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It is useful for inspecting servers, scripting,\nand enabling AI coding agents to use MCP [\"code mode\"](#ai-agents) in shell.\nAfter all, UNIX-compatible shell script is THE most universal coding language.\n\n![mcpc screenshot](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/apify/mcpc/main/docs/images/mcpc-demo.gif)\n\n**Key features:**\n\n- 🌎 **Compatible** - Works with any MCP server over Streamable HTTP or stdio.\n- 🔄 **Persistent sessions** - Keep multiple server connections alive simultaneously.\n- 🔧 **Strong MCP support** - Instructions, tools, resources, prompts, async tasks, dynamic discovery.\n- 🔌 **Code mode** - JSON output enables integration with CLI tools like `jq` and scripting.\n- 🤖 **AI sandboxing** - MCP proxy server to securely access authenticated sessions from AI-generated code.\n- 🔒 **Secure** - Full OAuth 2.1 support, OS keychain for credentials storage.\n- 🪶 **Lightweight** - Minimal dependencies, works on Mac/Win/Linux, doesn't use LLMs on its own.\n- 💸 **[Agentic payments (x402)](#agentic-payments-x402)** - Experimental support for the [x402](https://www.x402.org/) payment protocol, enabling AI agents to pay for MCP tool calls with USDC on [Base](https://www.base.org/).\n\n## Table of contents\n\n\u003c!-- START doctoc generated TOC please keep comment here to allow auto update --\u003e\n\u003c!-- DON'T EDIT THIS SECTION, INSTEAD RE-RUN doctoc TO UPDATE --\u003e\n\n- [Install](#install)\n- [Quickstart](#quickstart)\n- [Usage](#usage)\n- [Sessions](#sessions)\n- [Authentication](#authentication)\n- [MCP proxy](#mcp-proxy)\n- [AI agents](#ai-agents)\n- [Agentic payments (x402)](#agentic-payments-x402)\n- [MCP support](#mcp-support)\n- [Configuration](#configuration)\n- [Security](#security)\n- [Errors](#errors)\n- [Development](#development)\n- [Related work](#related-work)\n- [License](#license)\n\n\u003c!-- END doctoc generated TOC please keep comment here to allow auto update --\u003e\n\n## Install\n\n```bash\nnpm install -g @apify/mcpc\n\n# Or with Bun\nbun install -g @apify/mcpc\n```\n\n**Linux users:** `mcpc` uses the OS keychain for secure credential storage via the\n[Secret Service API](https://specifications.freedesktop.org/secret-service/).\nOn desktop systems (GNOME, KDE) this works out of the box. On headless/server/CI environments\nwithout a keyring daemon, `mcpc` automatically falls back to a file-based credential store\n(`~/.mcpc/credentials`, mode `0600`).\n\nTo use the OS keychain on a headless system, install `libsecret` and a secret service daemon:\n\n```bash\n# Debian/Ubuntu\nsudo apt-get install libsecret-1-0 gnome-keyring\n\n# Fedora/RHEL/CentOS\nsudo dnf install libsecret gnome-keyring\n\n# Arch Linux\nsudo pacman -S libsecret gnome-keyring\n```\n\nAnd then run `mcpc` as follows:\n\n```\ndbus-run-session -- bash -c \"echo -n 'password' | gnome-keyring-daemon --unlock \u0026\u0026 mcpc ...\"\n```\n\n## Quickstart\n\n```bash\n# List all active sessions and saved authentication profiles\nmcpc\n\n# Login to remote MCP server and save OAuth credentials for future use\nmcpc login mcp.apify.com\n\n# Create a persistent session and interact with it\nmcpc connect mcp.apify.com @test\nmcpc @test                                            # show server info\nmcpc @test tools-list\nmcpc @test tools-call search-actors keywords:=\"website crawler\"\nmcpc @test shell\n\n# Use JSON mode for scripting\nmcpc --json @test tools-list\n\n# Use a local MCP server package (stdio) referenced from config file\nmcpc connect ./.vscode/mcp.json:filesystem @fs\nmcpc @fs tools-list\n```\n\n## Usage\n\n\u003c!-- AUTO-GENERATED: mcpc --help --\u003e\n\n```\nUsage: mcpc [\u003c@session\u003e] [\u003ccommand\u003e] [options]\n\nUniversal command-line client for the Model Context Protocol (MCP).\n\nCommands:\n  connect \u003cserver\u003e [@session]  Connect to an MCP server and start a named @session\n  close \u003c@session\u003e             Close a session\n  restart \u003c@session\u003e           Restart a session (losing all state)\n  shell \u003c@session\u003e             Open interactive shell for a session\n  login \u003cserver\u003e               Interactively login to a server using OAuth and save profile\n  logout \u003cserver\u003e              Delete an OAuth profile for a server\n  clean [resources...]         Clean up mcpc data (sessions, profiles, logs, all)\n  grep \u003cpattern\u003e               Search tools and instructions across all active sessions\n  x402 [subcommand] [args...]  Configure an x402 payment wallet (EXPERIMENTAL)\n  help [command] [subcommand]  Show help for a specific command\n\nOptions:\n  --json                       Output in JSON format for scripting\n  --verbose                    Enable debug logging\n  --profile \u003cname\u003e             OAuth profile for the server (\"default\" if not provided)\n  --timeout \u003cseconds\u003e          Request timeout in seconds (default: 300)\n  --max-chars \u003cn\u003e              Truncate output to n characters (ignored in --json mode)\n  --insecure                   Skip TLS certificate verification (for self-signed certs)\n  -v, --version                Output the version number\n  -h, --help                   Display help\n\nMCP session commands (after connecting):\n  \u003c@session\u003e                   Show MCP server info, capabilities, and tools overview\n  \u003c@session\u003e grep \u003cpattern\u003e    Search tools and instructions\n  \u003c@session\u003e tools-list        List all server tools\n  \u003c@session\u003e tools-get \u003cname\u003e  Get tool details and schema\n  \u003c@session\u003e tools-call \u003cname\u003e [arg:=val ... | \u003cjson\u003e | \u003cstdin]\n  \u003c@session\u003e prompts-list\n  \u003c@session\u003e prompts-get \u003cname\u003e [arg:=val ... | \u003cjson\u003e | \u003cstdin]\n  \u003c@session\u003e resources-list\n  \u003c@session\u003e resources-read \u003curi\u003e\n  \u003c@session\u003e resources-subscribe \u003curi\u003e\n  \u003c@session\u003e resources-unsubscribe \u003curi\u003e\n  \u003c@session\u003e resources-templates-list\n  \u003c@session\u003e tasks-list\n  \u003c@session\u003e tasks-get \u003ctaskId\u003e\n  \u003c@session\u003e tasks-result \u003ctaskId\u003e\n  \u003c@session\u003e tasks-cancel \u003ctaskId\u003e\n  \u003c@session\u003e logging-set-level \u003clevel\u003e\n  \u003c@session\u003e ping\n\nRun \"mcpc\" without arguments to show active sessions and OAuth profiles.\n```\n\n### General actions\n\nWith no arguments, `mcpc` lists all active sessions and saved OAuth profiles:\n\n```bash\n# List all sessions and OAuth profiles (also in JSON mode)\nmcpc\nmcpc --json\n\n# Show command help or version\nmcpc --help\nmcpc --version\n\n# Clean stale sessions and old log files\nmcpc clean\n```\n\n### Server formats\n\nThe `connect`, `login`, and `logout` commands accept a `\u003cserver\u003e` argument in these formats:\n\n- **Remote URL** (e.g. `mcp.apify.com` or `https://mcp.apify.com`) — scheme defaults to `https://`\n- **Config file entry** (e.g. `~/.vscode/mcp.json:filesystem`) — `file:entry-name` syntax\n\n### MCP commands\n\nAll MCP commands go through a named session created with `connect`:\n\n```bash\n# Connect to a remote server and create a session\nmcpc connect mcp.apify.com @apify\nmcpc @apify tools-list\nmcpc @apify tools-call search-apify-docs query:=\"What are Actors?\"\n\n# Connect to a local server via config file entry\nmcpc connect ~/.vscode/mcp.json:filesystem @fs\nmcpc @fs tools-list\nmcpc @fs tools-call list_directory path:=/\n```\n\nSee [MCP feature support](#mcp-feature-support) for details about all supported MCP features and commands.\n\n#### Command arguments\n\nThe `tools-call` and `prompts-get` commands accept arguments as positional parameters after the tool/prompt name:\n\n```bash\n# Key:=value pairs (auto-parsed: tries JSON, falls back to string)\nmcpc @session tools-call \u003ctool-name\u003e greeting:=\"hello world\" count:=10 enabled:=true\nmcpc @session tools-call \u003ctool-name\u003e config:='{\"key\":\"value\"}' items:='[1,2,3]'\n\n# Force string type with JSON quotes\nmcpc @session tools-call \u003ctool-name\u003e id:='\"123\"' flag:='\"true\"'\n\n# Inline JSON object (if first arg starts with { or [)\nmcpc @session tools-call \u003ctool-name\u003e '{\"greeting\":\"hello world\",\"count\":10}'\n\n# Read from stdin (automatic when no positional args and input is piped)\necho '{\"greeting\":\"hello\",\"count\":10}' | mcpc @session tools-call \u003ctool-name\u003e\ncat args.json | mcpc @session tools-call \u003ctool-name\u003e\n```\n\n**Rules:**\n\n- All arguments use `:=` syntax: `key:=value`\n- Values are auto-parsed: valid JSON becomes that type, otherwise treated as string\n  - `count:=10` → number `10`\n  - `enabled:=true` → boolean `true`\n  - `greeting:=hello` → string `\"hello\"` (not valid JSON, so string)\n  - `id:='\"123\"'` → string `\"123\"` (JSON string literal)\n- Inline JSON: If first argument starts with `{` or `[`, it's parsed as a JSON object/array\n- Stdin: When no positional args are provided and input is piped, reads JSON from stdin\n\n**Using shell variables:**\n\nWhen using shell variables that may contain spaces, use double quotes around the entire argument:\n\n```bash\n# Variable with spaces - use double quotes\nQUERY=\"hello world\"\nmcpc @server tools-call search \"query:=${QUERY}\"\n\n# Multiple variables\nCITY=\"New York\"\nTYPE=\"restaurants\"\nmcpc @server tools-call search \"query:=${CITY} ${TYPE}\"\n\n# For complex inputs, consider using JSON via stdin\necho \"{\\\"query\\\": \\\"${QUERY}\\\", \\\"limit\\\": 10}\" | mcpc @server tools-call search\n```\n\n**Common pitfall:** Don't put spaces around `:=` - it won't work:\n\n```bash\n# Wrong - spaces around :=\nmcpc @server tools-call search query := \"hello world\"\n\n# Correct - no spaces around :=\nmcpc @server tools-call search \"query:=hello world\"\n```\n\n### Interactive shell\n\n`mcpc` provides an interactive shell for discovery and testing of MCP servers.\n\n```bash\nmcpc @apify shell\n```\n\nShell commands: `help`, `exit`/`quit`/Ctrl+D, Ctrl+C to cancel.\nArrow keys navigate history (saved to `~/.mcpc/history`).\n\n### Grep (search across sessions)\n\n`mcpc grep` searches tools, resources, and prompts across all active sessions or within a single session:\n\n```bash\n# Search tools and server instructions in all active sessions\nmcpc grep \"search\"\n\n# Search within a single session\nmcpc @apify grep \"actor\"\n\n# Search resources and prompts instead of the default tools and instructions\nmcpc grep \"config\" --resources --prompts\n\n# Regex search\nmcpc grep \"search|find\" -E\n\n# Case-sensitive search (default is case-insensitive)\nmcpc grep \"Search\" --case-sensitive\n\n# Limit results\nmcpc grep \"e\" -m 5\n\n# JSON output for scripting\nmcpc grep \"actor\" --json\n```\n\nBy default, `grep` searches only tools. Use `--resources` or `--prompts` to search those types\n(combine with `--tools` to include tools too). Sessions that are crashed or unavailable are shown\nwith their status rather than silently skipped.\n\nThe `grep` command is useful for **dynamic tool discovery**,\nalso called [Tool search tool](https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/advanced-tool-use) by Anthropic\nor [Dynamic context discovery](https://cursor.com/blog/dynamic-context-discovery) by Cursor.\nRather than loading all tools into AI agent's context, the agent can use `grep` to discover the right tool\nfor the job, and only load the relevant tools into the context when needed to reduce token usage and improve accuracy.\n\n\u003c!-- TODO: explain this more, show diagram --\u003e\n\n### JSON mode\n\nBy default, `mcpc` prints output in Markdown-ish text format with colors, making it easy to read by both humans and AIs.\n\nWith `--json` option, `mcpc` always emits only a single JSON object (or array), to enable [scripting](#scripting).\n**For all MCP commands, the returned objects are always consistent with the\n[MCP specification](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/latest).**\nOn success, the JSON object is printed to stdout, on error to stderr.\n\nNote that `--json` is not available for `shell`, `login`, and `mcpc --help` commands.\n\n## Sessions\n\nMCP is a [stateful protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/latest/basic/lifecycle):\nclients and servers negotiate protocol version and capabilities, and then communicate within a persistent session.\nTo support these sessions, `mcpc` can start a lightweight **bridge process** that maintains the connection and state.\nThis is more efficient than forcing every MCP command to reconnect and reinitialize,\nand enables long-term stateful sessions.\n\nThe sessions are given names prefixed with `@` (e.g. `@apify`),\nwhich then serve as unique reference in commands.\n\n```bash\n# Create a persistent session\nmcpc connect mcp.apify.com @apify\n\n# List all sessions and OAuth profiles\nmcpc\n\n# Run MCP commands in the session\nmcpc @apify tools-list\nmcpc @apify shell\n\n# Restart the session (kills and restarts the bridge process)\nmcpc @apify restart    # or: mcpc restart @apify\n\n# Close the session, terminates bridge process\nmcpc @apify close      # or: mcpc close @apify\n\n# ...now session name \"@apify\" is forgotten and available for future use\n```\n\n### Session lifecycle\n\nThe sessions are persistent: metadata is saved in `~/.mcpc/sessions.json` file,\n[authentication tokens](#authentication) in OS keychain.\nThe `mcpc` bridge process keeps the session alive by sending periodic [ping messages](#ping) to the MCP server.\nStill, sessions can fail due to network disconnects, bridge process crash, or server dropping it.\n\n**Session states:**\n\n| State                | Meaning                                                                                            |\n| -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| 🟢**`live`**         | Bridge process running and server responding                                                       |\n| 🟡**`connecting`**   | Initial bridge startup in progress (`mcpc connect`)                                                |\n| 🟡**`reconnecting`** | Bridge crashed or lost auth; auto-reconnecting in the background                                   |\n| 🟡**`disconnected`** | Bridge process running but server unreachable; auto-recovers when server responds                  |\n| 🟡**`crashed`**      | Bridge process crashed or was killed; auto-reconnects in the background                            |\n| 🔴**`unauthorized`** | Server rejected authentication (401/403) or token refresh failed; auto-reconnects or needs `login` |\n| 🔴**`expired`**      | Server rejected session ID (404); requires `restart`                                               |\n\nHere's how `mcpc` handles various bridge process and server connection states:\n\n- While the **bridge process is running**:\n  - If **server positively responds** to pings, the session is marked 🟢 **`live`**, and everything is fine.\n  - If **server stops responding**, the session is marked 🟡 **`disconnected`**.\n    The bridge will keep trying to reconnect in the background and will return to 🟢 **`live`** once the server responds again.\n  - If **server rejects authentication** (HTTP 401 or 403) or token refresh fails,\n    the session is marked 🔴 **`unauthorized`**.\n    `mcpc` will auto-reconnect in the background if another session sharing the same OAuth profile has refreshed the tokens.\n    Otherwise, re-authenticate with `mcpc login \u003cserver\u003e` and then `mcpc @my-session restart`.\n  - If **server rejects the session ID** (HTTP 404), indicating the MCP session is no longer valid,\n    the session is marked 🔴 **`expired`**.\n    You need to restart the session with `mcpc @my-session restart` to establish a new connection.\n- If the **bridge process crashes**, `mcpc` will mark the session as 🟡 **`crashed`**\n  and auto-reconnect the bridge in the background. You can also trigger reconnection manually\n  by running any `mcpc @my-session ...` command.\n  - If reconnection **succeeds** and the server resumes the MCP session, the session returns to 🟢 **`live`**.\n  - If the server issues a **new session ID** instead of resuming, the session is marked 🔴 **`expired`**.\n  - If reconnection **fails**, the session remains 🟡 **`crashed`** and retries after a 10-second cooldown.\n\nNote that `mcpc` never automatically removes sessions from the list.\nInstead, it keeps them flagged as 🟡 **`crashed`**, 🔴 **`unauthorized`**, or 🔴 **`expired`**,\nand any future attempts to use them will show the appropriate error with recovery instructions.\n\nTo **remove the session from the list**, you need to explicitly close it:\n\n```bash\nmcpc @apify close    # or: mcpc close @apify\n```\n\nYou can restart a session anytime, which kills the bridge process\nand opens new connection with new `MCP-Session-Id`, by running:\n\n```bash\nmcpc @apify restart  # or: mcpc restart @apify\n```\n\n## Authentication\n\n`mcpc` supports all standard [MCP authorization methods](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/latest/basic/authorization).\n\n### Anonymous access\n\nFor local servers (stdio) or remote servers (Streamable HTTP) which do not require credentials,\n`mcpc` can be used without authentication:\n\n```bash\nmcpc connect mcp.apify.com @test\nmcpc @test tools-list\n```\n\n### Bearer token authentication\n\nFor remote servers that require a Bearer token (but not OAuth), use the `--header` flag to pass the token.\nAll headers are stored securely in the OS keychain for the session, but they are **not** saved as reusable\n[OAuth profiles](#oauth-profiles). This means `--header` needs to be provided whenever\nrunning a one-shot command or connecting new session.\n\n```bash\n# Create session with Bearer token (token saved to keychain for this session only)\nmcpc connect https://mcp.apify.com @apify --header \"Authorization: Bearer ${APIFY_TOKEN}\"\n\n# Use the session (Bearer token is loaded from keychain automatically)\nmcpc @apify tools-list\n```\n\n### OAuth profiles\n\nFor OAuth-enabled remote MCP servers, `mcpc` implements the full OAuth 2.1 flow with PKCE as\nmandated by the [MCP authorization spec](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-11-25/basic/authorization):\n`WWW-Authenticate` 401 challenges, Protected Resource Metadata and authorization server metadata\ndiscovery, all three [client registration approaches](#client-registration-approaches),\n[resource indicators (RFC 8707)](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8707), and automatic\nrefresh-token rotation.\n\nThe OAuth authentication **always** needs to be initiated by the user calling the `login` command,\nwhich opens a web browser with login screen. `mcpc` never opens the web browser on its own.\n\nThe OAuth credentials to specific servers are securely stored as **authentication profiles** - reusable\ncredentials that allow you to:\n\n- Authenticate once, use credentials across multiple commands or sessions\n- Use different accounts (profiles) with the same server\n- Manage credentials independently from sessions\n\nKey concepts:\n\n- **Authentication profile**: Named set of OAuth credentials for a specific server (stored in `~/.mcpc/profiles.json` + OS keychain)\n- **Session**: Active connection to a server that may reference an authentication profile (stored in `~/.mcpc/sessions.json`)\n- **Default profile**: When `--profile` is not specified, `mcpc` uses the authentication profile named `default`\n\n**Example:**\n\n```bash\n# Login to server and save 'default' authentication profile for future use\nmcpc login mcp.apify.com\n\n# Use named authentication profile instead of 'default'\nmcpc login mcp.apify.com --profile work\n\n# Create two sessions using the two different credentials\nmcpc connect mcp.apify.com @apify-personal\nmcpc connect mcp.apify.com @apify-work --profile work\n\n# Both sessions now work independently\nmcpc @apify-personal tools-list  # Uses personal account\nmcpc @apify-work tools-list      # Uses work account\n\n# Re-authenticate existing profile (e.g., to refresh or change scopes)\nmcpc login mcp.apify.com --profile work\n\n# Delete \"default\" and \"work\" authentication profiles\nmcpc logout mcp.apify.com\nmcpc logout mcp.apify.com --profile work\n```\n\n### Client registration approaches\n\nWhen logging in, `mcpc` supports all three OAuth client registration approaches defined in the\n[MCP authorization spec](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-11-25/basic/authorization#client-registration-approaches),\npicking the one the authorization server advertises in its OAuth metadata:\n\n| **Approach**                            | **`mcpc login` flags**                         |\n|:----------------------------------------| :--------------------------------------------- |\n| **Pre-registration**                    | `--client-id` (and optional `--client-secret`) |\n| **Client ID Metadata Documents (CIMD)** | `--client-metadata-url \u003chttps-url\u003e`            |\n| **Dynamic Client Registration (DCR)**   | _(default, no flags needed)_                   |\n\n```bash\n# Pre-registered OAuth client (public or confidential)\nmcpc login mcp.example.com --client-id \u003cid\u003e [--client-secret \u003csecret\u003e]\n\n# Client ID Metadata Documents (CIMD): URL points to a JSON document served over HTTPS.\n# Used only if the authorization server advertises client_id_metadata_document_supported: true;\n# otherwise mcpc falls back to Dynamic Client Registration.\nmcpc login mcp.example.com --client-metadata-url https://example.com/mcpc-client.json\n\n# Dynamic Client Registration (DCR): default when the server has a registration_endpoint.\nmcpc login mcp.apify.com\n```\n\nSee the [MCP authorization spec](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-11-25/basic/authorization#client-registration-approaches)\nfor details on each approach and the format of Client ID Metadata Documents.\n\n### Authentication precedence\n\nWhen multiple authentication methods are available, `mcpc` uses this precedence order:\n\n1. **Command-line `--header` flag** (highest priority) - Always used if provided\n2. **Saved authentication profiles** - OAuth tokens from saved profile\n3. **Config file headers** - Headers from `--config` file for the server\n4. **No authentication** - Attempts unauthenticated connection\n\n**Note:** `--profile` and `--header \"Authorization: ...\"` cannot be combined — they are mutually\nexclusive. Providing both will result in a clear error. Use one or the other.\n\n`mcpc` automatically handles authentication based on what you specify:\n\n**When `--header \"Authorization: ...\"` is provided:**\n\n- The explicit header is always used, and OAuth profile auto-detection is skipped entirely\n- This works even if a `default` profile exists for the server\n- Cannot be combined with `--profile` (returns an error)\n\n**When `--profile \u003cname\u003e` is specified:**\n\n1. **Profile exists for the server**: Use its stored credentials\n   - If authentication succeeds → Continue with command/session\n   - If authentication fails (expired/invalid) → Fail with an error\n2. **Profile doesn't exist**: Fail with an error\n\n**When `--x402` is specified (without `--profile`):**\n\n- OAuth profile auto-detection is skipped, since x402 serves as the payment/auth mechanism\n- If you also pass `--profile`, the specified profile is still used alongside x402\n\n**When `--no-profile` is specified:**\n\n- Skip all OAuth profile detection and connect anonymously\n- Useful when a `default` profile exists but you want an unauthenticated session\n- Can be combined with `--header \"Authorization: ...\"` for explicit bearer token without profile\n\n**When no flags are specified (default):**\n\n1. **`default` profile exists for the server**: Use its stored credentials\n   - If authentication succeeds → Continue with command/session\n   - If authentication fails (expired/invalid) → Fail with an error\n2. **`default` profile doesn't exist**: Attempt unauthenticated connection\n   - If server accepts (no auth required) → Continue without creating profile\n   - If server rejects with 401 + `WWW-Authenticate` → Fail with an error\n\nOn failure, the error message includes instructions on how to login and save the profile, so you know what to do.\n\nThis flow ensures:\n\n- Explicit CLI flags always take precedence over stored profiles\n- Credentials are never silently mixed up (personal → work) or downgraded (authenticated → unauthenticated)\n- You can mix authenticated sessions (with named profiles) and public access on the same server\n\n**Examples:**\n\n```bash\n# With specific profile - always authenticated:\n# - Uses 'work' if it exists\n# - Fails if it doesn't exist\nmcpc connect mcp.apify.com @apify-work --profile work\n\n# Without profile - opportunistic authentication:\n# - Uses 'default' if it exists\n# - Tries unauthenticated if 'default' doesn't exist\n# - Fails if the server requires authentication\nmcpc connect mcp.apify.com @apify-personal\n\n# Explicit bearer token - skips profile auto-detection:\nmcpc connect mcp.apify.com @apify --header \"Authorization: Bearer ${APIFY_TOKEN}\"\n\n# x402 payment - skips default profile auto-detection:\nmcpc connect mcp.apify.com @apify --x402\n\n# Anonymous - skips default profile even if it exists:\nmcpc connect mcp.apify.com @apify-anon --no-profile\n```\n\n## MCP proxy\n\nFor stronger isolation, `mcpc` can expose an MCP session under a new local proxy MCP server using the `--proxy` option.\nThe proxy forwards all MCP requests to the upstream server but **never exposes the original authentication tokens** to the client.\nThis is useful when you want to give someone or something MCP access without revealing your credentials.\nSee also [AI sandboxes](#ai-sandboxes).\n\n```bash\n# Human authenticates to a remote server\nmcpc login mcp.apify.com\n\n# Create authenticated session with proxy server on localhost:8080\nmcpc connect mcp.apify.com @open-relay --proxy 8080\n\n# Now any MCP client can connect to proxy like to a regular MCP server\n# The client has NO access to the original OAuth tokens or HTTP headers\n# Note: localhost/127.0.0.1 URLs default to http:// (no scheme needed)\nmcpc connect localhost:8080 @sandboxed\nmcpc @sandboxed tools-call search-actors keywords:=\"web scraper\"\n\n# Optionally protect proxy with bearer token for better security (stored in OS keychain)\nmcpc connect mcp.apify.com @secure-relay --proxy 8081 --proxy-bearer-token secret123\n# To use the proxy, caller needs to pass the bearer token in HTTP header\nmcpc connect localhost:8081 @sandboxed2 --header \"Authorization: Bearer secret123\"\n```\n\n**Proxy options for `connect` command:**\n\n| Option                         | Description                                                                    |\n| ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |\n| `--proxy [host:]port`          | Start proxy MCP server. Default host: `127.0.0.1` (localhost only)             |\n| `--proxy-bearer-token \u003ctoken\u003e` | Requires `Authorization: Bearer \u003ctoken\u003e` header to access the proxy MCP server |\n\n**Security model:**\n\n- **Localhost by default**: `--proxy 8080` binds to `127.0.0.1` only, preventing network access\n- **Tokens hidden**: Original OAuth tokens and/or HTTP headers are never exposed to proxy clients\n- **Optional auth**: Use `--proxy-bearer-token` to add another layer of security\n- **Explicit opt-in**: Proxy only starts when `--proxy` flag is provided\n\n**Binding to network interfaces:**\n\n```bash\n# Localhost only (default, most secure)\nmcpc connect mcp.apify.com @relay --proxy 8080\n\n# Bind to all interfaces (allows network access - use with caution!)\nmcpc connect mcp.apify.com @relay --proxy 0.0.0.0:8080\n\n# Bind to specific interface\nmcpc connect mcp.apify.com @relay --proxy 192.168.1.100:8080\n```\n\nWhen listing sessions, proxy info is displayed prominently:\n\n```bash\nmcpc\n# @relay → https://mcp.apify.com (HTTP, OAuth: default) [proxy: 127.0.0.1:8080]\n```\n\n## AI agents\n\n`mcpc` is designed for CLI-enabled AI agents like Claude Code or Codex CLI, supporting both\ninteractive **tool calling** and **[code mode](https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/code-execution-with-mcp)**.\n\n**Tool calling mode** - Agents call `mcpc` commands to dynamically explore and interact with MCP servers,\nusing the default text output. This is similar to how MCP connectors in ChatGPT or Claude work,\nbut CLI gives you more flexibility and longer operation timeouts.\n\n```bash\n# Discover available tools\nmcpc @server tools-list\n\n# Get tool schema\nmcpc @server tools-get search\n\n# Call a tool\nmcpc @server tools-call search query:=\"hello world\"\n```\n\n**Code mode** - Once agents understand the server's capabilities, they can write shell scripts\nthat compose multiple `mcpc` commands with `--json` output. This can be\n[more accurate](https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/code-execution-with-mcp)\nand use fewer tokens than tool calling for complex workflows.\n\n```bash\n# AI-generated script using --json for structured data\nmcpc --json @apify tools-call search-actors keywords:=\"scraper\" \\\n  | jq '.content[0].text | fromjson | .items[0].id' \\\n  | xargs -I {} mcpc @apify tools-call get-actor actorId:=\"{}\"\n```\n\nWith [schema validation](#schema-validation), agents can ensure stability of integrations and faster failure recovery.\nAgents, make no harm!\n\nSee an [example](./docs/examples/company-lookup.sh) of an AI-generated shell script.\n\n### Scripting\n\nUse `--json` for machine-readable output (stdout on success, stderr on error).\nJSON output of all MCP commands follows the [MCP specification](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/latest) strictly.\n\n```bash\n# Chain tools across sessions\nmcpc --json @apify tools-call search-actors keywords:=\"scraper\" \\\n  | jq '.content[0].text | fromjson | .items[0].id' \\\n  | xargs -I {} mcpc @apify tools-call get-actor actorId:=\"{}\"\n\n# Batch operations\nfor tool in $(mcpc --json @server tools-list | jq -r '.[].name'); do\n  mcpc --json @server tools-get \"$tool\" \u003e \"schemas/$tool.json\"\ndone\n```\n\nFor a complete example script, see [`docs/examples/company-lookup.sh`](./docs/examples/company-lookup.sh).\n\n### Schema validation\n\nThe `tools-get` and `tools-call` commands support `--schema` to validate a tool's schema against an expected snapshot. This helps detect breaking changes early in scripts and CI:\n\n```bash\n# Save expected schema\nmcpc --json @apify tools-get search-actors \u003e expected.json\n\n# Validate without calling (read-only check)\nmcpc @apify tools-get search-actors --schema expected.json\n\n# Validate before calling (fails if schema changed incompatibly)\nmcpc @apify tools-call search-actors --schema expected.json keywords:=\"test\"\n```\n\nAvailable schema validation modes (`--schema-mode`):\n\n- `compatible` (default)\n  - Input schema: new optional fields OK, required fields must have the same type.\n  - Output schema: new fields OK, removed required fields cause error.\n- `strict` - Both input and output schemas must match exactly, including all fields, types, and descriptions\n- `ignore` - Skip validation completely (YOLO)\n\n### AI sandboxes\n\nTo ensure AI coding agents don't perform destructive actions or leak credentials,\nit's always a good idea to run them in a code sandbox with limited access to your resources.\n\nThe [proxy MCP server](#mcp-proxy) feature provides a security boundary for AI agents:\n\n1. **Human creates authentication profile**: `mcpc login mcp.apify.com --profile ai-access`\n2. **Human creates session**: `mcpc connect mcp.apify.com @ai-sandbox --profile ai-access --proxy 8080`\n3. **AI runs inside a sandbox**: If sandbox has access limited to `localhost:8080`,\n   it can only interact with the MCP server through the `@ai-sandbox` session,\n   without access to the original OAuth credentials, HTTP headers, or `mcpc` configuration.\n\nThis ensures AI agents operate only with pre-authorized credentials, preventing unauthorized access to MCP servers.\nThe human controls which servers the AI can access and with what permissions (OAuth scopes).\n\n**IMPORTANT:** Beware that MCP proxy will not make an insecure MCP server secure.\nLocal stdio servers will still have access to your local system, and HTTP servers to provided auth credentials,\nand both can easily perform destructive actions or leak credentials on their own, or let MCP clients do such actions.\n**Always use only trusted local and remote MCP servers and limit their access to the necessary minimum.**\n\n### Agent skills\n\nTo help Claude Code use `mcpc`, you can install this [Claude skill](./docs/claude-skill/README.md):\n\n\u003c!-- TODO: Add also AGENTS.md, GitHub skills etc. --\u003e\n\n## Agentic payments (x402)\n\n\u003e ⚠️ **Experimental.** This feature is under active development and may change.\n\n`mcpc` has experimental support for the [x402 payment protocol](https://www.x402.org/),\nwhich enables AI agents to autonomously pay for MCP tool calls using cryptocurrency.\nWhen an MCP server charges for a tool call (HTTP 402), `mcpc` automatically signs a USDC payment\non the [Base](https://base.org/) blockchain and retries the request — no human intervention needed.\n\nThis is entirely **opt-in**: existing functionality is unaffected unless you explicitly pass the `--x402` flag.\n\n### How it works\n\n1. **Server returns HTTP 402** with a `PAYMENT-REQUIRED` header describing the price and payment details.\n2. `mcpc` parses the header, signs an [EIP-3009](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-3009) `TransferWithAuthorization` using your local wallet.\n3. `mcpc` retries the request with a `PAYMENT-SIGNATURE` header containing the signed payment.\n4. The server verifies the signature and fulfills the request.\n\nFor tools that advertise pricing in their `_meta.x402` metadata, `mcpc` can **proactively sign** payments\non the first request, avoiding the 402 round-trip entirely.\n\n### Wallet setup\n\n`mcpc` stores a single wallet in `~/.mcpc/wallets.json` (file permissions `0600`).\nYou need to create or import a wallet before using x402 payments.\n\n```bash\n# Create a new wallet (generates a random private key)\nmcpc x402 init\n\n# Or import an existing wallet from a private key\nmcpc x402 import \u003cprivate-key\u003e\n\n# Show wallet address and creation date\nmcpc x402 info\n\n# Remove the wallet\nmcpc x402 remove\n```\n\nAfter creating a wallet, **fund it with USDC on Base** (mainnet or Sepolia testnet) to enable payments.\n\n### Manual payment signing\n\nYou can manually sign a payment from a server's `PAYMENT-REQUIRED` header using `x402 sign`.\nThis is useful for pre-signing payments or integrating with tools outside of `mcpc`.\n\n```bash\n# Sign a payment using the base64-encoded PAYMENT-REQUIRED header\nmcpc x402 sign \u003cbase64-payment-required\u003e\n\n# Override the amount (in USD, e.g. 2.50 = $2.50)\nmcpc x402 sign \u003cbase64-payment-required\u003e --amount 2.50\n\n# Override the expiry (in seconds from now)\nmcpc x402 sign \u003cbase64-payment-required\u003e --expiry 7200\n\n# Combine overrides and use JSON output\nmcpc x402 sign \u003cbase64-payment-required\u003e --amount 1.00 --expiry 3600 --json\n```\n\n**Options:**\n\n| Option               | Description                                                   |\n| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| `--amount \u003cusd\u003e`     | Override the payment amount in USD (e.g. `0.50` for $0.50)    |\n| `--expiry \u003cseconds\u003e` | Override the payment expiry in seconds from now (e.g. `3600`) |\n\nThe command outputs the signed `PAYMENT-SIGNATURE` header value and an MCP config snippet\nthat can be used directly with other MCP clients.\n\n### Using x402 with MCP servers\n\nPass the `--x402` flag when connecting to a session or running direct commands:\n\n```bash\n# Create a session with x402 payment support\nmcpc connect mcp.apify.com @apify --x402\n\n# The session now automatically handles 402 responses\nmcpc @apify tools-call expensive-tool query:=\"hello\"\n\n# Restart a session with x402 enabled\nmcpc @apify restart --x402\n```\n\nWhen `--x402` is active, a fetch middleware wraps all HTTP requests to the MCP server.\nIf any request returns HTTP 402, the middleware transparently signs and retries.\n\n### Supported networks\n\n| Network              | Status       |\n| -------------------- | ------------ |\n| Base Mainnet         | ✅ Supported |\n| Base Sepolia testnet | ✅ Supported |\n\n## MCP support\n\n`mcpc` is built on the official [MCP SDK for TypeScript](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/typescript-sdk) and supports most [MCP protocol features](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/latest).\n\n### Transport\n\n- **stdio**: Direct bidirectional JSON-RPC communication over\n  stdio server from the [config file](#mcp-server-config-file).\n- **Streamable HTTP**: Fully supported.\n- **HTTP with SSE** (deprecated): Legacy mode, not supported.\n\n### Authorization\n\n- [Anonymous access](#anonymous-access)\n- [HTTP header authorization](#bearer-token-authentication)\n- [OAuth 2.1](#oauth-profiles)\n\n### MCP session\n\nThe bridge process manages the full MCP session lifecycle:\n\n- Performs initialization handshake (`initialize` → `initialized`)\n- Negotiates protocol version and capabilities\n- Fetches server-provided `instructions`\n- Maintains persistent HTTP connections with bidirectional streaming, or stdio bidirectional pipe to subprocess\n- Handles `MCP-Protocol-Version` and `MCP-Session-Id` headers automatically\n- Handles multiple concurrent requests\n- Recovers transparently from network disconnections and bridge process crashes\n\n### MCP feature support\n\n| **Feature**                                        | **Status**                        |\n| :------------------------------------------------- | :-------------------------------- |\n| 📖 [**Instructions**](#server-instructions)        | ✅ Supported                      |\n| 🔧 [**Tools**](#tools)                             | ✅ Supported                      |\n| 💬 [**Prompts**](#prompts)                         | ✅ Supported                      |\n| 📦 [**Resources**](#resources)                     | ✅ Supported                      |\n| 📝 [**Logging**](#server-logs)                     | ✅ Supported                      |\n| 🔔 [**Notifications**](#list-change-notifications) | ✅ Supported                      |\n| 📄 [**Pagination**](#pagination)                   | ✅ Supported                      |\n| 🏓 [**Ping**](#ping)                               | ✅ Supported                      |\n| ⏳ [**Async tasks**](#async-tasks)                 | ✅ Supported                      |\n| 📁 **Roots**                                       | 🚧 Planned                        |\n| ❓ **Elicitation**                                 | 🚧 Planned                        |\n| 🔤 **Completion**                                  | 🚧 Planned                        |\n| 🤖 **Sampling**                                    | ❌ Not applicable (no LLM access) |\n\n#### Server instructions\n\nMCP servers can provide instructions describing their capabilities and usage. These are displayed when you connect to a server or run the `help` command:\n\n```bash\n# Show server info, capabilities, and instructions (both commands behave the same)\nmcpc @apify\nmcpc @apify help\n\n# JSON mode\nmcpc @apify --json\n```\n\nIn [JSON mode](#json-mode), the resulting object adheres\nto [`InitializeResult`](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/latest/schema#initializeresult) object schema,\nand includes the `_mcpc` field with relevant server/session metadata.\n\n```json\n{\n  \"_mcpc\": {\n    \"sessionName\": \"@apify\",\n    \"profileName\": \"default\",\n    \"server\": {\n      \"url\": \"https://mcp.apify.com\"\n    },\n    \"notifications\": {\n      \"tools\": { \"listChangedAt\": \"2026-01-01T00:42:58.049Z\" }\n    }\n  },\n  \"protocolVersion\": \"2025-06-18\",\n  \"capabilities\": {\n    \"logging\": {},\n    \"prompts\": {},\n    \"resources\": {},\n    \"tools\": { \"listChanged\": true }\n  },\n  \"serverInfo\": {\n    \"name\": \"apify-mcp-server\",\n    \"version\": \"1.0.0\"\n  },\n  \"instructions\": \"Apify is the largest marketplace of tools for web scraping...\"\n}\n```\n\n#### Tools\n\nList, inspect, and call server-provided tools:\n\n```bash\n# List available tools (only names and attributes - useful for dynamic discovery)\nmcpc @apify tools-list\n\n# List available tools (full details including input/output args and description)\nmcpc @apify tools-list --full\n\n# Get tool schema with full details\nmcpc @apify tools-get search-actors\n\n# Call a tool with arguments\nmcpc @apify tools-call search-actors keywords:=\"web scraper\"\n\n# Pass complex JSON arguments\nmcpc @apify tools-call create-task '{\"name\": \"my-task\", \"options\": {\"memory\": 1024}}'\n\n# Load arguments from stdin\ncat data.json | mcpc @apify tools-call bulk-import\n```\n\n#### Prompts\n\nList and retrieve server-defined prompt templates:\n\n```bash\n# List available prompts\nmcpc @apify prompts-list\n\n# Get a prompt with arguments\nmcpc @apify prompts-get analyze-website url:=https://example.com\n```\n\n\u003c!-- TODO: Add example of prompt templates --\u003e\n\n#### Resources\n\nAccess server-provided data sources by URI:\n\n```bash\n# List available resources\nmcpc @apify resources-list\n\n# Read a resource\nmcpc @apify resources-read \"file:///config.json\"\n\n# Subscribe to resource changes (in shell mode)\nmcpc @apify resources-subscribe \"https://api.example.com/data\"\n\n# List resource templates\nmcpc @apify resources-templates-list\n```\n\n#### List change notifications\n\nWhen connected via a [session](#sessions), `mcpc` automatically handles `list_changed`\nnotifications for tools, resources, and prompts.\nThe bridge process tracks when each notification type was last received.\nIn [shell mode](#interactive-shell), notifications are displayed in real-time.\nThe timestamps are available in JSON output of `mcpc @session --json` under the `_mcpc.notifications`\nfield - see [Server instructions](#server-instructions).\n\n#### Server logs\n\n`mcpc` supports server logging settings (`logging/setLevel`) and log messages (`notifications/message`).\nLog messages are printed to bridge log or stderr, subject to [verbosity level](#verbose-mode).\n\nYou can instruct MCP servers to adjust their [logging level](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/latest/server/utilities/logging)\nusing the `logging-set-level` command:\n\n```bash\n# Set server log level to debug for detailed output\nmcpc @apify logging-set-level debug\n\n# Reduce server logging to only errors\nmcpc @apify logging-set-level error\n```\n\nNote that this sets the logging level on the **server side**.\nThe actual log output depends on the server's implementation.\n\n#### Pagination\n\nMCP servers may return paginated results for list operations\n(`tools-list`, `resources-list`, `prompts-list`, `resources-templates-list`).\n`mcpc` handles this automatically and always fetches all available pages using the `nextCursor`\ntoken - you always get the complete list without manual iteration. Keep it simple.\n\n#### Ping\n\nSessions automatically send periodic pings to keep the [connection alive](#session-lifecycle) and detect failures early.\nSend a ping to check if a server connection is alive:\n\n```bash\n# Ping a session and measure round-trip time\nmcpc @apify ping\nmcpc @apify ping --json\n```\n\n#### Async tasks\n\nMCP servers can execute tools as [async tasks](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/latest/server/utilities/tasks)\nthat run in the background and report progress. `mcpc` supports the full task lifecycle:\n\n```bash\n# Call a tool as a task (waits for completion, shows progress spinner)\nmcpc @apify tools-call long-running-job input:=\"data\" --task\n\n# Start a task and return immediately with the task ID\nmcpc @apify tools-call long-running-job input:=\"data\" --detach\n\n# List active tasks\nmcpc @apify tasks-list\n\n# Check task status\nmcpc @apify tasks-get \u003ctaskId\u003e\n\n# Get the task result (blocks until the task reaches a terminal state)\nmcpc @apify tasks-result \u003ctaskId\u003e\n\n# Cancel a running task\nmcpc @apify tasks-cancel \u003ctaskId\u003e\n```\n\nWith `--task`, the CLI shows a progress spinner with elapsed time, server status messages,\nand progress notifications. Press **ESC** during execution to detach and get the task ID\nfor later retrieval. With `--detach`, the task starts and returns the task ID immediately.\nUse `tasks-result \u003ctaskId\u003e` to fetch the final `CallToolResult` payload once the task\ncompletes.\n\n`tools-list` and `tools-get` show task support annotations per tool:\n`[task:optional]`, `[task:required]`, or `[task:forbidden]`.\n\n## Configuration\n\nYou can configure `mcpc` using a config file, environment variables, or command-line flags.\n\n**Precedence** (highest to lowest):\n\n1. Command-line flags (including `--config` option)\n2. Environment variables\n3. Built-in defaults\n\n### MCP server config file\n\n`mcpc` supports the [\"standard\"](https://gofastmcp.com/integrations/mcp-json-configuration)\nMCP server JSON config file, compatible with Claude Desktop, VS Code, and other MCP clients.\nUse the `file:entry` syntax to reference a server from a config file:\n\n```bash\n# Open a session to a server specified in the Visual Studio Code config\nmcpc connect .vscode/mcp.json:apify @my-apify\nmcpc @my-apify tools-list\n```\n\n**Example MCP config JSON file:**\n\n```json\n{\n  \"mcpServers\": {\n    \"apify\": {\n      \"url\": \"https://mcp.apify.com\",\n      \"headers\": {\n        \"Authorization\": \"Bearer ${APIFY_TOKEN}\"\n      }\n    },\n    \"filesystem\": {\n      \"command\": \"npx\",\n      \"args\": [\"-y\", \"@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem\", \"/tmp\"],\n      \"env\": {\n        \"DEBUG\": \"mcp:*\"\n      }\n    },\n    \"local-package\": {\n      \"command\": \"node\",\n      \"args\": [\"/path/to/server.js\"]\n    }\n  }\n}\n```\n\n**Server configuration properties:**\n\nFor **Streamable HTTP servers:**\n\n- `url` (required) - MCP server endpoint URL\n- `headers` (optional) - HTTP headers to include with requests\n- `timeout` (optional) - Request timeout in seconds\n\nFor **stdio servers:**\n\n- `command` (required) - Command to execute (e.g., `node`, `npx`, `python`)\n- `args` (optional) - Array of command arguments\n- `env` (optional) - Environment variables for the process\n\n**Using servers from config file:**\n\nReference servers by their name using the `file:entry` syntax:\n\n```bash\n# Create a named session from a server in the config\nmcpc connect .vscode/mcp.json:filesystem @fs\nmcpc @fs tools-list\nmcpc @fs tools-call search\n```\n\n**Environment variable substitution:**\n\nConfig files support environment variable substitution using `${VAR_NAME}` syntax:\n\n```json\n{\n  \"mcpServers\": {\n    \"secure-server\": {\n      \"url\": \"https://mcp.apify.com\",\n      \"headers\": {\n        \"Authorization\": \"Bearer ${APIFY_TOKEN}\",\n        \"X-User-ID\": \"${USER_ID}\"\n      }\n    }\n  }\n}\n```\n\n### Saved state\n\n`mcpc` saves its state to `~/.mcpc/` directory (unless overridden by `MCPC_HOME_DIR`), in the following files:\n\n- `~/.mcpc/sessions.json` - Active sessions with references to authentication profiles (file-locked for concurrent access)\n- `~/.mcpc/profiles.json` - Authentication profiles (OAuth metadata, scopes, expiry)\n- `~/.mcpc/wallets.json` - x402 wallet data (file permissions `0600`)\n- `~/.mcpc/bridges/` - Unix domain socket files for each bridge process\n- `~/.mcpc/logs/bridge-*.log` - Log files for each bridge process\n- OS keychain - Sensitive credentials (OAuth tokens, bearer tokens, client secrets)\n\n### Environment variables\n\n- `MCPC_HOME_DIR` - Directory for session and authentication profiles data (default is `~/.mcpc`)\n- `MCPC_VERBOSE` - Enable verbose logging (set to `1`, `true`, or `yes`, case-insensitive)\n- `MCPC_JSON` - Enable JSON output (set to `1`, `true`, or `yes`, case-insensitive)\n- `HTTPS_PROXY` / `https_proxy` / `HTTP_PROXY` / `http_proxy` - Proxy URL for outbound connections (e.g. `http://proxy.example.com:8080`); `HTTPS_PROXY` takes precedence\n- `NO_PROXY` / `no_proxy` - Comma-separated list of hostnames/IPs to bypass the proxy (e.g. `localhost,127.0.0.1`)\n\n### Cleanup\n\nYou can clean up the `mcpc` state and data using the `clean` command:\n\n```bash\n# Safe non-destructive cleanup: remove expired sessions, delete old orphaned logs\nmcpc clean\n\n# Clean specific resources\nmcpc clean sessions    # Kill bridges, delete all sessions\nmcpc clean profiles    # Delete all authentication profiles\nmcpc clean logs        # Delete all log files\n\n# Nuclear option: remove everything\nmcpc clean all         # Delete all sessions, profiles, logs, and sockets\n```\n\n## Security\n\n`mcpc` follows [MCP security best practices](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/latest/basic/security_best_practices).\nMCP enables arbitrary tool execution and data access - treat servers like you treat shells:\n\n- Use least-privilege tokens/headers\n- Only use trusted servers!\n- Audit tools before running them\n\n### Credential protection\n\n| What                   | How                                             |\n| ---------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |\n| **OAuth tokens**       | Stored in OS keychain, never on disk            |\n| **HTTP headers**       | Stored in OS keychain per-session               |\n| **Bridge credentials** | Passed via Unix socket IPC, kept in memory only |\n| **Process arguments**  | No secrets visible in `ps aux`                  |\n| **x402 private key**   | Stored in `wallets.json` (`0600` permissions)   |\n| **Config files**       | Contain only metadata, never tokens             |\n| **File permissions**   | `0600` (user-only) for all config files         |\n\n### Network security\n\n- HTTPS enforced for remote servers (auto-upgraded from HTTP)\n- OAuth callback binds to `127.0.0.1` only\n- Credentials never logged, even in verbose mode\n\n### AI security\n\nSee [AI sandboxes](#ai-sandboxes) for details.\n\n## Errors\n\n`mcpc` provides clear error messages for common issues:\n\n- **Connection failures**: Displays transport-level errors with retry suggestions\n- **Session timeouts**: Automatically attempts to reconnect or prompts for session recreation\n- **Invalid commands**: Shows available commands and correct syntax\n- **Tool execution errors**: Returns server error messages with context\n- **Bridge crashes**: Detects and cleans up orphaned processes, offers restart\n\n### Exit codes\n\n- `0` - Success\n- `1` - Client error (invalid arguments, command not found, etc.)\n- `2` - Server error (tool execution failed, resource not found, etc.)\n- `3` - Network error (connection failed, timeout, etc.)\n- `4` - Authentication error (invalid credentials, forbidden, etc.)\n\n### Verbose mode\n\nTo see what's happening, enable detailed logging with `--verbose`.\n\n```bash\nmcpc --verbose @apify tools-list\n```\n\nThis causes `mcpc` to print detailed debug messages to stderr.\n\n### Logs\n\nThe background bridge processes log to `~/.mcpc/logs/bridge-@\u003csession\u003e.log`.\nThe main `mcpc` process doesn't save log files, but supports [verbose mode](#verbose-mode).\n`mcpc` automatically rotates log files: keep last 10MB per session, max 5 files.\n\n### Troubleshooting\n\n**\"Cannot connect to bridge\"**\n\n- Bridge may have crashed. Try: `mcpc @\u003csession-name\u003e tools-list` to restart the bridge\n- Check bridge is running: `ps aux | grep -e 'mcpc-bridge' -e '[m]cpc/dist/bridge'`\n- Check socket exists: `ls ~/.mcpc/bridges/`\n\n**\"Session not found\"**\n\n- List existing sessions: `mcpc`\n- Create new session if expired: `mcpc @\u003csession-name\u003e close` and `mcpc connect \u003cserver\u003e @\u003csession-name\u003e`\n\n**\"Authentication failed\"**\n\n- List saved OAuth profiles: `mcpc`\n- Re-authenticate: `mcpc login \u003cserver\u003e [--profile \u003cname\u003e]`\n- For bearer tokens: provide `--header \"Authorization: Bearer ${TOKEN}\"` again\n\n## Development\n\nThe initial version of `mcpc` was developed and [launched by Jan Curn](https://x.com/jancurn/status/2007144080959291756) of [Apify](https://apify.com)\nwith the help of Claude Code, during late nights over Christmas 2025 in North Beach, San Francisco.\n\nSee [CONTRIBUTING](./CONTRIBUTING.md) for development setup, architecture overview, and contribution guidelines.\n\n## Related work\n\n### MCP CLI clients\n\n\u003c!-- Stars, contributors, commits, and activity as of March 2026. --\u003e\n\n| Tool                                                                    | Lang   | Stars | Contrib / Commits | Active | Tools | Resources | Prompts | Tasks | Code mode | Sessions | OAuth | Stdio | HTTP | Tool search | x402 | LLM |\n| ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------ | ----: | ----------------: | ------ | ----- | --------- | ------- | ----- | --------- | -------- | ----- | ----- | ---- | ----------- | ---- | --- |\n| **[apify/mcpc](https://github.com/apify/mcpc)**                         | TS     |  ~420 |          7 / ~510 | ✅     | ✅    | ✅        | ✅      | ✅    | ✅        | ✅       | ✅    | ✅    | ✅   | ✅          | ✅   | —   |\n| [steipete/mcporter](https://github.com/steipete/mcporter)               | TS     | ~3.5k |         24 / ~570 | ✅     | ✅    | —         | —       | —     | ✅        | ✅       | ✅    | ✅    | ✅   | —           | —    | —   |\n| [IBM/mcp-cli](https://github.com/IBM/mcp-cli)                           | Python | ~1.9k |         22 / ~790 | ✅     | ✅    | ✅        | ✅      | —     | ✅        | ✅       | ✅    | ✅    | ✅   | —           | —    | ✅  |\n| [knowsuchagency/mcp2cli](https://github.com/knowsuchagency/mcp2cli)     | Python | ~1.8k |           5 / ~76 | ✅     | ✅    | ✅        | ✅      | —     | ✅        | ✅       | ✅    | ✅    | ✅   | ✅          | —    | —   |\n| [f/mcptools](https://github.com/f/mcptools)                             | Go     | ~1.5k |         15 / ~170 | ⚠️     | ✅    | ✅        | ✅      | —     | ✅        | —        | —     | ✅    | ✅   | —           | —    | —   |\n| [philschmid/mcp-cli](https://github.com/philschmid/mcp-cli)             | TS     | ~1.1k |           2 / ~30 | ✅     | ✅    | —         | —       | —     | ✅        | ✅       | —     | ✅    | ✅   | ✅          | —    | —   |\n| [adhikasp/mcp-client-cli](https://github.com/adhikasp/mcp-client-cli)   | Python |  ~670 |          6 / ~110 | ⚠️     | ✅    | ✅        | ✅      | —     | —         | —        | —     | ✅    | —    | —           | —    | ✅  |\n| [thellimist/clihub](https://github.com/thellimist/clihub)               | Go     |  ~640 |           1 / ~60 | ✅     | ✅    | —         | —       | —     | —         | —        | ✅    | ✅    | ✅   | ✅          | —    | —   |\n| [wong2/mcp-cli](https://github.com/wong2/mcp-cli)                       | JS     |  ~430 |           4 / ~63 | ⚠️     | ✅    | ✅        | ✅      | —     | —         | —        | ✅    | —     | ✅   | —           | —    | —   |\n| [mcpshim/mcpshim](https://github.com/mcpshim/mcpshim)                   | Go     |   ~54 |           1 / ~13 | ✅     | ✅    | —         | —       | —     | ✅        | ✅       | ✅    | —     | ✅   | ✅          | —    | —   |\n| [evantahler/mcpx](https://github.com/evantahler/mcpx)                   | TS     |   ~28 |           1 / ~64 | ✅     | ✅    | ✅        | ✅      | ✅    | ✅        | —        | ✅    | ✅    | ✅   | ✅          | —    | —   |\n| [EstebanForge/mcp-cli-ent](https://github.com/EstebanForge/mcp-cli-ent) | Go     |   ~15 |          ~2 / ~46 | ✅     | ✅    | —         | —       | —     | ✅        | ✅       | —     | ✅    | ✅   | ✅          | —    | —   |\n\n**Legend:** ✅ = supported, ⚠️ = stale (no commits in 3+ months), **Contrib / Commits** = contributors / total commits, **Tasks** = [async tasks](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/latest/server/utilities/tasks), **x402** = [x402 payment protocol](https://www.x402.org/) support, **LLM** = requires/uses an LLM.\n\n**Notes:**\n\n- [thellimist/clihub](https://github.com/thellimist/clihub) is a code generator that compiles MCP tools into standalone CLI binaries, rather than a runtime client ([HN discussion](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47157398)).\n- [knowsuchagency/mcp2cli](https://github.com/knowsuchagency/mcp2cli) also supports OpenAPI specs directly and uses a custom TOON encoding for token-efficient tool schemas.\n- [IBM/mcp-cli](https://github.com/IBM/mcp-cli) and [mcp-client-cli](https://github.com/adhikasp/mcp-client-cli) integrate an LLM (Ollama, OpenAI, etc.) for chat-style interaction, while the other tools are pure CLI clients.\n\n### Code mode and dynamic tool discovery\n\nThese resources describe the \"code mode\" pattern (replacing many tool definitions with `search` + `execute`) and dynamic tool discovery:\n\n- [Code mode](https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/code-execution-with-mcp) - Anthropic's blog post on code execution with MCP\n- [Code mode at Cloudflare](https://blog.cloudflare.com/code-mode/) - Cloudflare's implementation of the code mode pattern\n- [Advanced tool use](https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/advanced-tool-use) - Anthropic's engineering post on tool search\n  - [Claude tool search](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/agents-and-tools/tool-use/tool-search-tool) - Claude platform docs\n- [Dynamic context discovery](https://cursor.com/blog/dynamic-context-discovery) - Cursor's approach to dynamic tool discovery\n- [cmcp](https://github.com/assimelha/cmcp) (~27 stars, Rust) - MCP proxy aggregating servers behind `search()` + `execute()`\n- [cloudflare-mcp](https://github.com/mattzcarey/cloudflare-mcp) (~124 stars, TS) - MCP server for the Cloudflare API using code mode\n- [infinite-mcp](https://github.com/day50-dev/infinite-mcp) (Python) - Meta-MCP server that exposes 1000+ pre-indexed MCP servers via semantic search and dynamic tool discovery\n\n### Other\n\n- [mcpGraph](https://github.com/TeamSparkAI/mcpGraph) - MCP server that orchestrates directed graphs of MCP tool calls\n\n## License\n\nApache-2.0 - see [LICENSE](./LICENSE) for details.\n","funding_links":[],"categories":["TypeScript","📚 Projects (2474 total)"],"sub_categories":["MCP Servers"],"project_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/projects/github.com%2Fapify%2Fmcpc","html_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/projects/github.com%2Fapify%2Fmcpc","lists_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/projects/github.com%2Fapify%2Fmcpc/lists"}