Bridge Suite MCP Server
Integrates with IntelliJ IDEA to provide AI agents with capabilities to manage terminal tabs, execute run/debug configurations, push notifications and progress bars, and retrieve project context, SDK, frameworks, and dependencies.
Click on "Deploy Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type
@followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@Bridge Suite MCP ServerList my open terminals"
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.
Bridge Suite MCP Server
Give AI agents full access to your IntelliJ IDE.
Bridge Suite is a free, open-source MCP server that connects AI coding assistants to IntelliJ IDEA through four specialized plugins. Run commands in terminals, trigger builds, push notifications into the IDE, and query project context — all through a single MCP server.
Works with Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, Continue, and any MCP-compatible client.
Why Bridge Suite?
JetBrains' built-in MCP server handles file operations and basic code inspection, but it doesn't expose what makes IntelliJ powerful for AI workflows:
Capability | JetBrains Built-in | Bridge Suite |
Read/write files | Yes | - |
Run terminal commands with live output | - | Yes |
Trigger specific run configurations | - | Yes |
Push notifications into the IDE | - | Yes |
Show progress bars for long tasks | - | Yes |
Get full project context (SDK, frameworks, deps) | - | Yes |
Stream real-time output via WebSocket | - | Yes |
Multi-terminal management | - | Yes |
Bridge Suite and the built-in MCP are complementary — install both for complete IDE control.
Related MCP server: mcp-devtools
Quick Start
1. Install the MCP server
Add to your MCP client configuration:
Claude Code (.mcp.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"bridge-suite": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "bridge-suite-mcp"]
}
}
}Claude Desktop (claude_desktop_config.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"bridge-suite": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "bridge-suite-mcp"]
}
}
}Cursor (Settings > MCP Servers):
Name: bridge-suite
Command: npx -y bridge-suite-mcp2. Install at least one plugin
The MCP server connects to plugins running inside IntelliJ. Install them from the JetBrains Marketplace:
Plugin | What It Does | Free Tier | Marketplace |
List, create, send commands to IDE terminals | List, read, send | ||
Execute run/debug configs, track processes | List, run | ||
Push notifications, progress bars, status widgets | Send notifications, history | ||
Project context, dependencies, frameworks | Full context snapshot |
Each plugin runs a lightweight HTTP server on localhost. The MCP server auto-discovers which plugins are running.
3. Verify
Ask your AI assistant:
"Check which Bridge Suite plugins are available"
It will call bridge_status and show you what's running.
Tools
bridge_status
Check which plugins are installed, running, and licensed. Call this first to see what's available.
bridge_status()Returns:
{
"terminal-bridge": {
"name": "Terminal Bridge",
"running": true,
"version": "2.4.2",
"licensed": true
},
"notification-bridge": {
"name": "Notification Bridge",
"running": true,
"version": "1.0.0",
"licensed": false
},
...
}terminal — Terminal Bridge
Manage IntelliJ terminal tabs. Create terminals, send commands, read output.
Action | Description | Tier |
| Plugin health | Free |
| List all terminal tabs | Free |
| Read recent output ( | Free |
| Send command to terminal ( | Free |
| Create new terminal tab | Pro |
| Close terminal tab ( | Pro |
| Focus terminal in IDE ( | Pro |
| Rename terminal tab ( | Pro |
Examples:
// List terminals
terminal({ action: "list" })
// Run a command
terminal({ action: "send", id: "terminal-1", command: "npm test" })
// Read output
terminal({ action: "read", id: "terminal-1", max_lines: 50 })run_config — Run Configuration Bridge
Execute IntelliJ run/debug configurations. Start builds, run tests, launch servers — any run config defined in your project.
Action | Description | Tier |
| Plugin health | Free |
| List all run configurations | Free |
| List configuration types | Free |
| Get config details ( | Free |
| Start a configuration ( | Free |
| List running processes | Free |
| Start with debugger ( | Pro |
| Stop process ( | Pro |
| Restart process ( | Pro |
| Read process output ( | Pro |
| Wait for process to finish ( | Pro |
| Get environment variables ( | Pro |
| Force cache refresh | Pro |
Examples:
// List all run configurations
run_config({ action: "list" })
// Run "Backend Server" configuration
run_config({ action: "run", id: "backend-server" })
// Check process output
run_config({ action: "output", id: "process-1", max_lines: 100 })notify — Notification Bridge
Push notifications, progress bars, and status bar widgets directly into the IDE. Perfect for long-running AI tasks, CI/CD results, or monitoring alerts.
Action | Description | Tier |
| Plugin health | Free |
| List notification channels | Free |
| Send balloon notification ( | Free |
| Read notification history | Free |
| Sticky notification (stays until dismissed) | Pro |
| Notification with clickable buttons | Pro |
| Register notification channel | Pro |
| Remove channel ( | Pro |
| Create IDE progress bar ( | Pro |
| Update progress ( | Pro |
| Complete/cancel progress bar ( | Pro |
| Create status bar widget ( | Pro |
| Update widget text ( | Pro |
| Remove widget ( | Pro |
Examples:
// Send a notification
notify({ action: "send", title: "Build Complete", content: "All 42 tests pass", type: "INFORMATION" })
// Warning notification
notify({ action: "send", title: "Memory High", content: "Heap usage at 89%", type: "WARNING" })
// Create a progress bar (Pro)
notify({ action: "progress_create", title: "Deploying to Production", fraction: 0.0 })
// Update progress
notify({ action: "progress_update", id: "abc123", text: "Stage 2/3", fraction: 0.66 })
// Complete it
notify({ action: "progress_complete", id: "abc123" })
// Notification with action buttons (Pro)
notify({
action: "action",
title: "PR #42 Ready",
content: "All checks pass. Merge?",
type: "INFORMATION",
actions: [
{ label: "Open PR", id: "open", url: "https://github.com/org/repo/pull/42" },
{ label: "Merge", id: "merge" }
]
})
// Status bar widget (Pro)
notify({ action: "statusbar_create", id: "api-health", text: "API: 200ms", tooltip: "Average response time" })project_intel — Project Intelligence Bridge
Get rich project context — SDK version, detected frameworks, dependency tree, file structure. Useful for AI agents that need to understand the project before making changes.
Action | Description | Tier |
| Plugin health | Free |
| Full project snapshot (SDK, frameworks, VCS, deps) | Free |
| Dependency tree with conflicts | Free |
| Source/test/resource file classification | Free |
| Detected frameworks and versions | Free |
| LLM-optimized text summary | Free |
| Force refresh cached data | Free |
Examples:
// Get full project context
project_intel({ action: "context" })
// Quick summary for LLM context windows
project_intel({ action: "summary" })
// Check frameworks
project_intel({ action: "frameworks" })Architecture
┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│ AI Assistant (Claude, Cursor) │
│ Uses MCP tools to control IDE │
└──────────────┬───────────────────┘
│ MCP Protocol (stdio)
┌──────────────▼───────────────────┐
│ Bridge Suite MCP Server │
│ Free, open-source (this repo) │
│ Auto-discovers running plugins │
└──────────────┬───────────────────┘
│ HTTP (localhost)
┌───────────┼───────────┬───────────────┐
▼ ▼ ▼ ▼
┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐
│:9876 │ │:9877 │ │ :9878 │ │ :9885 │
│Term │ │ Run │ │ Notif │ │ Project │
│Bridge│ │Config│ │ Bridge │ │ Intel │
└──┬───┘ └──┬───┘ └────┬─────┘ └────┬─────┘
│ │ │ │
└─────────┴────────────┴──────────────┘
│
IntelliJ IDEA (IDE APIs)Each plugin runs an embedded HTTP server on localhost. The MCP server probes ports to discover which plugins are available. If a plugin isn't installed, its tools return a helpful message with an install link.
Security: Everything runs on localhost. No data leaves your machine. No authentication needed for local-only access.
Plugin Availability
When a tool targets a plugin that isn't running, you get a clear message:
{
"success": false,
"error": "Notification Bridge is not running. Install it from JetBrains Marketplace: https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/30984-notification-bridge — then restart IntelliJ IDEA.",
"code": "PLUGIN_NOT_AVAILABLE"
}When a tool requires a paid feature on the free tier:
{
"success": false,
"error": "This feature requires a paid Notification Bridge license. Upgrade at: https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/30984-notification-bridge",
"code": "LICENSE_REQUIRED"
}Configuration
Custom Ports
If your plugins run on non-standard ports, set environment variables:
TERMINAL_BRIDGE_PORT=9876 # default
RUN_CONFIG_BRIDGE_PORT=9877 # default
NOTIFICATION_BRIDGE_PORT=9878 # default
PROJECT_INTELLIGENCE_PORT=9885 # defaultPlugin Settings
Each plugin has its own settings in IntelliJ: Settings > Tools > [Plugin Name]
Common settings across all plugins:
Port — HTTP server port
Auto-start — Start server when IDE opens
CORS Origins — Allowed origins for cross-origin requests
Use Cases
AI-Driven Development Workflow
1. project_intel({ action: "context" }) → Understand the project
2. terminal({ action: "send", ... }) → Run commands
3. run_config({ action: "run", ... }) → Build/test
4. run_config({ action: "output", ... }) → Check results
5. notify({ action: "send", ... }) → Report completionCI/CD Notification Pipeline
1. notify({ action: "channel_create", id: "ci", name: "CI Pipeline" })
2. notify({ action: "progress_create", title: "Deploying v2.1" })
3. notify({ action: "progress_update", id: "...", fraction: 0.5 })
4. notify({ action: "progress_complete", id: "..." })
5. notify({ action: "action", title: "Deploy Complete", actions: [...] })Multi-Terminal Orchestration
1. terminal({ action: "create", name: "backend" })
2. terminal({ action: "create", name: "frontend" })
3. terminal({ action: "send", id: "backend", command: "mvn spring-boot:run" })
4. terminal({ action: "send", id: "frontend", command: "npm run dev" })
5. terminal({ action: "read", id: "backend" }) → Check startupRequirements
IntelliJ IDEA 2025.3+ (Ultimate or Community)
Node.js 18+ (for the MCP server)
At least one Bridge Suite plugin installed
Pricing
The MCP server is free and open-source (MIT license).
Each plugin uses a freemium model on the JetBrains Marketplace:
Personal | Commercial | |
Monthly | $1.90/mo | $4.90/mo |
Annual | $19/yr | $49/yr |
Free tiers include essential read/execute operations. Pro tiers unlock creation, streaming, and advanced features. See the tool tables above for tier details.
JetBrains community programs (students, open-source, startups) provide free licenses.
Development
git clone https://github.com/alarinel/bridge-suite-mcp.git
cd bridge-suite-mcp
npm install
npm run buildRun locally:
node dist/index.jsProject Structure
src/
index.ts Entry point (stdio transport)
discovery.ts Plugin auto-discovery (port probing)
http-client.ts Shared HTTP client with error handling
tools/
bridge-status.ts Meta tool: plugin discovery
terminal.ts Terminal Bridge proxy
run-config.ts Run Configuration Bridge proxy
notify.ts Notification Bridge proxy
project.ts Project Intelligence Bridge proxy
registry.ts Tool registrationLinks
License
MIT — see LICENSE
This server cannot be deployed
Maintenance
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