Serena

# Connecting Serena MCP Server to ChatGPT via MCPO & Cloudflare Tunnel This guide explains how to expose a **locally running Serena MCP server** (powered by MCPO) to the internet using **Cloudflare Tunnel**, and how to connect it to **ChatGPT as a Custom GPT with tool access**. Once configured, ChatGPT becomes a powerful **coding agent** with direct access to your codebase, shell, and file system — so **read the security notes carefully**. --- ## Prerequisites Make sure you have [uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/getting-started/installation/) and [cloudflared](https://developers.cloudflare.com/cloudflare-one/connections/connect-networks/downloads/) installed. ## 1. Start the Serena MCP Server via MCPO Run the following command to launch Serena as http server (assuming port 8000): ```bash uvx mcpo --port 8000 --api-key <YOUR_SECRET_KEY> -- \ uvx --from git+https://github.com/oraios/serena \ serena start-mcp-server --context chatgpt --project $(pwd) ``` - `--api-key` is required to secure the server. - `--project` should point to the root of your codebase. You can also use other options, and you don't have to pass `--project` if you want to work on multiple projects or want to activate it later. See ```shell uvx --from git+https://github.com/oraios/serena serena start-mcp-server --help ``` --- ## 2. Expose the Server Using Cloudflare Tunnel Run: ```bash cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:8000 ``` This will give you a **public HTTPS URL** like: ``` https://serena-agent-tunnel.trycloudflare.com ``` Your server is now securely exposed to the internet. --- ## 3. Connect It to ChatGPT (Custom GPT) ### Steps: 1. Go to [ChatGPT → Explore GPTs → Create](https://chat.openai.com/gpts/editor) 2. During setup, click **“Add APIs”** 3. Set up **API Key authentication** with the auth type as **Bearer** and enter the api key you used to start the MCPO server. 4. In the **Schema** section, click on **import from URL** and paste `<cloudflared_url>/openapi.json` with the URL you got from the previous step. 5. Add the following line to the top of the imported JSON schema: ``` "servers": ["url": "<cloudflared_url>"], ``` **Important**: don't include a trailing slash at the end of the URL! ChatGPT will read the schema and create functions automatically. --- ## Security Warning — Read Carefully Depending on your configuration and enabled tools, Serena's MCP server may: - Execute **arbitrary shell commands** - Read, write, and modify **files in your codebase** This gives ChatGPT the same powers as a remote developer on your machine. ### ⚠️ Key Rules: - **NEVER expose your API key** - **Only expose this server when needed**, and monitor its use. In your project’s `.serena/project.yml` or global config, you can disable tools like: ```yaml excluded_tools: - execute_shell_command - ... read_only: true ``` This is strongly recommended if you want a read-only or safer agent. --- ## Final Thoughts With this setup, ChatGPT becomes a coding assistant **running on your local code** — able to index, search, edit, and even run shell commands depending on your configuration. Use responsibly, and keep security in mind.