Quarto MCP
Server Configuration
Describes the environment variables required to run the server.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| XDG_CONFIG_HOME | No | Base directory for the metadata defaults file when QUARTO_MCP_DEFAULTS_FILE is not set. The server uses $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/quarto-cli-mcp/defaults.yml, falling back to ~/.config/quarto-cli-mcp/defaults.yml. | |
| QUARTO_MCP_LOG_LEVEL | No | Pino log level. Logs go to stderr. Default is 'info'. | info |
| QUARTO_MCP_DEFAULTS_FILE | No | The metadata defaults file. Overrides the default path. | |
| QUARTO_MCP_MAX_OUTPUT_BYTES | No | Cap stdout and stderr per run. Default is 1048576. | 1048576 |
| QUARTO_MCP_MAX_PROJECT_BYTES | No | Temporary storage budget. Default is 268435456. | 268435456 |
| QUARTO_MCP_RENDER_TIMEOUT_MS | No | Stop a Quarto run after this time. Default is 120000. | 120000 |
Instructions
Guidance the server publishes about itself, which clients place ahead of the tool catalog so the model reads it before choosing anything.
This server publishes no instructions, or was last inspected before Glama recorded them.
Capabilities
Features and capabilities supported by this server
Protocol revision2025-11-25
| Capability | Details |
|---|---|
| tools | {
"listChanged": true
} |
Tools
Functions exposed to the LLM to take actions
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| quarto_create_projectA | Create a temporary Quarto project and write initial files into it. Returns an opaque projectId that is valid only while this server process runs. |
| quarto_renderA | Render the project, or one input file. Code execution is off unless execute is true. A Quarto failure is reported as success: false, with stdout and stderr preserved. |
| quarto_inspectA | Return Quarto's inspect JSON for the project, or for one input file. The output is passed through without field changes. |
| quarto_defaults_getA | Return the Quarto metadata that every new project receives as _metadata.yml, and the path of the file that holds it. An absent file returns empty metadata. |
| quarto_defaults_setA | Store Quarto metadata, such as author, affiliation, and ORCID, for every new project. The call replaces the whole file. Send empty metadata to clear the defaults. |
Prompts
Interactive templates invoked by user choice
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
No prompts | |
Resources
Contextual data attached and managed by the client
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
No resources | |
TDQS
Scored across 5 tools
Each tool has a clearly distinct purpose: default metadata retrieval/set, project creation, rendering, and inspecting Quarto metadata. There is no overlap or ambiguity between the tools.
The naming pattern is mixed: defaults_get/defaults_set use noun_verb order, while create_project, render, and inspect use verb or verb_noun order. Despite the inconsistency, the names are still readable and somewhat predictable.
With 5 tools, the server is well-scoped for Quarto project management. Each tool covers a distinct necessary action without redundancy or excessive surface area.
The tool surface covers the core workflows: creating projects, rendering, inspecting metadata, and managing defaults. Minor gaps exist, such as no way to list or delete projects, but projects are temporary and the main workflow is supported.