mcp

The Pathmode MCP server provides the Intent Compiler tooling for building structured intents and specifications. With the server running, you can leverage the Intent Compiler to guide a Socratic workflow that converts natural language problems into formal intent specifications, saved as intent.md and exportable as .cursorrules or CLAUDE.md. This enables agents and teammates to share a precise execution context for product thinking, requirements, and debugging without needing API keys for local usage. To use it, start the server via npx and point Claude Code or other tooling at the MCP server to interact with the intent-building workflow or to read local intent.md files for offline collaboration. The server supports local mode for offline reading, and team features (with an API key) for cloud-backed capabilities like workspace governance and intent management.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js and npm (or core npm/npx with Node.js installed)
• Access to the npm registry (default with Node.js)

Install and run locally:

1. Install Node.js (includes npm):
   • macOS: brew install node
   • Windows: download from nodejs.org
   • Linux: use your distribution's package manager (e.g., sudo apt-get install nodejs npm)
2. Run the MCP server using npx (no global install required):
   • npx @pathmode/mcp-server

Optional for offline/local usage:

• Start in local mode (reads local intent.md files): npx @pathmode/mcp-server --local

Configuration tips:

• If you use team features, provide PATHMODE_API_KEY in your environment or config as documented by Pathmode.
• For offline usage, ensure intent.md exists in your project root or in the local intents directory as described in the docs.

Verification:

• After starting, you should see logs indicating the MCP server is listening and ready to process intent specifications.

Tips and common issues:

• Quick start uses npx to run the MCP server directly without a global install.
• In local mode, the server reads intent.md from the project root (and .pathmode/intents/*.md if configured).
• If you enable team features, ensure you have a valid PATHMODE_API_KEY for authentication.
• The privacy policy notes that the Intent Compiler can operate offline, but team features may transmit API keys and workspace data to Pathmode. Review your configuration accordingly.
• If you encounter 'No Pathmode configuration found', the Intention Compiler still works in standalone mode; team features require an API key.
• Use the exported artifacts (intent.md, .cursorrules, CLAUDE.md) to share and persist your generated intents across tools and teammates.