Model Context Protocol (MCP)
Model Context Protocol (MCP) extends Mind's capabilities by connecting to specialised servers that provide additional tools and context. This guide helps you set up, configure, and use MCP servers with Mind across all surfaces.
| Capability | IDE | CLI | Web |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local (stdio) MCP servers | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Remote (HTTP/SSE) MCP servers | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| MCP config file (JSON) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Server-provided prompts and resources | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
What is MCP?
MCP is a protocol that allows Mind to communicate with external servers to access specialised tools, prompts, and resources. For example, a database MCP server provides tools to inspect schemas and run queries directly within Mind.
With MCP, you can:
- Access specialised knowledge bases and documentation
- Integrate with external services and APIs
- Extend Mind's capabilities with domain-specific tools
- Use server-provided prompt templates and resource templates via the
#mention system in chat - Respond to server elicitation requests when tools need additional input during execution
- Create custom tools for your specific workflows
Setting up MCP
Prerequisites
Before using MCP, make sure you have:
- The latest version of Mind installed
- Any specific prerequisites for the MCP servers you want to use (listed in each server's documentation)
Adding an MCP server
- Open the command palette (Cmd + Shift + P on Mac, Ctrl + Shift + P on Windows/Linux) and search for Mind: Open workspace MCP config (JSON) or Mind: Open user MCP config (JSON).
- Add your server configuration:
{
"mcpServers": {
"fetch": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["mcp-server-fetch"]
}
}
}3. Save the config file (Cmd+S). Servers reconnect automatically. Check the MCP servers tab in the Mind panel to confirm the server is connected.
Installing from an install link
Some server directories and websites offer one-click install links that use the mind:// URL scheme. Opening one of these links doesn't change your setup immediately: Mind shows a confirmation dialog before anything is written to your configuration. The dialog lists the command that will run and its arguments, along with the names of any environment variables or headers — their values stay hidden. Review the details and confirm to add the server, or cancel to leave your configuration unchanged.
Agent configuration
You can also define MCP servers directly in an agent's configuration file. The mcpServers field specifies which MCP servers the agent has access to:
{
"name": "myagent",
"description": "My special agent",
"mcpServers": {
"fetch": {
"command": "fetch3.1",
"args": []
}
},
"includeMcpJson": false
}The includeMcpJson field determines whether to include MCP servers defined in workspace and user-level configuration files.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Connection failures | Verify prerequisites are installed correctly |
| Permission errors | Check that tokens and API keys are valid |
| Tool not responding | Review MCP logs for specific error messages |
| Configuration not loading | Validate JSON syntax and save the config file |