How do I use Example MCP Server?

1. Click on "Install Server". 2. Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state. 3. In the chat, type @ followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@Example MCP Server show me my system specs and node version" That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed. Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.

Example MCP Server

A complete Model Context Protocol (MCP) server implementation in Node.js + TypeScript that integrates with Claude Desktop as a local tool.

What is MCP?

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a standardized protocol that enables large language models (like Claude) to safely interact with external tools and data sources. MCP servers expose capabilities (tools) that Claude can discover and invoke in real-time during conversations.

Key Features of MCP:

Tool Discovery: Claude can query available tools and their parameters
Safe Execution: Structured JSON-RPC messages with validation
Stdio Transport: For local integration with Claude Desktop
Extensible: Easy to add new tools with standardized interfaces

Project Structure

example-mcp-server/ ├── src/ │ ├── mcp/ │ │ └── server.ts # MCP server with stdio transport │ ├── tools/ │ │ ├── index.ts # Tool registry & dispatcher │ │ ├── ping.ts # Ping tool (health check) │ │ └── system_info.ts # System info tool │ └── types/ │ └── index.ts # Type definitions ├── package.json # Dependencies & scripts ├── tsconfig.json # TypeScript config ├── mcp.json # Claude Desktop manifest └── README.md # This file

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Node.js 18+ (LTS)
npm or yarn
Claude Desktop (for testing)

Installation

Clone or navigate to the project directory:

cd example-mcp-server

Install dependencies:

npm install

Build the TypeScript code:

npm run build

This compiles all .ts files in src/ to JavaScript in the dist/ folder.

Running the MCP Server

npm start

The server will start listening on stdin/stdout, ready to receive JSON-RPC messages.

Testing the Server Locally

Using curl with echo (Windows PowerShell)

Test the tools/list endpoint:

$message = @{ jsonrpc = "2.0" id = 1 method = "tools/list" } | ConvertTo-Json -Compress "$message" | node dist/mcp/server.js

Using a Node.js test script

Create test.js:

import { spawn } from "child_process"; const server = spawn("node", ["dist/mcp/server.js"]); let output = ""; server.stdout.on("data", (data) => { const line = data.toString().trim(); if (line) { console.log("Response:", JSON.parse(line)); server.kill(); } }); server.on("close", () => { console.log("Server closed"); }); // Send initialize request const initMsg = { jsonrpc: "2.0", id: 1, method: "initialize", params: { protocolVersion: "2024-11-05", capabilities: {}, clientInfo: { name: "test-client", version: "1.0.0" }, }, }; server.stdin.write(JSON.stringify(initMsg) + "\n"); // Wait a moment, then send tools/list setTimeout(() => { const listMsg = { jsonrpc: "2.0", id: 2, method: "tools/list" }; server.stdin.write(JSON.stringify(listMsg) + "\n"); }, 100);

Run with:

npm run build && node test.js

Available Tools

1. `ping`

A simple health check tool.

Request:

{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "method": "tools/call", "params": { "name": "ping", "arguments": {} } }

Response:

{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "result": { "output": "pong" } }

2. `system_info`

Returns system and platform information.

Request:

{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 2, "method": "tools/call", "params": { "name": "system_info", "arguments": {} } }

Response:

{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 2, "result": { "output": { "platform": "win32", "arch": "x64", "nodeVersion": "v20.10.0", "osType": "Windows_NT", "osRelease": "10.0.22621", "totalMemory": "16384 MB", "freeMemory": "8192 MB", "cpuCount": 8, "uptime": "24 hours" } } }

Registering with Claude Desktop

To make this MCP server available in Claude Desktop:

Windows

Open %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Add this server configuration:

{ "mcpServers": { "example-mcp-server": { "command": "node", "args": ["C:\\path\\to\\example-mcp-server\\dist\\mcp\\server.js"] } } }

Replace C:\path\to\example-mcp-server with the actual full path to your project.

macOS

Open ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Add the server configuration (use POSIX paths)

Linux

Open ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Add the server configuration

Example Configuration

{ "mcpServers": { "example-mcp-server": { "command": "node", "args": ["C:\\Users\\YourUsername\\projects\\example-mcp-server\\dist\\mcp\\server.js"] } } }

Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect
In Claude, look for the tool icon or mention "use the ping tool" or "check system info"

Adding New Tools

To add a new tool:

Create a tool file in src/tools/ (e.g., src/tools/my_tool.ts):

import { ToolHandler } from "../types/index.js"; export const myToolHandler: ToolHandler = async (args) => { // Implement your tool logic return { result: "Your result here" }; }; export const myToolDefinition = { name: "my_tool", description: "Description of what your tool does", inputSchema: { type: "object", properties: { param1: { type: "string", description: "First parameter" }, param2: { type: "number", description: "Second parameter" }, }, required: ["param1"], }, };

Register it in :

import { myToolHandler, myToolDefinition } from "./my_tool.js"; const registry: ToolRegistry = { // ... existing tools my_tool: { definition: myToolDefinition, handler: myToolHandler, }, };

Rebuild and restart:

npm run build npm start

MCP Protocol Overview

The server implements the MCP specification with support for:

initialize: Handshake with client
tools/list: Returns available tools and schemas
tools/call: Executes a tool with provided arguments

All communication uses JSON-RPC 2.0 format with structured error handling.

Troubleshooting

Server won't start

Ensure Node.js 18+ is installed: node --version
Check TypeScript compiled correctly: npm run build
Verify dist/mcp/server.js exists

Claude Desktop doesn't see the server

Double-check the path in claude_desktop_config.json is correct and absolute
Restart Claude Desktop after updating config
Check server runs locally: npm start

Tool calls fail

Ensure tool name matches exactly (case-sensitive)
Verify required parameters are provided
Check error message in JSON-RPC response

Scripts

npm run build # Compile TypeScript to dist/ npm start # Run the MCP server npm run dev # Build and run in one command

License

MIT

Example MCP Server

Example MCP Server

What is MCP?

Key Features of MCP:

Project Structure

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Installation

Running the MCP Server

Testing the Server Locally

Using curl with echo (Windows PowerShell)

Using a Node.js test script

Available Tools

1. `ping`

2. `system_info`

Registering with Claude Desktop

Windows

macOS

Linux

Example Configuration

Adding New Tools

MCP Protocol Overview

Troubleshooting

Server won't start

Claude Desktop doesn't see the server

Tool calls fail

Scripts

License

References

Resources

New MCP Servers

Latest Blog Posts

MCP directory API

Example MCP Server

What is MCP?

Key Features of MCP:

Project Structure

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Installation

Running the MCP Server

Testing the Server Locally

Using curl with echo (Windows PowerShell)

Using a Node.js test script

Available Tools

1. ping

2. system_info

Registering with Claude Desktop

Windows

macOS

Linux

Example Configuration

Adding New Tools

MCP Protocol Overview

Troubleshooting

Server won't start

Claude Desktop doesn't see the server

Tool calls fail

Scripts

License

References

Resources

New MCP Servers

Latest Blog Posts

MCP directory API

1. `ping`

2. `system_info`