---
description: "Add an MCP server to the current project the safe way — pick the transport and scope, wire secrets through env vars, vet provenance, and verify the connection before trusting it."
argument-hint: "<server name + launch command or URL, or a description of the server to add>"
allowed-tools: "Read, Grep, Glob, Bash, Edit"
model: sonnet
---

## Scope

Treat `$ARGUMENTS` as the MCP server to add: a name plus a launch command (for local **stdio**) or a URL (for remote **Streamable HTTP**), or a description of the capability you want. Restate in one sentence which server you're adding, by which transport, and at which scope before changing anything.

Goal: connect the server **correctly and safely** — right transport, right scope, secrets via environment variables (never inline), provenance vetted for third-party servers — and verify it actually connected before declaring success.

> [!WARNING]
> An MCP server runs code and is handed tool access and credentials. For any third-party server, vet provenance and pin a version before adding it — a connected server can use whatever you give it. See [Connecting and Governing MCP Servers](/guides/mcp/govern-mcp-servers).

## Step 1 — Detect how this project configures MCP

Look for existing MCP configuration: a checked-in `.mcp.json` (project scope), per-user config, or `claude mcp` usage. Match what's already there rather than introducing a second mechanism. Confirm whether the server should be **local to this project**, shared via a committed `.mcp.json`, or available across all the user's projects.

## Step 2 — Choose the transport

Pick **stdio** for a local, single-user server the client launches as a child process; pick **Streamable HTTP** (with a URL) for a remote or shared server. State which and why — the transport determines whether auth is your concern (it is, for HTTP).

## Step 3 — Choose the scope

Map the need to a scope: local/per-project for a personal addition, **project** (committed `.mcp.json`) for something the whole team should get, or **user** for a server you want everywhere. Note that a project-scoped server prompts each teammate to approve it before its tools activate.

## Step 4 — Wire secrets through the environment

If the server needs tokens or keys, pass them via environment variables (e.g. `--env GITHUB_TOKEN=...` sourced from the environment), never hard-coded into a committed config. Confirm no secret is about to be written into `.mcp.json` or the repo.

## Step 5 — Register it

Produce the exact registration command, options before the server name. For example:

```bash
# local stdio server
claude mcp add weather -- node ./weather-server/index.js

# remote Streamable HTTP server
claude mcp add --transport http --scope project linear https://mcp.linear.app/mcp
```

## Step 6 — Verify the connection

Confirm the server actually connected and exposes what you expect: run `claude mcp list` (and `/mcp` inside a session) to check status and tools, or connect with the [MCP Inspector](/tools/mcp-inspector) to list and call a tool directly. A server that's "added" but not connected — or that exposes no usable tools — is not done.

> [!NOTE]
> If the server needs OAuth (common for hosted remote servers), the client will prompt for authorization on first use — `/mcp` is where you complete it and confirm the tools became available.

---

_Source: https://agentscamp.com/commands/workflow/add-mcp-server — Command on AgentsCamp._