My MCP Server (for Beginners)

A self-made MCP (Model Context Protocol) Server with:

• Your own API key & URL module via the .env file

• Example tools: echo and call_my_api

• Ready to test with MCP Inspector

• Ready to use directly in VS Code (GitHub Copilot Chat)

1. Install dependencies

npm install

Related MCP server: mcp-server-demo

2. Create the .env file

Copy .env.example to .env, then fill it in with your own API key and URL:

Copy-Item .env.example .env

Fill in .env:

MY_API_KEY=api-key-asli-kamu
MY_API_BASE_URL=https://api.contohkamu.com
MCP_SERVER_NAME=my-mcp-server

⚠️ Never commit the .env file to git. This file is already automatically ignored via .gitignore.

3. Build the project

npm run build

This command compiles the TypeScript in src/ into JavaScript in build/.

4. Test with MCP Inspector

MCP Inspector is a visual (browser) tool for trying out your MCP tools without needing another client.

npm run inspector

This will run npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node build/index.js and open the Inspector in the browser. From there you can:

1. Click the Tools tab

2. Select the echo or call_my_api tool

3. Fill in the parameters, click Run Tool, and see the results

5. Use directly in VS Code

The .vscode/mcp.json file is already prepared. Open the Command Palette → MCP: List Servers → select my-mcp-server → Start Server. This server automatically reads .env via envFile.

Project Structure

├── .env                  # rahasia kamu (tidak di-commit)
├── .env.example          # contoh isi .env
├── .vscode/mcp.json      # konfigurasi MCP untuk VS Code
├── src/
│   ├── config.ts         # loader environment variable
│   ├── apiClient.ts      # modul pemanggilan API eksternal (pakai API key & URL)
│   └── index.ts          # server MCP utama + daftar tool
├── package.json
└── tsconfig.json

Adding a new tool

Add a new server.registerTool("nama_tool", { ... }, async (input) => { ... }) block in src/index.ts, then run npm run build again.

Troubleshooting

• Error "Environment variable ... not set yet" → make sure .env exists and is filled in.

• Tool call_my_api fails → check whether MY_API_BASE_URL and MY_API_KEY are correct, and that the API endpoint supports the Authorization: Bearer <key> header.

• Inspector does not open → make sure you have run npm run build first.