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CaptainCrouton89

MCP Server Boilerplate

by CaptainCrouton89
OverviewSchemaSourceRelated ServersScoreDiscussionsAdmin
JavaScript

MCP Server Boilerplate

A starter template for building MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers. This boilerplate provides a clean foundation for creating your own MCP server that can integrate with Claude, Cursor, or other MCP-compatible AI assistants.

Purpose

This boilerplate helps you quickly start building:

  • Custom tools for AI assistants

  • Resource providers for dynamic content

  • Prompt templates for common operations

  • Integration points for external APIs and services

Related MCP server: MCP Template

Features

  • Simple "hello-world" tool example

  • TypeScript support with proper type definitions

  • Easy installation scripts for different MCP clients

  • Clean project structure ready for customization

How It Works

This MCP server template provides:

  1. A basic server setup using the MCP SDK

  2. Example tool implementation

  3. Build and installation scripts

  4. TypeScript configuration for development

The included example demonstrates how to create a simple tool that takes a name parameter and returns a greeting.

Getting Started

# Clone the boilerplate
git clone <your-repo-url>
cd mcp-server-boilerplate

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

# Build the project
pnpm run build

# Start the server
pnpm start

Installation Scripts

This boilerplate includes convenient installation scripts for different MCP clients:

# For Claude Desktop
pnpm run install-desktop

# For Cursor
pnpm run install-cursor

# For Claude Code
pnpm run install-code

# Generic installation
pnpm run install-server

These scripts will build the project and automatically update the appropriate configuration files.

Usage with Claude Desktop

The installation script will automatically add the configuration, but you can also manually add it to your claude_desktop_config.json file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "your-server-name": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/your/dist/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Then restart Claude Desktop to connect to the server.

Customizing Your Server

Adding Tools

Tools are functions that the AI assistant can call. Here's the basic structure:

server.tool(
  "tool-name",
  "Description of what the tool does",
  {
    // Zod schema for parameters
    param1: z.string().describe("Description of parameter"),
    param2: z.number().optional().describe("Optional parameter"),
  },
  async ({ param1, param2 }) => {
    // Your tool logic here
    return {
      content: [
        {
          type: "text",
          text: "Your response",
        },
      ],
    };
  }
);

Adding Resources

Resources provide dynamic content that the AI can access:

server.resource(
  "resource://example/{id}",
  "Description of the resource",
  async (uri) => {
    // Extract parameters from URI
    const id = uri.path.split("/").pop();

    return {
      contents: [
        {
          uri,
          mimeType: "text/plain",
          text: `Content for ${id}`,
        },
      ],
    };
  }
);

Adding Prompts

Prompts are reusable templates:

server.prompt(
  "prompt-name",
  "Description of the prompt",
  {
    // Parameters for the prompt
    topic: z.string().describe("The topic to discuss"),
  },
  async ({ topic }) => {
    return {
      description: `A prompt about ${topic}`,
      messages: [
        {
          role: "user",
          content: {
            type: "text",
            text: `Please help me with ${topic}`,
          },
        },
      ],
    };
  }
);

Project Structure

├── src/
│   └── index.ts          # Main server implementation
├── scripts/              # Installation and utility scripts
├── dist/                 # Compiled JavaScript (generated)
├── package.json          # Project configuration
├── tsconfig.json         # TypeScript configuration
└── README.md            # This file

Development

  1. Make changes to src/index.ts

  2. Run pnpm run build to compile

  3. Test your server with pnpm start

  4. Use the installation scripts to update your MCP client configuration

Next Steps

  1. Update package.json with your project details

  2. Customize the server name and tools in src/index.ts

  3. Add your own tools, resources, and prompts

  4. Integrate with external APIs or databases as needed

License

MIT

Available Tools

2 tools
get-mcp-docsD

Make an MCP server

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
nameYesThe name of the MCP server

TDQS

D1.7/5.0
Behavior1/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

With no annotations provided, the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure, but it fails completely. 'Make an MCP server' is vague and doesn't reveal whether this is a read or write operation, what permissions might be required, what side effects occur, or what the tool returns. The description provides no behavioral context beyond the ambiguous verb 'Make,' leaving critical operational characteristics undefined.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness2/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

While the description is brief ('Make an MCP server'), this brevity represents under-specification rather than effective conciseness. The single sentence fails to convey essential information, making it inefficient rather than well-structured. A truly concise description would front-load critical details, but this one omits them entirely, so it doesn't earn its place as helpful content.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness1/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the tool's complexity (implied by 'Make' suggesting a creation/mutation operation), lack of annotations, and absence of an output schema, the description is severely incomplete. It doesn't explain what 'making' entails, what the tool returns, or any behavioral aspects. For a tool that appears to perform a mutation with no structured safety hints, this description leaves the agent without enough information to use the tool correctly or understand its effects.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

The input schema has 100% description coverage, with the single parameter 'name' clearly documented as 'The name of the MCP server.' The description adds no additional meaning or context about this parameter beyond what the schema provides. According to the scoring rules, when schema_description_coverage is high (>80%), the baseline score is 3 even with no parameter information in the description, which applies here.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose2/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description 'Make an MCP server' is a tautology that essentially restates the tool name 'get-mcp-docs' rather than clearly explaining what the tool does. It doesn't specify what 'making' entails (e.g., generating documentation, creating server instances, or something else) or what resource it operates on. The description fails to distinguish this tool from its sibling 'hello-world' or provide meaningful context about its specific function.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines1/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives. It doesn't mention any context, prerequisites, or exclusions for usage. There's no indication of how this tool relates to its sibling 'hello-world' or when one should be chosen over the other. The lack of usage information leaves the agent with no basis for making informed decisions about tool selection.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

hello-worldB

Say hello to the user

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
nameYesThe name of the user

TDQS

B3.1/5.0
Behavior2/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

With no annotations provided, the description carries full burden for behavioral disclosure. 'Say hello' implies a read-only, non-destructive operation, but the description doesn't explicitly confirm this or provide any additional behavioral context like response format, error conditions, or side effects. It's minimally adequate but lacks important details.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is perfectly concise at just four words, front-loading the core functionality with zero wasted words. Every element earns its place, making it immediately understandable without unnecessary elaboration. This is an excellent example of efficient communication.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness3/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a simple tool with one parameter and no output schema, the description provides the basic purpose but lacks important context. Without annotations or output schema, the description should ideally mention what the tool returns (e.g., a greeting message) and any behavioral constraints. It's minimally viable but has clear gaps.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

The schema description coverage is 100%, with the single parameter 'name' clearly documented as 'The name of the user'. The description doesn't add any parameter information beyond what's in the schema, which is acceptable given the high schema coverage. The baseline score of 3 reflects adequate but not enhanced parameter documentation.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the tool's action ('Say hello') and target ('to the user'), making the purpose immediately understandable. It doesn't differentiate from the sibling tool 'get-mcp-docs', but that's reasonable since they serve completely different functions. The description avoids tautology by not just repeating the tool name.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines2/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives or in what context it should be invoked. It simply states what the tool does without any usage context, prerequisites, or comparison to the sibling tool. This leaves the agent with minimal guidance for tool selection.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

Tool Schema Changelog

Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections. Dates show when Glama detected each change.

  1. 2 tool updates
    • First observedget-mcp-docs
    • First observedhello-world
Install Server
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TDQS

C2.3/5.0
Disambiguation5/5

The two tools have completely distinct purposes: 'get-mcp-docs' is for server creation/documentation, while 'hello-world' is for user interaction. There is no overlap or ambiguity between them.

Naming Consistency2/5

The naming is inconsistent: 'get-mcp-docs' uses kebab-case with a verb-object structure, while 'hello-world' uses kebab-case but is a noun-phrase without a clear verb. There is no predictable pattern across the set.

Tool Count2/5

With only 2 tools, this server feels too thin for a 'boilerplate' purpose, which typically implies foundational or example functionality. The count is insufficient to demonstrate a coherent toolset for server development.

Completeness2/5

For a boilerplate server, there are significant gaps: no tools for configuration, testing, deployment, or common MCP operations like listing or updating. The surface is severely incomplete for the implied domain of server setup and examples.

Maintenance

ActivityInactive
ResponsivenessNo issues

Resources

Unclaimed servers have limited discoverability.

Looking for Admin?

If you are the server author, to access and configure the admin panel.

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