Configure Mcp

---
created: 2025-12-16
modified: 2026-09-23
reviewed: 2026-05-14
description: Check and configure MCP servers for project integration. Use when setting up MCP servers, checking MCP status, or adding new servers to a project.
allowed-tools: Glob, Grep, Read, Write, Edit, Bash, AskUserQuestion, TodoWrite
args: "[--check-only] [--fix] [--core] [--server <name>]"
argument-hint: "[--check-only] [--fix] [--core] [--server <name>]"
name: configure-mcp
---

# /configure:mcp

Check and configure Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers for this project.

**MCP Philosophy:** Servers are managed **project-by-project** (in `.mcp.json`), not user-scoped (in `~/.claude/settings.json`), to keep context clean and dependencies explicit.

For server configurations, environment variable reference, and report templates, see [REFERENCE.md](REFERENCE.md).

## When to Use This Skill

| Use this skill when... | Use another approach when... |
|------------------------|------------------------------|
| Setting up MCP servers for a project | Configuring user-level settings (edit `~/.claude/settings.json` directly) |
| Checking MCP server status and validating configuration | Just viewing `.mcp.json` contents (use Read tool) |
| Adding specific servers (context7, playwright, sequential-thinking, etc.) | Installing npm/bun packages for non-MCP purposes (use package manager) |
| Ensuring team-shareable MCP setups | Personal-only MCP configuration (use `~/.claude/settings.json`) |
| Installing core productivity servers | Debugging specific server runtime issues (check server logs, restart Claude Code) |

## Context

- Config exists: !`find . -maxdepth 1 -name \'.mcp.json\'`
- Git tracking: !`find . -maxdepth 1 -name '.gitignore' -exec grep '.mcp.json' {} +`
- Standards file: !`find . -maxdepth 1 -name \'.project-standards.yaml\'`
- Has playwright config: !`find . -maxdepth 1 -name 'playwright.config.*' -print -quit`
- Has TS/JS files: !`find . -maxdepth 2 \( -name '*.ts' -o -name '*.py' -o -name '*.go' -o -name '*.rs' \) -print -quit`
- Dotfiles registry: !`find . -maxdepth 1 -name \'~/.local/share/chezmoi/.chezmoidata.toml\'`

## Parameters

Parse these from `$ARGUMENTS`:

- `--check-only`: Report current status, do not offer installation
- `--fix`: Install servers without prompting for confirmation
- `--core`: Install all core servers (`context7`, `sequential-thinking`)
- `--server <name>`: Install specific server by name (repeatable)

If no flags provided, run interactive mode (detect → report → offer to install).

## Core Servers

These servers should be installed in **all projects**:

| Server | Purpose | Env Vars |
|--------|---------|----------|
| `context7` | Documentation context from Upstash | None |
| `sequential-thinking` | Enhanced reasoning and planning | None |

## Execution

Execute this MCP configuration workflow:

### Step 1: Detect current state

First, test whether `.mcp.json` exists in the current working directory:

- **If `.mcp.json` is absent** (the `Config exists` context line is empty, or `test -f .mcp.json` would fail): print "No `.mcp.json` found — starting fresh." and treat `mcpServers` as `{}` for the remainder of the workflow. Do **not** abort. Proceed to Step 2 so the user can still install core servers or specific servers via flags / interactive mode; Step 3 will create the file from scratch.
- **If `.mcp.json` exists**: use the `Read` tool to load `.mcp.json` and parse the `mcpServers` object. List all configured servers and surface the result to subsequent steps. For each server, check its command type (`npx`, `bunx`, `uvx`, `go run`) and required env vars. Flag any servers with missing required environment variables.

If `--check-only`, skip to Step 4 (report only).

### Step 2: Identify servers to install

Based on the flags:

- **`--core`**: Select `context7` and `sequential-thinking`.
- **`--server <name>`**: Select the named server(s). Validate against the available servers in [REFERENCE.md](REFERENCE.md).
- **No flags (interactive)**: Show the user what's installed vs available. Use AskUserQuestion to ask which servers to add. Suggest servers based on project context (e.g., suggest `playwright` if `playwright.config.*` exists).

If all requested servers are already installed, report "All servers already configured" and stop.

### Step 3: Install selected servers

For each selected server:

1. Get the server configuration from [REFERENCE.md](REFERENCE.md).
2. If `.mcp.json` doesn't exist, create it with `{"mcpServers": {}}`.
3. Merge the server config into the existing `mcpServers` object. Preserve existing servers.
4. Write the updated `.mcp.json` with proper JSON formatting.

Handle git tracking:
- Check if `.mcp.json` is in `.gitignore`.
- If not tracked and not ignored, recommend adding to `.gitignore` for personal projects or tracking for team projects.

### Step 4: Report results

Print a summary using the report format from [REFERENCE.md](REFERENCE.md):
- List all configured servers with their status
- Flag missing environment variables with where to set them
- Show git tracking status
- If servers were added, show next steps (restart Claude Code, set env vars)

### Step 5: Update standards tracking

If `.project-standards.yaml` exists, update the MCP section with current server list and timestamp.

## Runtime Server Management

After configuring `.mcp.json`, use these `/mcp` commands in Claude Code to manage servers without editing files:

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `/mcp` | List all configured servers and connection status |
| `/mcp enable <server>` | Enable a server for the current session |
| `/mcp disable <server>` | Disable a server for the current session (session-scoped) |

**Note**: Enable/disable are session-scoped only. Permanent changes require editing `.mcp.json`.

**Under pi**: the `.mcp.json` this skill writes works unchanged once `pi-mcp-adapter` is installed (`pi install npm:pi-mcp-adapter`; pi has no MCP client of its own). Its `/mcp enable|disable` persist in `.pi/mcp.json` rather than lasting one session. See [docs/pi-export.md § MCP servers](https://github.com/laurigates/claude-plugins/blob/main/docs/pi-export.md#mcp-servers-pi-mcp-adapter).

## Agentic Optimizations

| Context | Command |
|---------|---------|
| Quick status check | `jq -c '.mcpServers \| keys' .mcp.json 2>/dev/null` |
| Validate JSON syntax | `jq empty .mcp.json 2>&1` |
| List environment variables needed | `jq -r '.mcpServers[] \| .env // {} \| keys[]' .mcp.json 2>/dev/null \| sort -u` |
| Check if server installed | `jq -e '.mcpServers.context7' .mcp.json >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo "installed" \|\| echo "missing"` |
| Core servers install (automated) | `/configure:mcp --core --fix` |
| Specific server install (automated) | `/configure:mcp --server context7 --fix` |
| Check-only mode (CI/reporting) | `/configure:mcp --check-only` |

## Flags

| Flag | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `--check-only` | Report status without offering to install servers |
| `--fix` | Install specified or suggested servers without prompting |
| `--core` | Install all core servers (context7, sequential-thinking) |
| `--server <name>` | Install specific server (can be repeated) |

## Error Handling

- **Invalid `.mcp.json`**: Offer to backup and replace with valid template
- **Server already installed**: Skip with informational message
- **Missing env var**: Warn but continue (server may work with defaults)
- **Unknown server**: Report error with available server names