npm package: @kentcdodds/modelcontextprotocol_inspector
Description: Model Context Protocol inspector
Author: Anthropic, PBC
Latest version: 0.17.0-alpha.0

# MCP Inspector

The MCP inspector is a developer tool for testing and debugging MCP servers.

![MCP Inspector Screenshot](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/modelcontextprotocol/inspector/main/mcp-inspector.png)

## Architecture Overview

The MCP Inspector consists of two main components that work together:

- **MCP Inspector Client (MCPI)**: A React-based web UI that provides an interactive interface for testing and debugging MCP servers
- **MCP Proxy (MCPP)**: A Node.js server that acts as a protocol bridge, connecting the web UI to MCP servers via various transport methods (stdio, SSE, streamable-http)

Note that the proxy is not a network proxy for intercepting traffic. Instead, it functions as both an MCP client (connecting to your MCP server) and an HTTP server (serving the web UI), enabling browser-based interaction with MCP servers that use different transport protocols.

## Running the Inspector

### Requirements

- Node.js: ^22.7.5

### Quick Start (UI mode)

To get up and running right away with the UI, just execute the following:

```bash
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector
```

The server will start up and the UI will be accessible at `http://localhost:6274`.

### From an MCP server repository

To inspect an MCP server implementation, there's no need to clone this repo. Instead, use `npx`. For example, if your server is built at `build/index.js`:

```bash
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node build/index.js
```

You can pass both arguments and environment variables to your MCP server. Arguments are passed directly to your server, while environment variables can be set using the `-e` flag:

```bash
# Pass arguments only
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node build/index.js arg1 arg2

# Pass environment variables only
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector -e key=value -e key2=$VALUE2 node build/index.js

# Pass both environment variables and arguments
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector -e key=value -e key2=$VALUE2 node build/index.js arg1 arg2

# Use -- to separate inspector flags from server arguments
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector -e key=$VALUE -- node build/index.js -e server-flag
```

The inspector runs both an MCP Inspector (MCPI) client UI (default port 6274) and an MCP Proxy (MCPP) server (default port 6277). Open the MCPI client UI in your browser to use the inspector. (These ports are derived from the T9 dialpad mapping of MCPI and MCPP respectively, as a mnemonic). You can customize the ports if needed:

```bash
CLIENT_PORT=8080 SERVER_PORT=9000 npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node build/index.js
```

For more details on ways to use the inspector, see the [Inspector section of the MCP docs site](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/tools/inspector). For help with debugging, see the [Debugging guide](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/tools/debugging).

### Servers File Export

The MCP Inspector provides convenient buttons to export server launch configurations for use in clients such as Cursor, Claude Code, or the Inspector's CLI. The file is usually called `mcp.json`.

- **Server Entry** - Copies a single server configuration entry to your clipboard. This can be added to your `mcp.json` file inside the `mcpServers` object with your preferred server name.

  **STDIO transport example:**

  ```json
  {
    "command": "node",
    "args": ["build/index.js", "--debug"],
    "env": {
      "API_KEY": "your-api-key",
      "DEBUG": "true"
    }
  }
  ```

  **SSE transport example:**

  ```json
  {
    "type": "sse",
    "url": "http://localhost:3000/events",
    "note": "For SSE connections, add this URL directly in Client"
  }
  ```

- **Servers File** - Copies a complete MCP configuration file structure to your clipboard, with your current server configuration added as `default-server`. This can be saved directly as `mcp.json`.

  **STDIO transport example:**

  ```json
  {
    "mcpServers": {
      "default-server": {
        "command": "node",
        "args": ["build/index.js", "--debug"],
        "env": {
          "API_KEY": "your-api-key",
          "DEBUG": "true"
        }
      }
    }
  }
  ```

  **SSE transport example:**

  ```json
  {
    "mcpServers": {
      "default-server": {
        "type": "sse",
        "url": "http://localhost:3000/events",
        "note": "For SSE connections, add this URL directly in Client"
      }
    }
  }
  ```

These buttons appear in the Inspector UI after you've configured your server settings, making it easy to save and reuse your configurations.

For SSE transport connections, the Inspector provides similar functionality for both buttons. The "Server Entry" button copies the SSE URL configuration that can be added to your existing configuration file, while the "Servers File" button creates a complete configuration file containing the SSE URL for direct use in clients.

You can paste the Server Entry into your existing `mcp.json` file under your chosen server name, or use the complete Servers File payload to create a new configuration file.

### Authentication

The inspector supports bearer token authentication for SSE connections. Enter your token in the UI when connecting to an MCP server, and it will be sent in the Authorization header. You can override the header name using the input field in the sidebar.

### Security Considerations

The MCP Inspector includes a proxy server that can run and communicate with local MCP processes. The proxy server should not be exposed to untrusted networks as it has permissions to spawn local processes and can connect to any specified MCP server.

#### Authentication

The MCP Inspector proxy server requires authentication by default. When starting the server, a random session token is generated and printed to the console:

```
🔑 Session token: 3a1c267fad21f7150b7d624c160b7f09b0b8c4f623c7107bbf13378f051538d4

🔗 Open inspector with token pre-filled:
   http://localhost:6274/?MCP_PROXY_AUTH_TOKEN=3a1c267fad21f7150b7d624c160b7f09b0b8c4f623c7107bbf13378f051538d4
```

This token must be included as a Bearer token in the Authorization header for all requests to the server. The inspector will automatically open your browser with the token pre-filled in the URL.

**Automatic browser opening** - The inspector now automatically opens your browser with the token pre-filled in the URL when authentication is enabled.

**Alternative: Manual configuration** - If you already have the inspector open:

1. Click the "Configuration" button in the sidebar
2. Find "Proxy Session Token" and enter the token displayed in the proxy console
3. Click "Save" to apply the configuration

The token will be saved in your browser's local storage for future use.

If you need to disable authentication (NOT RECOMMENDED), you can set the `DANGEROUSLY_OMIT_AUTH` environment variable:

```bash
DANGEROUSLY_OMIT_AUTH=true npm start
```

You can also set the token via the `MCP_PROXY_AUTH_TOKEN` environment variable when starting the server:

```bash
MCP_PROXY_AUTH_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32) npm start
```

#### Local-only Binding

By default, both the MCP Inspector proxy server and client bind only to `localhost` to prevent network access. This ensures they are not accessible from other devices on the network. If you need to bind to all interfaces for development purposes, you can override this with the `HOST` environment variable:

```bash
HOST=0.0.0.0 npm start
```

**Warning:** Only bind to all interfaces in trusted network environments, as this exposes the proxy server's ability to execute local processes and both services to network access.

#### DNS Rebinding Protection

To prevent DNS rebinding attacks, the MCP Inspector validates the `Origin` header on incoming requests. By default, only requests from the client origin are allowed (respects `CLIENT_PORT` if set, defaulting to port 6274). You can configure additional allowed origins by setting the `ALLOWED_ORIGINS` environment variable (comma-separated list):

```bash
ALLOWED_ORIGINS=http://localhost:6274,http://localhost:8000 npm start
```

### Configuration

The MCP Inspector supports the following configuration settings. To change them, click on the `Configuration` button in the MCP Inspector UI:

| Setting                                 | Description                                                                                                                                       | Default |
| --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| `MCP_SERVER_REQUEST_TIMEOUT`            | Timeout for requests to the MCP server (ms)                                                                                                       | 10000   |
| `MCP_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_RESET_ON_PROGRESS` | Reset timeout on progress notifications                                                                                                           | true    |
| `MCP_REQUEST_MAX_TOTAL_TIMEOUT`         | Maximum total timeout for requests sent to the MCP server (ms) (Use with progress notifications)                                                  | 60000   |
| `MCP_PROXY_FULL_ADDRESS`                | Set this if you are running the MCP Inspector Proxy on a non-default address. Example: http://10.1.1.22:5577                                      | ""      |
| `MCP_AUTO_OPEN_ENABLED`                 | Enable automatic browser opening when inspector starts (works with authentication enabled). Only as environment var, not configurable in browser. | true    |

These settings can be adjusted in real-time through the UI and will persist across sessions.

The inspector also supports configuration files to store settings for different MCP servers. This is useful when working with multiple servers or complex configurations:

```bash
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector --config path/to/config.json --server everything
```

Example server configuration file:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "everything": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@modelcontextprotocol/server-everything"],
      "env": {
        "hello": "Hello MCP!"
      }
    },
    "my-server": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["build/index.js", "arg1", "arg2"],
      "env": {
        "key": "value",
        "key2": "value2"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

> **Tip:** You can easily generate this configuration format using the **Server Entry** and **Servers File** buttons in the Inspector UI, as described in the Servers File Export section above.

You can also set the initial `transport` type, `serverUrl`, `serverCommand`, and `serverArgs` via query params, for example:

```
http://localhost:6274/?transport=sse&serverUrl=http://localhost:8787/sse
http://localhost:6274/?transport=streamable-http&serverUrl=http://localhost:8787/mcp
http://localhost:6274/?transport=stdio&serverCommand=npx&serverArgs=arg1%20arg2
```

You can also set initial config settings via query params, for example:

```
http://localhost:6274/?MCP_SERVER_REQUEST_TIMEOUT=10000&MCP_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_RESET_ON_PROGRESS=false&MCP_PROXY_FULL_ADDRESS=http://10.1.1.22:5577
```

Note that if both the query param and the corresponding localStorage item are set, the query param will take precedence.

### From this repository

If you're working on the inspector itself:

Development mode:

```bash
npm run dev

# To co-develop with the typescript-sdk package (assuming it's cloned in ../typescript-sdk; set MCP_SDK otherwise):
npm run dev:sdk "cd sdk && npm run examples:simple-server:w"
# then open http://localhost:3000/mcp as SHTTP in the inspector.
# To go back to the deployed SDK version:
#   npm run unlink:sdk && npm i
```

> **Note for Windows users:**
> On Windows, use the following command instead:
>
> ```bash
> npm run dev:windows
> ```

Production mode:

```bash
npm run build
npm start
```

### CLI Mode

CLI mode enables programmatic interaction with MCP servers from the command line, ideal for scripting, automation, and integration with coding assistants. This creates an efficient feedback loop for MCP server development.

```bash
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector --cli node build/index.js
```

The CLI mode supports most operations across tools, resources, and prompts. A few examples:

```bash
# Basic usage
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector --cli node build/index.js

# With config file
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector --cli --config path/to/config.json --server myserver

# List available tools
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector --cli node build/index.js --method tools/list

# Call a specific tool
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector --cli node build/index.js --method tools/call --tool-name mytool --tool-arg key=value --tool-arg another=value2

# List available resources
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector --cli node build/index.js --method resources/list

# List available prompts
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector --cli node build/index.js --method prompts/list

# Connect to a remote MCP server (default is SSE transport)
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector --cli https://my-mcp-server.example.com

# Connect to a remote MCP server (with Streamable HTTP transport)
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector --cli https://my-mcp-server.example.com --transport http --method tools/list

# Call a tool on a remote server
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector --cli https://my-mcp-server.example.com --method tools/call --tool-name remotetool --tool-arg param=value

# List resources from a remote server
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector --cli https://my-mcp-server.example.com --method resources/list
```

### UI Mode vs CLI Mode: When to Use Each

| Use Case                 | UI Mode                                                                   | CLI Mode                                                                                                                                             |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Server Development**   | Visual interface for interactive testing and debugging during development | Scriptable commands for quick testing and continuous integration; creates feedback loops with AI coding assistants like Cursor for rapid development |
| **Resource Exploration** | Interactive browser with hierarchical navigation and JSON visualization   | Programmatic listing and reading for automation and scripting                                                                                        |
| **Tool Testing**         | Form-based parameter input with real-time response visualization          | Command-line tool execution with JSON output for scripting                                                                                           |
| **Prompt Engineering**   | Interactive sampling with streaming responses and visual comparison       | Batch processing of prompts with machine-readable output                                                                                             |
| **Debugging**            | Request history, visualized errors, and real-time notifications           | Direct JSON output for log analysis and integration with other tools                                                                                 |
| **Automation**           | N/A                                                                       | Ideal for CI/CD pipelines, batch processing, and integration with coding assistants                                                                  |
| **Learning MCP**         | Rich visual interface helps new users understand server capabilities      | Simplified commands for focused learning of specific endpoints                                                                                       |

## License

This project is licensed under the MIT License—see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.