mcp -starter

This MCP server template provides a locally running documentation-centric assistant that integrates with Claude to surface and generate documentation from a curated set of tech topics. When running, it exposes a local interface that Claude can query to fetch documentation for technologies such as React, AWS services, TypeScript, Express, Vercel, and Supabase, among others. It also demonstrates a working MCP tool framework with a calculator example, showing how to add your own tools in src/tools and register them in the server configuration. Use this server to quickly access official documentation, generate explanations, and obtain code examples in the context of your current project, all from a single local interface running on port 3000.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js and npm installed on your machine
• Git installed
• Optional:VS Code for best integration with Claude extension

Steps:

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/mgesteban/mcp-server-starter

2. Navigate to the project directory:

cd mcp-server-starter

3. Install dependencies:

npm install

4. Copy the environment file example and adjust as needed:

cp .env.example .env

• Edit .env to configure PORT, any API keys, and other settings described in the repository docs.

5. Start the server:

npm start

6. Open the local UI at http://localhost:3000 and verify Claude integration if you have the extension installed.

Tips and notes:

• The server runs on port 3000 by default; you can override it via the PORT environment variable.
• Review .env.example for environment variable options and customize as needed.
• To extend functionality, add new tools under src/tools and update registrations in src/tools/index.js and src/config/settings.js.
• The template includes a calculatorTool.js example to illustrate input validation and error handling for MCP tools.
• If npm start fails due to missing environment settings, ensure you have a valid .env file and required API keys (as described in the documentation).
• This template is designed for local development and integrates with Claude in VS Code for seamless documentation access.