This MCP server template provides a starting point for building a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server using FastMCP with TypeScript. It includes a basic server structure that supports two transport methods: a stdio (CLI) transport for local development and an SSE (HTTP) transport for web-based or remote usage. The template is designed to be extended with custom MCP tools, resources, and prompts, allowing you to rapidly scaffold a working server and then tailor it to your specific workflows. You can test your server’s tooling and integration using the included FastMCP utilities and by connecting via Cursor or a direct HTTP endpoint.

To use, install dependencies, then run either the stdio or HTTP server as described in the repository’s instructions. The stdio mode is ideal for local command-line tools and development, while the HTTP mode enables networked usage and collaboration across machines. You can also run in development mode with auto-reload to streamline iteration while building tools and resources.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js (LTS) and npm/yarn/pnpm (or Bun as suggested by the template)
• Basic familiarity with TypeScript and npm scripts

Installation steps:

1. Ensure Node.js and your preferred package manager are installed.
   • node -v
   • npm -v (or yarn -v / pnpm -v / bun -v)
2. Create or clone the MCP server project using the template (examples assume npm is available):
   • npx @mcpdotdirect/template-mcp-server
   • or, if you’re starting from an existing repo, run: npm install
3. Install project dependencies:
   • npm install

   • or using yarn/pnpm/bun as you prefer

4. Validate the setup by listing available scripts or attempting a build:
   • npm run build
   • npm run start # for stdio transport
   • npm run start:http # for HTTP/SSE transport
5. Start the server in stdio mode (CLI):
   • npm start
6. Start the server in HTTP mode (SSE):
   • npm run start:http
7. For development with auto-reload (if configured in package.json):
   • npm run dev
   • npm run dev:http

Notes:

• The template may default to Bun-based scripts; if you prefer Node.js runtimes, adjust the npm scripts in package.json accordingly to use node or ts-node as needed.

Tips and considerations:

• The template supports two transports: stdio and SSE. Use stdio for local tool development and SSE for remote or team usage.
• Environment variables such as PORT (for the HTTP server) can be used to customize behavior. Example: PORT=8080 npm run start:http
• If Cursor integration is planned, you can export mcp.json configurations in .cursor/mcp.json with both stdio (command) and SSE (url) entries.
• When extending with tools, resources, and prompts, follow the existing TypeScript patterns shown in the template to ensure compatibility with FastMCP expectations.
• If you encounter Bun-specific runtime notes, modify the scripts to run with Node.js or your preferred runtime to avoid runtime-specific issues.