---
title: Transport Reference
description: Available transport options for connecting to the MCP server.
---
The Autotask MCP Server supports two transport mechanisms for communicating with MCP clients.
## stdio (Default)
The standard transport for local MCP clients. Communication happens over stdin/stdout using JSON-RPC messages.
### Configuration
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"autotask-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "autotask-mcp"],
"env": {
"AUTOTASK_USERNAME": "...",
"AUTOTASK_SECRET": "...",
"AUTOTASK_INTEGRATION_CODE": "..."
}
}
}
}
```
### When to use
- Claude Desktop or other local MCP clients
- Single-user setups
- Development and testing
## HTTP (Streamable)
An HTTP-based transport that serves the MCP protocol over a web server. Supports multiple concurrent clients.
### Configuration
Set environment variables:
```bash
MCP_TRANSPORT=http
MCP_HTTP_PORT=8080 # Default: 8080
MCP_HTTP_HOST=0.0.0.0 # Default: 0.0.0.0
```
### Endpoints
| Endpoint | Method | Description |
|----------|--------|-------------|
| `/mcp` | POST | MCP protocol endpoint (JSON-RPC) |
| `/health` | GET | Health check |
### Health Check Response
```json
{
"status": "ok",
"transport": "http",
"timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:30:00.000Z"
}
```
### When to use
- Remote or shared deployments
- Multi-client access
- Container/Docker deployments
- Load-balanced environments
### Example: Docker deployment
```bash
docker run -d \
-e AUTOTASK_USERNAME=user@example.com \
-e AUTOTASK_SECRET=secret \
-e AUTOTASK_INTEGRATION_CODE=code \
-e MCP_TRANSPORT=http \
-e MCP_HTTP_PORT=8080 \
-p 8080:8080 \
autotask-mcp
```
### Session Management
The HTTP transport uses session IDs to track client connections. Each client receives a unique session ID on first connection, which is included in subsequent requests for continuity.
