MCP Connect

What is MCP Connect?

MCP Connect is a Node.js tool that bridges HTTP/HTTPS requests to local Stdio-based MCP servers, enabling cloud-based AI services to interact with local resources securely. It provides protocol translation, optional token authentication, and built-in Ngrok tunnel support.

How to use MCP Connect?

Clone the repository, copy .env.example to .env and configure the port and auth token, install dependencies with npm install, build with npm run build, then run with npm run start. For a public URL, set NGROK_AUTH_TOKEN in .env and run npm run start:tunnel. Send POST requests to http://localhost:3000/bridge with the MCP method, server command, args, environment variables, and params.

Key features of MCP Connect

• Converts HTTP/HTTPS requests to Stdio communication
• Provides secure access via token-based authentication
• Supports various MCP servers without modification
• Built-in support for Ngrok tunnel
• Health check (GET /health) and bridge (POST /bridge) endpoints

Use cases of MCP Connect

• Enable cloud AI services to use local MCP tools (e.g., GitHub MCP)
• Securely expose local MCP servers to remote applications via a tunnel
• Bridge remote requests to local resources without altering the MCP server

FAQ from MCP Connect

What runtime does MCP Connect require?

Node.js.

How do I run MCP Connect with a public URL?

Set NGROK_AUTH_TOKEN in .env and run npm run start:tunnel (production) or npm run dev:tunnel (development). The public URL will appear in the console.

How does authentication work?

MCP Connect uses a token stored in the AUTH_TOKEN environment variable. Requests must include the header Authorization: Bearer <token>.

What API endpoints does MCP Connect expose?

GET /health for health checks and POST /bridge for forwarding MCP requests to the configured server.

Does MCP Connect require modifying the MCP server?

No. It runs the server via stdio without any changes to its implementation.