Add an MCP server to any AI coding agent: Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Gemini CLI, VS Code and 8 more (2026)

• Claude Code: claude mcp add --transport http NAME URL for a remote server, or claude mcp add NAME -- COMMAND for a local one. Local scope is the default; --scope project writes a shared .mcp.json and --scope user makes the server available in all your projects.
• Cursor: mcpServers in .cursor/mcp.json for one project, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json for every project.
• OpenAI Codex: codex mcp add NAME -- COMMAND, or a [mcp_servers.NAME] table in ~/.codex/config.toml.
• Gemini CLI: gemini mcp add NAME COMMAND, which writes to the project's .gemini/settings.json by default. Add -s user for ~/.gemini/settings.json.
• VS Code (GitHub Copilot): a top-level servers object in .vscode/mcp.json, or the user profile file opened with MCP: Open User Configuration.
• Copilot cloud agent on GitHub: repository Settings, then Copilot, then MCP servers. Paste JSON with an mcpServers object.
• OpenCode: the top-level mcp key in opencode.json.
• Cline: mcpServers in cline_mcp_settings.json. The CLI keeps it at ~/.cline/data/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json.
• Amp: amp mcp add NAME -- COMMAND or amp mcp add NAME URL, or amp.mcpServers in ~/.config/amp/settings.json or .amp/settings.json.
• Kiro: mcpServers in .kiro/settings/mcp.json (workspace) or ~/.kiro/settings/mcp.json (user).
• Factory Droid: droid mcp add NAME URL_OR_COMMAND --type stdio|http|sse, saved to ~/.factory/mcp.json. Teams share servers in .factory/mcp.json.
• Junie: mcpServers in .junie/mcp/mcp.json (project) or ~/.junie/mcp/mcp.json (user).
• Zed: context_servers in your Zed settings file.
• goose: extensions under the extensions key of ~/.config/goose/config.yaml, or goose configure, then Add Extension.

A local server is a command that the agent starts on your machine and talks to over stdio. A remote server is a URL. In most JSON configs a local entry has command, args and env, and a remote entry has url and optional headers. Cursor, Kiro and Junie all accept this shape under mcpServers.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "context7": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@upstash/context7-mcp"]
    },
    "remote-server": {
      "url": "https://example.com/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" }
    }
  }
}

[mcp_servers.context7]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "@upstash/context7-mcp"]

[mcp_servers.figma]
url = "https://mcp.figma.com/mcp"

{
  "servers": {
    "github": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcp": {
    "context7": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": ["npx", "-y", "@upstash/context7-mcp"]
    },
    "remote-server": {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://example.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

• VS Code uses servers, not mcpServers, in .vscode/mcp.json. A file copied from Cursor needs that key renamed.
• OpenCode wants type local or remote, and its command is a single array that includes the arguments.
• Gemini CLI uses url for SSE servers and httpUrl for streamable HTTP servers.
• Cline treats a remote entry with no type as legacy SSE. Set type to streamableHttp for the recommended transport.
• Copilot cloud agent needs a tools array on every server (use ["*"] for all tools), and only secrets and variables whose names start with COPILOT_MCP_ reach the config.
• Zed puts servers under context_servers, and a remote server with no Authorization header starts the standard MCP OAuth flow.
• Codex is TOML, not JSON: one [mcp_servers.NAME] table per server.

• Claude Code prompts for approval in interactive sessions before it uses project-scoped servers from .mcp.json.
• Amp requires amp mcp approve NAME before a server in .amp/settings.json runs. Servers in your global settings do not need approval.
• Kiro merges the workspace and user files, and workspace settings win. autoApprove lists tools that run without a prompt, and "*" approves all of them.
• Gemini CLI: trust: true on a server bypasses all tool call confirmations for it. Use it only for servers you control.
• Cline: the autoApprove array lists tools Cline can call without asking. Keep it to safe tools.
• Factory Droid: servers added with droid mcp add go to your user config. Project servers in .factory/mcp.json cannot be removed with droid mcp remove, so edit the file.

• Claude Code: /mcp, which is also where you sign in to OAuth servers.
• Codex: /mcp in the TUI shows active servers. codex mcp login NAME signs in to OAuth servers.
• Gemini CLI: /mcp shows each server's connection status.
• Factory Droid: /mcp opens the interactive manager.
• Junie CLI: /mcp lists servers with their scope and status.
• Amp: amp mcp doctor.

• Claude Code: claude mcp add, .mcp.json and scopes
• Cursor: mcp.json, env interpolation and OAuth
• Codex: codex mcp add and [mcp_servers] in config.toml
• Gemini CLI: gemini mcp add and mcpServers in settings.json
• GitHub Copilot: VS Code mcp.json and the cloud agent
• OpenCode: local and remote servers in opencode.json
• Cline: cline_mcp_settings.json
• Amp: amp mcp add and workspace approval
• Kiro: .kiro/settings/mcp.json, autoApprove and OAuth
• Factory Droid: droid mcp add and mcp.json locations
• Junie: .junie/mcp/mcp.json and /mcp
• Zed: context_servers and tool permissions
• goose: extensions in config.yaml
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