Agent skill

Integrate MCP

by davekilleen in davekilleen/Dex

Install and wire up an existing MCP server from Smithery.ai or a GitHub repo.

MITAuto-check: notesAgent Workflows

Install Integrate MCP

skills CLI
$ npx skills add davekilleen/Dex --skill integrate-mcp -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install davekilleen/Dex integrate-mcp --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/davekilleen/Dex.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/integrate-mcp .claude/skills/integrate-mcp && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
integrate-mcp
GitHub stars
494
Token cost
~2.2k tokens
SKILL.md length
417 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
61
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Install and wire up an existing MCP server from Smithery.ai or a GitHub repo.

  • Works in 7 steps: Fetch the MCP Source → Parse and Explain → Guide Through Setup → …
  • The user names a tool that already has a server — add the Notion MCP
  • SKILL.md covers Purpose, When to Run, Entry Point and When User Pastes an MCP URL, plus 5 more sections
  • Reaches smithery.ai and github.com

What it does

Integrate MCP is an agent skill from davekilleen/Dex. Install and wire up an existing MCP server from Smithery.ai or a GitHub repo. Use when the user names a tool that already has a server — 'add the Notion MCP', 'install this Smithery server'. Not for building a new integration from nothing; use create-mcp. Not for adding one already-known server safely; use dex-add-mcp.

Its SKILL.md is about 2.2k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Agent Workflows, covering MCP servers. It works with Model Context Protocol, GitHub, Notion and npm. The repository describes itself as: Your AI Chief of Staff — a personal operating system starter kit that adapts to your role. No coding required. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • The user names a tool that already has a server — add the Notion MCP
  • Install this Smithery server

Example prompts

  • “add the Notion MCP”
  • “install this Smithery server”
  • “/integrate-mcp”

Requirements

  • Python 3
  • Node.js
  • Docker
  • A credential in YOUR_KEY

Workflow steps

7 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Fetch the MCP Source
  2. Parse and Explain
  3. Guide Through Setup
  4. Configure Environment Variables
  5. Update MCP Config
  6. Test Connection
  7. Update Documentation

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit d0ffc6b. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are json, markdown, python and bash).

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    Hosts in commands or code, which the agent is likely to contact:

    • smithery.ai
    • github.com
    • npmjs.com

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Integrate MCP loads about 2.2k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 85 tokens; SKILL.md has 417 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~85
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.2k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check: notes

The automated check noted patterns worth knowing about, such as sudo or a known installer.

  • NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:194
    1. Set them now (I'll add to `.env` file)
  • NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:200
    Collect values and add to `.env` file:
  • NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:207
    ng, make the file owner-only (`chmod 600 .env`) — create it with that mode if it's new, and tighten it if an existing `.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from davekilleen/Dex at commit d0ffc6b, republished under its MIT licence (© davekilleen). 417 words, ~2,175 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/integrate-mcp/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
integrate-mcp
description
Install and wire up an existing MCP server from Smithery.ai or a GitHub repo. Use when the user names a tool that already has a server — 'add the Notion MCP', 'install this Smithery server'. Not for building a new integration from nothing; use `create-mcp`. Not for adding one already-known server safely; use `dex-add-mcp`.
<!-- Generated from `.claude/skills/integrate-mcp/SKILL.md` by `scripts/generate-agents-skills.py`. Do not edit. -->

Purpose

Help users discover and integrate pre-built MCP servers from the ecosystem, primarily from Smithery.ai marketplace.

When to Run

  • User types /integrate-mcp
  • Mentioned during /getting-started tour
  • User asks about connecting tools that have existing MCPs
  • User wants to browse available integrations

Entry Point

Say:

**Want to connect more tools to Dex?**

Some tools have a built-in, guided setup — no marketplace hunting needed:
• **Task apps:** Todoist (`/todoist-setup`), Things 3 (`/things-setup`), Trello (`/trello-setup`) — two-way task sync
• **Email & calendar:** Google Workspace (`/google-workspace-setup`), Microsoft Teams (`/ms-teams-setup`)
• **Meetings:** Granola (`/granola-setup`), Zoom (`/zoom-setup`)
• **Work tracking:** Jira + Confluence (`/atlassian-setup`)

For anything else, there's a marketplace of 100+ pre-built MCP servers at:
**[Smithery.ai](https://smithery.ai/servers)**

These are production-ready integrations for:
• **Dev tools:** GitHub, GitLab, Linear, Jira
• **Productivity:** Notion, Airtable, Google Sheets
• **Communication:** Slack, Discord, Email
• **Databases:** Postgres, MySQL, SQLite
• **Monitoring:** Sentry, Datadog
• **And many more...**

**How this works:**
1. Browse Smithery.ai for MCPs that match your tools
2. Copy the full URL of any MCP you want
3. Paste it here - I'll:
   - Fetch the code/documentation
   - Explain what it does
   - Help you configure it
   - Integrate into Dex
   - Update documentation

**Or** if you can't find what you need, run `/create-mcp` to build custom.

Ready to explore? [Browse Smithery.ai](https://smithery.ai/servers)

When User Pastes an MCP URL

Step 1: Fetch the MCP Source

Detect URL type:

  • GitHub repo: https://github.com/user/repo
  • npm package: https://npmjs.com/package/name
  • Smithery.ai: https://smithery.ai/server/name
  • Direct source: Any other URL

Fetch based on type:

python
if "github.com" in url:
    # Fetch README.md from repo
    readme_url = f"{url}/blob/main/README.md"
    content = web_fetch(readme_url)
elif "smithery.ai" in url:
    # Fetch from Smithery page
    content = web_fetch(url)
elif "npmjs.com" in url:
    # Fetch package info
    content = web_fetch(url)
else:
    # Try direct fetch
    content = web_fetch(url)
Step 2: Parse and Explain

Analyze the fetched content for:

  • MCP server name
  • What it does (capabilities)
  • Required environment variables
  • Installation method (npm, pip, docker, etc.)
  • Authentication requirements

Say:

**Got it!** This is the **[Server Name]** MCP.

**What it does:**
• [Capability 1] - [Description]
• [Capability 2] - [Description]
• [Capability 3] - [Description]

**What you'll need to set up:**
• [ENV_VAR_1]: [Explanation of what this is]
• [ENV_VAR_2]: [Explanation]

**Installation method:** [npm/pip/docker/manual]

**Authentication:** [API key / OAuth / Local / None]

Ready to integrate this?
Step 3: Guide Through Setup
For npm packages:
"This is an npm package. Here's how to install:

1. Navigate to your Dex directory
2. Install the package:

npm install -g [package-name]


3. I'll add it to your `.mcp.json` config

Want me to proceed?"

Then add to .mcp.json:

json
{
  "[server-name]": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y", "[package-name]"],
    "env": {
      "VAR1": "value1"
    }
  }
}
For Python packages:
"This is a Python MCP. Here's how to install:

1. Install via pip:

pip install [package-name]


2. I'll add it to your `.mcp.json` config

Want me to proceed?"
For GitHub repos (manual):
"This is from a GitHub repo. Here's the setup:

1. Clone the repository:

git clone [repo-url] ~/dex-mcps/[server-name]


2. Install dependencies (if any)

3. I'll add it to your `.mcp.json` config

Want me to proceed?"
Step 4: Configure Environment Variables

For each required env var:

"This MCP needs the following environment variables:

**[ENV_VAR_1]:** [Description]
Where to get it: [Instructions]

**[ENV_VAR_2]:** [Description]
Where to get it: [Instructions]

You can either:
1. Set them now (I'll add to `.env` file)
2. Set them manually later in your shell config

What's your [ENV_VAR_1]?"

Collect values and add to .env file:

bash
# [Server Name] MCP Configuration
ENVVAR_1=value1
ENV_VAR_2=value2

After writing, make the file owner-only (chmod 600 .env) — create it with that mode if it's new, and tighten it if an existing .env was left readable by other users.

Step 5: Update MCP Config

Add to System/.mcp.json:

json
{
  "[server-name]": {
    "command": "[command]",
    "args": ["[args]"],
    "env": {
      "ENV_VAR_1": "${ENV_VAR_1}",
      "VAULT_PATH": "{{VAULT_PATH}}"
    }
  }
}
Step 6: Test Connection

Try calling a basic tool from the MCP:

"Testing connection..."

[Call a simple tool from the MCP, like list_resources or get_status]

[If success:]
"✅ Connection works! The [Server Name] MCP is live.

Test it: '[Example natural language query]'

See? Real data from [Tool]."

[If failure:]
"⚠️ Connection failed. Common issues:
• Environment variables not set correctly
• Authentication hasn't been completed
• MCP server not installed properly

Want help debugging this?"
Step 7: Update Documentation

Add to CLAUDE.md:

markdown
### [Server Name] Integration

**MCP Server:** [server-name]
**Purpose:** [what it does]

**Available via this MCP:**
- [Capability 1]
- [Capability 2]

**Configuration:**
- `ENV_VAR_1`: [description]

**Usage:**
- "[Natural language example 1]"
- "[Natural language example 2]"

Add to System/usage_log.md if not present:

markdown
- [ ] Connected [Tool] via MCP

Multiple Integrations

After first integration completes:

"Want to add another tool?

You can:
1. Browse more on Smithery.ai and paste another URL
2. Run `/create-mcp` to build something custom
3. Stop here and explore what you have

What sounds good?"

Troubleshooting Guide

If connection fails, provide specific debugging steps:

For authentication issues:

"Authentication failed. Let's debug:

1. Check your API key is correct
2. Verify it has the right permissions
3. Try testing it directly:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY" [api-endpoint]


Want to try a different key?"

For installation issues:

"Installation failed. Common fixes:

1. Check Node/Python version:

node --version # Should be 18+ python --version # Should be 3.8+


2. Try installing globally:

npm install -g [package]

Show full SKILL.md (161 more words)Show less

or

pip install --user [package]


3. Check for conflicts:

npm list -g | grep [package]


Want to try these steps?"

Alternative: Can't Find on Smithery

If user can't find what they need:

"Didn't find [Tool] on Smithery?

No worries - we can build it custom with `/create-mcp`.

That wizard will:
1. Help you find the tool's API docs
2. Design the integration together
3. Generate working MCP code
4. Get it integrated

Takes about 5-10 minutes depending on the API complexity.

Want to build [Tool] integration from scratch?"

Then hand off to /create-mcp skill.


Success Criteria

After integration:

  • User can query their tool via natural language
  • MCP is added to config
  • Documentation is updated
  • They know how to add more

The experience feels like:

  • "That was easier than I expected"
  • "I can do this for any tool I use"
  • "This makes Dex way more powerful"

Track Usage (Silent)

Call the mark_feature_used tool on the dex-analytics MCP server with integrate-mcp. This ticks the feature's box in System/usage_log.md, which is what /dex-level-up reads to recommend features that have not been tried. It writes locally and sends nothing, so it runs whether or not analytics is enabled.

Analytics (Silent):

Call track_event with event_name mcp_integrated and properties:

  • (no properties — do NOT include server names)

This only fires if the user has opted into analytics. No action needed if it returns "analytics_disabled".

© davekilleen, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in .agents/skills/integrate-mcp of davekilleen/Dex.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit d0ffc6b

Compare with similar skills

Integrate MCP next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Integrate MCP compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Integrate MCP this skilldavekilleen/Dex494—~2.2kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
Project Releaseswimmwatch/cloakbrowser-mcp164—~1.9kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Context Mode Upgrademksglu/context-mode26k—~291Automated safety check: PassCustom licence
Devcontainer Devstacklok/toolhive-studio171—~3.8kAutomated safety check: NotesApache-2.0
Superset Integration Toolssuperset-sh/superset15k—~1.6kAutomated safety check: WarnCustom licence
Adding MCP Store ServersPostHog/posthog40k—~1.6kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence

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Categories

Questions about Integrate MCP

What does Integrate MCP do?

Install and wire up an existing MCP server from Smithery.ai or a GitHub repo. Integrate MCP is an agent skill from davekilleen/Dex.ai or a GitHub repo.

When should I use Integrate MCP?

Integrate MCP fits situations like: the user names a tool that already has a server — add the Notion MCP; install this Smithery server.

How do I install Integrate MCP in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add davekilleen/Dex --skill integrate-mcp -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.agents/skills/integrate-mcp in davekilleen/Dex) into .claude/skills/integrate-mcp in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Integrate MCP in Codex?

Run `npx skills add davekilleen/Dex --skill integrate-mcp -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.agents/skills/integrate-mcp in davekilleen/Dex) into .agents/skills/integrate-mcp in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Integrate MCP in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add davekilleen/Dex --skill integrate-mcp -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/integrate-mcp, .gemini/skills/integrate-mcp, .github/skills/integrate-mcp and .opencode/skills/integrate-mcp in your project.

What does Integrate MCP need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Integrate MCP is instructions for the agent only. Our summary lists: Python 3; Node.js; Docker; A credential in YOUR_KEY.

Does Integrate MCP access the network?

SKILL.md names 3 domains. In commands or code: smithery.ai, github.com and npmjs.com; the agent is likely to contact these when it follows the instructions. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Integrate MCP safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found notes only (mentions a .env file), nothing it rates as a warning. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Integrate MCP use?

Integrate MCP is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Integrate MCP use?

About 2.2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 8.7k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Integrate MCP?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Integrate MCP: Project Release (swimmwatch/cloakbrowser-mcp, 164 stars), Context Mode Upgrade (mksglu/context-mode, 26k stars), Devcontainer Dev (stacklok/toolhive-studio, 171 stars) and Superset Integration Tools (superset-sh/superset, 15k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Integrate MCP?

davekilleen (a GitHub user) maintains it in davekilleen/Dex, which has 494 GitHub stars. The repository holds 61 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 9, 2026.

Source: davekilleen/Dex on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.