MCP Server Boilerplate

What is MCP Server Boilerplate?

MCP Server Boilerplate is a reference implementation of an MCP server that provides two basic tools: an addition tool (add) and an environment variable retrieval tool (getApiKey). It is designed for developers integrating custom tools into AI-assisted development environments like Cursor AI.

How to use MCP Server Boilerplate?

Clone the repository and run npm install to install dependencies. Configure the ./cursor/mcp.json file with absolute paths to your Node.js executable and the server script, then optionally move it to ~/.cursor for global recognition. Invoke tools in Cursor Composer's Agent mode using natural language prompts such as “add 3 and 5” or “what is my API key?”.

Key features of MCP Server Boilerplate?

• MCP integration for LLM-based IDEs
• Addition tool accepting two numeric parameters
• Environment variable retrieval via API_KEY
• Input validation using Zod schemas
• Standard I/O transport (StdioServerTransport)

Use cases of MCP Server Boilerplate?

• Learning how to set up an MCP server from scratch
• Prototyping custom tools for Cursor AI or similar IDEs
• Demonstrating environment variable access within an MCP tool

FAQ from MCP Server Boilerplate

What is MCP?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a framework that allows you to integrate custom tools into AI-assisted development environments. MCP servers expose functionality so that LLM-based IDEs can call these tools on demand.

What are the runtime requirements?

Node.js version 20 or higher is required.

How do I configure the server for Cursor AI?

Edit ./cursor/mcp.json to include the absolute paths to Node.js and your MCP server file, and optionally set environment variables like API_KEY. This file can also be placed in ~/.cursor for global use.

Where does the API key come from?

The getApiKey tool reads the value of the API_KEY environment variable, which you must set in the env field of the MCP configuration.

What transport does the server use?

It connects via StdioServerTransport (standard I/O) for integration with development environments.