MCP Server Builder
anthropics/skills
Guides the design and implementation of Model Context Protocol servers in TypeScript or Python, from tool naming and error messages to evaluation.
A skill your agent uses to build, wire up, or debug an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that gives Claude access to an internal API, database, or SaaS tool.
Install MCP Server Builder
$ npx skills add OneWave-AI/claude-skills --skill mcp-server-builder -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install OneWave-AI/claude-skills mcp-server-builder --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/OneWave-AI/claude-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/mcp-server-builder .claude/skills/mcp-server-builder && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.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/
Install the "mcp-server-builder" agent skill from https://github.com/OneWave-AI/claude-skills/tree/main/mcp-server-builder into .claude/skills/mcp-server-builder/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "mcp-server-builder", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/OneWave-AI/claude-skills/tree/main/mcp-server-builderType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add OneWave-AI/claude-skills --skill mcp-server-builder -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install OneWave-AI/claude-skills mcp-server-builder --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/OneWave-AI/claude-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/mcp-server-builder .agents/skills/mcp-server-builder && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "mcp-server-builder" agent skill from https://github.com/OneWave-AI/claude-skills/tree/main/mcp-server-builder into .agents/skills/mcp-server-builder/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "mcp-server-builder", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add OneWave-AI/claude-skills --skill mcp-server-builder -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install OneWave-AI/claude-skills mcp-server-builder --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/OneWave-AI/claude-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/mcp-server-builder .cursor/skills/mcp-server-builder && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "mcp-server-builder" agent skill from https://github.com/OneWave-AI/claude-skills/tree/main/mcp-server-builder into .cursor/skills/mcp-server-builder/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "mcp-server-builder", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/OneWave-AI/claude-skills.git --path mcp-server-builder--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add OneWave-AI/claude-skills --skill mcp-server-builder -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install OneWave-AI/claude-skills mcp-server-builder --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/OneWave-AI/claude-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/mcp-server-builder .gemini/skills/mcp-server-builder && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "mcp-server-builder" agent skill from https://github.com/OneWave-AI/claude-skills/tree/main/mcp-server-builder into .gemini/skills/mcp-server-builder/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "mcp-server-builder", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install OneWave-AI/claude-skills mcp-server-builderInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add OneWave-AI/claude-skills --skill mcp-server-builder -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/OneWave-AI/claude-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/mcp-server-builder .github/skills/mcp-server-builder && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "mcp-server-builder" agent skill from https://github.com/OneWave-AI/claude-skills/tree/main/mcp-server-builder into .github/skills/mcp-server-builder/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "mcp-server-builder", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add OneWave-AI/claude-skills --skill mcp-server-builder -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install OneWave-AI/claude-skills mcp-server-builder --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/OneWave-AI/claude-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/mcp-server-builder .opencode/skills/mcp-server-builder && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "mcp-server-builder" agent skill from https://github.com/OneWave-AI/claude-skills/tree/main/mcp-server-builder into .opencode/skills/mcp-server-builder/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "mcp-server-builder", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
mcp-server-builder- GitHub stars
- 328
- Token cost
- ~1.2k tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 546 words
- Files
- 1
- Skills in repo
- 69
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- MIT
At a glance
A skill your agent uses to build, wire up, or debug an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that gives Claude access to an internal API, database, or SaaS tool.
- Debug an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that gives Claude access to an internal API
- SKILL.md covers Decide the Shape First, Tool Design — the part that…, Minimum Viable Server and Security, plus 2 more sections
- Calls claude and npx
- The user wants Claude to connect to their own system
What it does
MCP Server Builder is an agent skill from OneWave-AI/claude-skills. Use to build, wire up, or debug an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that gives Claude access to an internal API, database, or SaaS tool. Trigger when the user wants Claude to connect to their own system, asks for an MCP server, needs custom tools for Claude Code or the Claude app, or an existing server's tools are not showing up.
Its SKILL.md is about 1.2k 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. The repository describes itself as: 200+ production-ready Claude Code skills for sales, marketing, design, engineering, and AI agent architecture. Built and maintained by OneWave AI. The licence is MIT.
When your agent uses it
- Debug an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that gives Claude access to an internal API
- The user wants Claude to connect to their own system
- Asks for an MCP server
- Needs custom tools for Claude Code
Example prompts
- “/mcp-server-builder”
Requirements
- Node.js
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit fc5b785. 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
Shell commands in SKILL.md call:
claudenpx
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use npx, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.
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
MCP Server Builder loads about 1.2k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 88 tokens; SKILL.md has 546 words of instructions outside code blocks.
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 passed
The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.
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 OneWave-AI/claude-skills at commit fc5b785, republished under its MIT licence (© OneWave-AI). 546 words, ~1,177 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/mcp-server-builder/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).- name
- mcp-server-builder
- description
- Use to build, wire up, or debug an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that gives Claude access to an internal API, database, or SaaS tool. Trigger when the user wants Claude to connect to their own system, asks for an MCP server, needs custom tools for Claude Code or the Claude app, or an existing server's tools are not showing up.
- tools
- Read, Write, Edit, Bash, Glob, Grep, WebFetch
MCP Server Builder
An MCP server is how Claude reaches a system it does not otherwise know about — your database, your internal API, your ops tooling. The protocol is small. Almost every real problem is a design problem: which tools to expose and what they return.
Decide the Shape First
Local (stdio) — runs on the user's machine, launched by the client, credentials from the local environment. Right for developer tooling and anything touching localhost or a local database. Only that machine gets it.
Remote (HTTP) — deployed once, reached by URL, OAuth for identity. Right when a team needs it, or when the data lives in a service rather than on a laptop. Everyone gets updates the moment you deploy.
Build remote when more than one person will use it. Retrofitting local-only to multi-user later means redoing auth from scratch.
Tool Design — the part that matters
Tools are an interface for a model, not a REST API. The common failure is exposing twenty thin endpoint wrappers and watching the model chain them badly.
- Name the job, not the endpoint.
get_pipeline_boardbeatsquery_dealsplusquery_stagesplusquery_owners. - One call should answer a real question. If using your server always takes three calls in the same order, that sequence should have been one tool.
- Descriptions are prompts. Say what the tool is for, when to reach for it, and what it does not do. This text is the only instruction the model gets.
- Return prose-shaped, compact results. Trim nulls and internal ids nobody will use. A 40KB JSON blob buries the answer and eats the window.
- Paginate and cap. Always a default limit. Say in the response when results were truncated, and how to get the rest.
- Separate reads from writes. Writes get explicit, narrow tools with clear names — never a generic
executethat takes arbitrary input. - Errors are instructions. "No company matched 'acme' — try search_companies first" gets recovered from; "500 Internal Server Error" does not.
Ten well-shaped tools beat fifty thin ones.
Show full SKILL.md (216 more words)Show less
Minimum Viable Server
import { McpServer } from '@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/mcp.js'
import { StdioServerTransport } from '@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/stdio.js'
import { z } from 'zod'
const server = new McpServer({ name: 'acme-crm', version: '1.0.0' })
server.tool(
'get_deal',
'Fetch one deal with its owner, stage, and recent activity. Use when the user names a specific deal or company.',
{ id: z.string().describe('Deal id or display id like D-1042') },
async ({ id }) => ({ content: [{ type: 'text', text: await renderDeal(id) }] }),
)
await server.connect(new StdioServerTransport())Check the SDK's current API before writing more than this — the interface has changed across releases, and code written from memory tends to target an older one.
Security
- Least privilege on the credential. A read-only token for a read-only server.
- Never take a raw query string from the model into a database. Parameterize, allow-list tables, scope by tenant on the server side.
- Scope every request to the authenticated user. A remote server that trusts a user id in the arguments is an authorization hole.
- Never log or return secrets. Redact tokens in error paths.
- Rate-limit writes.
Debugging
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node build/index.js # exercise tools directly
claude mcp list # is it registered
claude mcp get <name> # config and statusTools missing in the client is nearly always one of: the server crashed on startup (run it by hand and read stderr), a stdio server wrote a stray console.log to stdout and corrupted the protocol stream, the config points at a stale build, or the client was not restarted. For stdio servers, all logging goes to stderr — stdout belongs to the protocol.
Ship Checklist
- Every tool description says when to use it and when not to.
- Every tool tested through the inspector, not only through the client.
- Results capped and truncation stated.
- Errors say what to try next.
- Credentials from the environment, never in the repo.
- README: install, config snippet, and one example prompt per tool.
© OneWave-AI, 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 mcp-server-builder of OneWave-AI/claude-skills.
Open the folder on GitHubat commit fc5b785
Compare with similar skills
MCP Server Builder 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.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCP Server Builder this skillOneWave-AI/claude-skills | 328 | — | ~1.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| MCP Server Builderanthropics/skills | 180k | 63 repos | ~2.3k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| MCP Server BuildershareAI-lab/learn-claude-code | 78k | 5 repos | ~1.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| MCP Integration for Pluginsanthropics/claude-plugins-official | 38k | 11 repos | ~3.1k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| Crush Configurationcharmbracelet/crush | 29k | — | ~3.7k | Automated safety check: Pass | Custom licence | |
| Context Mode Output Sandboxmksglu/context-mode | 26k | — | ~4.1k | Automated safety check: Pass | Custom licence |
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MCP Integration for Plugins
anthropics/claude-plugins-official
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charmbracelet/crush
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Routes large command, file, API and browser output through context-mode tools so only the needed result enters the agent's context, instead of dumping it via Bash.
Warp GUI to Agent CLI Migration
warpdotdev/warp
Migrates the compatible subset of settings and global file-based MCP servers from the Warp desktop app into Warp Agent CLI without exposing credentials or state.
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Works with
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Questions about MCP Server Builder
What does MCP Server Builder do?
A skill your agent uses to build, wire up, or debug an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that gives Claude access to an internal API, database, or SaaS tool. MCP Server Builder is an agent skill from OneWave-AI/claude-skills. Use to build, wire up, or debug an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that gives Claude access to an internal API, database, or SaaS tool.
When should I use MCP Server Builder?
MCP Server Builder fits situations like: debug an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that gives Claude access to an internal API; the user wants Claude to connect to their own system; asks for an MCP server; needs custom tools for Claude Code.
How do I install MCP Server Builder in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add OneWave-AI/claude-skills --skill mcp-server-builder -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (mcp-server-builder in OneWave-AI/claude-skills) into .claude/skills/mcp-server-builder in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install MCP Server Builder in Codex?
Run `npx skills add OneWave-AI/claude-skills --skill mcp-server-builder -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (mcp-server-builder in OneWave-AI/claude-skills) into .agents/skills/mcp-server-builder in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use MCP Server Builder 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 OneWave-AI/claude-skills --skill mcp-server-builder -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/mcp-server-builder, .gemini/skills/mcp-server-builder, .github/skills/mcp-server-builder and .opencode/skills/mcp-server-builder in your project.
What does MCP Server Builder need to run?
Going by SKILL.md and its folder, MCP Server Builder needs the command-line tools its instructions call (claude and npx). Our summary lists: Node.js.
Does MCP Server Builder access the network?
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Its commands use npx, which can reach the network depending on how they are called. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is MCP Server Builder safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does MCP Server Builder use?
MCP Server Builder 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 MCP Server Builder use?
About 1.2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 4.7k 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 MCP Server Builder?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with MCP Server Builder: MCP Server Builder (anthropics/skills, 180k stars), MCP Server Builder (shareAI-lab/learn-claude-code, 78k stars), MCP Integration for Plugins (anthropics/claude-plugins-official, 38k stars) and Crush Configuration (charmbracelet/crush, 29k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains MCP Server Builder?
OneWave-AI (a GitHub organization) maintains it in OneWave-AI/claude-skills, which has 328 GitHub stars. The repository holds 69 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 2, 2026.
Source: OneWave-AI/claude-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.