MCP

MCP (Model Context Protocol) lets Cline use external tools and data sources through MCP servers.

What MCP gives you

• Connect Cline to external APIs and services
• Add custom tools beyond built-in Cline tools
• Use either local servers or remote hosted servers

Quick start

1. Open MCP Servers in Cline
2. Add a local server manually, or connect to a hosted remote server
3. Configure credentials/environment variables
4. Verify tools appear and test one tool call

Add servers

Manual config

Edit your MCP config file and add either:

• CLI: ~/.cline/data/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json (override with the CLINE_MCP_SETTINGS_PATH env var)
• IDE extensions:
  1. In the Cline panel, click the MCP Servers icon (stacked server icon in the top toolbar).
  2. Open the Configure tab.
  3. Click Configure MCP Servers (button near the bottom).
  4. This opens the MCP settings JSON used by the extension; add/update entries under mcpServers.

  • If you're adding a hosted endpoint (instead of editing JSON directly), use the Remote Servers tab:

    1. Enter Server Name (any unique label).
    2. Enter Server URL (full endpoint URL).
    3. Choose Transport Type:
       • Streamable HTTP (recommended)
       • SSE (Legacy)
    4. Click Add Server.

  • Server config shape:

    • Local (STDIO) server using command + args
    • Remote (HTTP/SSE) server using url

CLI MCP wizard

Run this in your terminal:

cline mcp

The wizard supports:

When adding a server, the CLI prompts for server name, transport type, command/args (for stdio), or URL/headers (for remote transports).

To add or remove a server from a script, skip the menu:

cline mcp add files --yes -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem .
cline mcp add docs https://example.com/mcp --transport http --header "Authorization: Bearer TOKEN" --yes
cline mcp remove docs

Without --yes, cline mcp add opens the add wizard with those fields filled in.

Configuration examples

Local server (STDIO)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "local-server": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/server.js"],
      "env": {
        "API_KEY": "your_api_key"
      },
      "disabled": false,
      "autoApprove": []
    }
  }
}

Remote server (Streamable HTTP)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "remote-server": {
      "type": "streamableHttp",
      "url": "https://example.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer your-token"
      },
      "disabled": false,
      "autoApprove": []
    }
  }
}

The type field selects the transport. Omitting it defaults to the legacy sse transport for backward compatibility, so set "type": "streamableHttp" explicitly for the recommended transport. Use "type": "sse" only for legacy SSE servers.

Transport types

• STDIO: local process, lower latency, simpler local setup
• Remote HTTP/SSE: hosted endpoint, centralized deployment, supports multi-client usage

Use STDIO for local tools and remote transport for shared hosted services.

Managing servers

In MCP settings you can:

• Enable/disable servers
• Restart unresponsive servers
• Set request timeouts
• Remove servers

Security basics

• Only install servers you trust
• Store secrets in environment variables
• Limit autoApprove to safe tools
• Review tool calls before approval

Troubleshooting

CLI

MCP also works in Cline CLI. Configure servers in CLI MCP settings and use the same server definitions.

To list servers without the wizard:

cline config mcp
cline config mcp --json