Connect Claude Code, Cursor or another MCP client

MCP lets a coding agent such as Claude Code or Cursor work in your Playcode workspace: list projects, read and change files, run commands, publish, manage domains. playcode mcp runs the server on your computer over your CLI sign-in. A client that connects to servers by address uses Playcode's hosted server instead, https://playcode.io/api/mcp.

On this page

Do it yourself

Install the CLI: npm i -g @playcode/cli.
Sign in: playcode login. To let the agent manage domains too, run playcode login --permissions projects:vm,domains:write.
Add the server to your client's MCP settings. Claude Code, Cursor and Claude Desktop take it as a command:
```
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playcode": {
      "command": "playcode",
      "args": ["mcp"]
    }
  }
}
```
Restart the client, or reload its MCP servers. It shows four Playcode tools: search_operations, describe_operation, read_operation and write_operation.
Ask your agent, for example: "List my Playcode projects."

Or give your agent this sentence, and it sets itself up from Docs for agents:

Connect Playcode for me. Fetch https://playcode.io/docs/developers/agents.md and follow it.

Use the hosted server

In your client, add a remote MCP server with the address https://playcode.io/api/mcp.
Your client opens Playcode's sign-in page, which says the tool wants to act as you. Check What it may do, pick the workspace under Where, and choose Allow.
The client now shows the four tools. On the Developers page, it appears under Signed in as you.

The four tools

Tool	What it does
`search_operations`	Finds operations by what they do, in words. Each result shows its effect (`READ`, `WRITE` or `MONEY`), the permission it needs and its arguments
`describe_operation`	One operation: its arguments as a JSON schema, an example, and what it returns
`read_operation`	Calls a `READ` operation with plain JSON arguments
`write_operation`	Calls a `WRITE` or `MONEY` operation. One that needs consent applies only with the id of a proposal from `proposalCreate`: see Consent

If it doesn't work

"Not signed in. Run `playcode login`."

playcode mcp found no sign-in. Run playcode login in a terminal, then restart the client.

The sign-in lacks the permission the operation needs. Sign in again asking for it, like playcode login --permissions projects:vm,domains:write.

Run playcode login again.

"unauthorized: the access token is unknown, revoked or expired"

The hosted server refused the client's sign-in. Remove the server in your client and add it again, to sign in again.

The client shows no Playcode tools

Run playcode --version in a terminal. If the command is not found, the client cannot start it either: install the CLI, or give the full path to playcode in the settings.

"... takes a signed-in person, never a token"

Access tokens and webhooks are managed only by you, signed in to the app: on the Developers page, or by asking the agent in a chat.

Limits

Both servers act in one workspace, with the permissions allowed at sign-in.
The hosted server does not offer the permission to change files, run commands or publish. For those, use playcode mcp with a sign-in that has Projects and computers (projects:vm).
An operation that costs money or needs consent applies only with a proposal. A good agent shows you the terms and waits for your yes: Docs for agents tells it to.
MCP does not reach access tokens, webhooks or an app's own settings, such as its email, secrets and AI.
An interactive shell and large file transfers are the CLI's: playcode vm shell and playcode vm cp.