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MCPfinder

STDIO

Search engine and manager for discovering and installing MCP tools for AI assistants

MCPfinder 🔧🤖 (@mcpfinder/server)

Meet the simplest way to supercharge your coding and AI agents with MCP — an "API for AI." MCPfinder enables language models to search for and install new capabilities on demand through client applications that support the MCP protocol. No coding or manual setup required.

App Store for Agents

Users can request tools the AI doesn't have yet, or the AI can autonomously expand its own capabilities by discovering relevant MCP servers. From code generators and data analyzers to specialized knowledge tools, MCPfinder acts like a map and toolbox for AI — transforming static models into evolving, capability-hunting agents that grow more powerful with every interaction.

Plug-and-Play Tools for LLMs

Example

This Node.js application implements an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server designed to run locally alongside MCP clients (like Cursor, Claude Desktop, Windsurf). It provides tools that allow AI within the client to interact with the MCP ecosystem.

Specifically, it enables the AI assistant to:

  1. Discover available MCP servers registered in the central MCPfinder Registry (via search_mcp_servers).
  2. Retrieve details about specific servers (via get_mcp_server_details).
  3. Manage the client application's local MCP server configuration file (add/update via add_mcp_server_config, remove via remove_mcp_server_config).

Note for AI Agents: This server is the primary interface for finding and enabling new tools and capabilities requested by the user if they aren't already available in current MCP toolset. Use search_mcp_servers first when asked by the user for a capability you don't possess.

Quick Start

Run in your terminal the interactive setup tool to automatically update the MCP configuration file:

npx -y @mcpfinder/server install

This command guides you through selecting your client (Cursor, VS Code, Claude, etc.) and adds the necessary mcpfinder entry to the correct configuration file (e.g., ~/.cursor/mcp.json). See "Running from source" and "Commands and Options" for more details if you are working directly with the source code.

Manual Configuration

To manually configure an MCP client, you need to create or modify its JSON configuration file to include an entry for mcpfinder.

Configuration File Structure:

{
  "mcpServers": { 
    "mcpfinder": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@mcpfinder/server"
      ]
    },
  }
}

Note: For Visual Studio Code (settings.json), the top-level key for MCP configurations must be servers instead of mcpServers.

Running from source

  • Clone this repository, e.g., git clone https://github.com/mcpfinder/server
  • Run node index.js for Stdio mode or node index.js --http for HTTP mode.

Commands and Options

When running from source (node index.js), the script can be invoked in several ways:

Running the Server (Default Behavior): If no command is specified, index.js starts the MCP server.

  • Stdio Mode (default): 
    node index.js
  • HTTP Mode: 
    node index.js --http
    • --port <number>: Specify the port for HTTP mode (default: 6181, or MCP_PORT env var).
    • --api-url <url>: Specify the MCPfinder Registry API URL used by the tools (default: https://mcpfinder.dev, or MCPFINDER_API_URL env var).

Executing Commands:

  • install: Run the interactive setup to configure a client application. 
    node index.js install
  • register: For server publishers to register their MCP server package with the MCPFinder registry. 
    node index.js register

Getting Help:

  • --help: Display the help message detailing commands and options. 
    node index.js --help

The server uses the following environment variables:

  • MCPFINDER_API_URL: The base URL for the MCPfinder Registry API. Defaults to https://mcpfinder.dev.
  • MCP_PORT (HTTP Mode Only): The port number for the server to listen on. Defaults to 6181.

Provided Tools

This MCP server exposes the following tools to the connected AI assistant:

1. search_mcp_servers

  • Description: Searches the MCPfinder Registry for available MCP servers. This is the primary tool for discovering and accessing new tools, methods, features, or capabilities.
  • Input Schema:
    • query (string, optional): Keywords to search for in tool name or description.
    • tag (string, optional): Specific tag to filter by.
  • Output: A list of matching server summaries (server_id, name, description, URL, tags). The typical next step is to use get_mcp_server_details for more info or directly add_mcp_server_config to install one.

⚠️ Note: The registry currently contains several hundred servers that can be run locally using npx in stdio mode without requiring environment variables for basic operation. Future updates will expand support to include a wider range of servers, including paid and commercial options that require environment keys.

2. get_mcp_server_details

  • Description: Retrieves detailed information about a specific MCP server from the registry, including its full manifest and basic installation suggestions (command, environment variables). Use this after finding a server_id via search_mcp_servers to get more information before potentially adding it.
  • Input Schema:
    • id (string, required): The unique MCPfinder's server_id obtained from search_mcp_servers.
  • Output: The detailed server manifest and installation hints. The next step is to use add_mcp_server_config to install the server.

3. add_mcp_server_config

  • Description: Adds or updates the configuration for a specific MCP server in the client application's local configuration file (e.g., Cursor's ~/.cursor/mcp.json). You must provide either client_type OR config_file_path.
  • Input Schema:
    • server_id (string, required): A unique identifier for the server configuration entry (the MCPfinder ID obtained from search_mcp_servers).
    • client_type (string, optional): The type of client application (known types determined dynamically, examples: 'cursor', 'claude', 'windsurf'). Mutually exclusive with config_file_path. Use this for standard client installations.
    • config_file_path (string, optional): An absolute path or a path starting with ~ (home directory) to the target JSON configuration file (e.g., /path/to/custom/mcp.json or ~/custom/mcp.json). Mutually exclusive with client_type. Use this for non-standard locations or custom clients.
    • mcp_definition (object, optional): Defines the server configuration. If omitted, or if certain fields are missing, defaults will be fetched from the MCPfinder Registry based on the server_id.
      • command (array of strings, optional): The command and its arguments (e.g., ["npx", "-y", "my-mcp-package"]). If omitted, or if only env/workingDirectory are provided below, the default command is fetched from the registry.
      • env (object, optional): Environment variables (e.g., {"API_KEY": "YOUR_KEY"}). Merged with defaults if command is omitted.
      • workingDirectory (string, optional): The working directory for the server process. Merged with defaults if command is omitted.
  • Output: A success or error message.
  • Note: The key used to store this server's configuration within the JSON file (under mcpServers or servers) is automatically generated based on the server's registered URL (obtained via the server_id). The provided server_id is used as a fallback if a suitable key cannot be derived from the URL. The tool automatically detects whether to use mcpServers or servers as the top-level key based on the existing file structure, defaulting to mcpServers.

4. remove_mcp_server_config

  • Description: Removes the configuration for a specific MCP server from the client application's local configuration file. You must provide either client_type OR config_file_path. The server_id provided must match the configuration key name used when the server was added (which is typically derived from the server's URL, see add_mcp_server_config note).
  • Input Schema:
    • server_id (string, required): The unique identifier (configuration key name) of the server configuration entry to remove.
    • client_type (string, optional): The type of client application (known types determined dynamically, examples: 'cursor', 'claude', 'windsurf'). Mutually exclusive with config_file_path.
    • config_file_path (string, optional): An absolute path or a path starting with ~ (home directory) to the target JSON configuration file. Mutually exclusive with client_type.
  • Output: A success or error message indicating whether the entry was found and removed.

Security Considerations

The tools add_mcp_server_config and remove_mcp_server_config modify files on the user's local system. This server itself does not perform permission checks; it relies entirely on the calling client for security enforcement.

Contributing

For contributions, please contact: mcpfinder(dot}dev[at}domainsbyproxy{dot]com

License

This project is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

It means you're free to use (including commercially), modify, and share it. However, if you run a modified version, you're also required to publicly share your version.

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