mcp -dump

mcp-server-dump is a command-line tool that connects to MCP servers, extracts capabilities, tools, resources, and prompts, and renders comprehensive documentation in multiple formats. It supports several transports, including a standard command/subprocess transport, a streamable HTTP transport, and (deprecated) SSE. You can invoke it against a running MCP server by passing a transport and a target (for example a Node.js or Python MCP server). The tool can also execute available MCP tools to gather live results, and incorporate those results into all output formats (Markdown, JSON, HTML, PDF, and Hugo). Use it to generate consistent, up-to-date documentation for your MCP servers, and leverage its output options to publish documentation to static sites or documentation portals.

Prerequisites:

• Docker installed and running (for the recommended docker-based setup below) or ensure you can run the mcp-server-dump binary via your preferred method.
• Access to MCP servers you want to document.

Installation options (choose one):

Option A: Run via Docker (recommended for portability)

1. Pull and run the container: docker run -it --rm spandigital/mcp-server-dump:latest
2. Use environment variables to customize behavior (see mcp_config above for variables).
3. Invoke the tool with the target MCP server, for example: docker run -it --rm spandigital/mcp-server-dump:latest --transport=command node server.js

Option B: Install a prebuilt binary (if available for your platform)

1. Download the latest release from the releases page.
2. Ensure the binary is in your PATH.
3. Run: mcp-server-dump <transport and target arguments>.

Option C: Build from source (Go-based tool as an alternative workflow)

1. Install Go 1.26.0+.
2. git clone https://github.com/spandigital/mcp-server-dump.git
3. cd mcp-server-dump
4. go build -o mcp-server-dump ./cmd/mcp-server-dump
5. Run: ./mcp-server-dump <transport and target arguments>.

Tips and common considerations:

• Output formats: The tool can emit Markdown, JSON, HTML, PDF, or Hugo site structures. Specify the desired format in your command or via environment variables if supported by the container image.
• Hugo format: If you generate Hugo content, the tool can place the generated pages under a structure suitable for a Hugo site. Ensure your publishing pipeline copies the content to the site’s content directory.
• OAuth 2.1: For protected MCP servers, you can enable OAuth 2.1 authentication (authorization code flow with PKCE). The config supports client IDs, endpoints, scopes, and token caching behavior.
• Tool invocation: You can choose to run specific MCP tools or all available tools to enrich documentation with actual results.
• Selective scanning: Use flags to skip tools, resources, or prompts to optimize performance. At least one type must be enabled.
• Troubleshooting: If the container cannot reach the MCP server, verify network access, correct endpoint configuration, and any required authentication headers or tokens.
• Environment variables: The container supports several env vars to control output and transport behavior. Review the mcp-config example and adapt it to your deployment environment.