codewhale/docs/MCP.md

MCP (External Tool Servers)

DeepSeek CLI can load additional tools via MCP (Model Context Protocol). MCP servers are local processes that the CLI starts and communicates with over stdio.

Server mode note:

• deepseek serve --mcp runs the MCP stdio server.
• deepseek serve --http runs the runtime HTTP/SSE API (separate mode).

Bootstrap MCP Config

Create a starter MCP config at your resolved MCP path:

deepseek mcp init

deepseek setup --mcp performs the same MCP bootstrap alongside skills setup.

Common management commands:

deepseek mcp list
deepseek mcp tools [server]
deepseek mcp add <name> --command "<cmd>" --arg "<arg>"
deepseek mcp add <name> --url "http://localhost:3000/mcp"
deepseek mcp enable <name>
deepseek mcp disable <name>
deepseek mcp remove <name>
deepseek mcp validate

Config File Location

Default path:

• ~/.deepseek/mcp.json

Overrides:

• Config: mcp_config_path = "/path/to/mcp.json"
• Env: DEEPSEEK_MCP_CONFIG=/path/to/mcp.json

deepseek mcp init (and deepseek setup --mcp) writes to this resolved path.

After editing the file, restart the TUI.

Tool Naming

Discovered MCP tools are exposed to the model as:

• mcp_<server>_<tool>

Example: a server named git with a tool named status becomes mcp_git_status.

Resource and Prompt Helpers

The CLI also exposes helper tools when MCP is enabled:

• list_mcp_resources (optional server filter)
• list_mcp_resource_templates (optional server filter)
• mcp_read_resource / read_mcp_resource (aliases)
• mcp_get_prompt

Minimal Example

{
  "timeouts": {
    "connect_timeout": 10,
    "execute_timeout": 60,
    "read_timeout": 120
  },
  "servers": {
    "example": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["./path/to/your-mcp-server.js"],
      "env": {},
      "disabled": false
    }
  }
}

You can also use mcpServers instead of servers for compatibility with other clients.

Server Fields

Per-server settings:

• command (string, required)
• args (array of strings, optional)
• env (object, optional)
• connect_timeout, execute_timeout, read_timeout (seconds, optional)
• disabled (bool, optional)
• enabled (bool, optional, default true)
• required (bool, optional): startup/connect validation fails if this server cannot initialize.
• enabled_tools (array, optional): allowlist of tool names for this server.
• disabled_tools (array, optional): denylist applied after enabled_tools.

Safety Notes

MCP tools now flow through the same tool-approval framework as built-in tools. Read-only MCP helpers (resource/prompt listing and reads) can run without prompts in suggestive approval modes, while side-effectful MCP tools require approval.

You should still only configure MCP servers you trust, and treat MCP server configuration as equivalent to running code on your machine.

Troubleshooting

• Run deepseek doctor to confirm the MCP config path it resolved and whether it exists.
• If the MCP config is missing, run deepseek mcp init --force to regenerate it.
• If tools don’t appear, verify the server command works from your shell and that the server supports MCP tools/list.