM won't see them at all.
Dry-run mode
<cli> --umbraco-dry-run
Read tools execute normally. Mutation tools return a preview without calling the API.
Introspection Commands
These print output and exit immediately — they do not start the MCP server.
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
--list-tools |
Print ASCII table of all tools |
--describe-tool <name> |
Print full JSON schema for a tool |
--generate-context |
Output CONTEXT.md documenting all tools |
--debug-config |
Print resolved config (secrets masked) |
--call <name> |
Call a tool directly, print JSON result |
--call-args <json> |
JSON arguments for --call (default: {}) |
Introspection respects all filtering. --list-tools with UMBRACO_READONLY=true shows exactly what the LLM would see.
Efficient CLI Usage
Every CLI call costs time and tokens. The CLI has built-in filtering so you don't need to fetch everything and grep locally. Follow these principles:
1. Filter server-side, not locally. Instead of --list-tools | grep document, use the filtering flags:
# Bad — fetches all tools then filters locally
<cli> --list-tools | grep document
# Good — server returns only what you need
<cli> --list-tools --umbraco-include-tool-collections document
You can combine filters to narrow further:
<cli> --list-tools --umbraco-include-tool-collections document --umbraco-include-slices read,search
2. Use search tools before tree traversal. When looking for a specific item by name, prefer search-document over walking the tree with get-document-root → get-document-by-id. Search is one call instead of two.
3. Batch independent shell commands. Combine checks that don't depend on each other:
# Bad — two separate calls
ls dist/index.js
ls .env
# Good — one call
ls dist/index.js .env 2>/dev/null
4. Use --describe-tool before guessing parameters. If you're unsure what a tool accepts, describe it first rather than making a call that might fail.
For more workflow examples, read references/workflow-patterns.md.
Input Sanitization
The SDK validates all string inputs before tool handlers run:
- Rejects control characters, path traversal (
../), embedded query params, percent-encoded strings - Validates UUID format where expected
- Returns clear error messages for agent self-correction
Source: umbraco/Umbraco-CMS-MCP-Dev — distributed by TomeVault.