MCP Reference
This page focuses on the MCP-specific commands and tools exposed by the Swytchcode CLI.
Use it alongside the MCP Server setup guide for editor configuration and connection walkthroughs.
Commands below are shown with swy, the shorter alias for swytchcode (e.g. swy mcp serve is the same as swytchcode mcp serve).
MCP tools reference
The Swytchcode MCP server exposes tools under two profiles, selected with swy mcp serve --profile agent|full (agent is the default).
Agent profile (7 tools)
Focused set for AI agents at task-execution time - no setup/management tools.
| MCP Tool | CLI Equivalent | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
swytchcode_discover | swy discover | Find API capabilities by natural-language intent. Start here when you don’t know which tool to call. |
swytchcode_info | swy info | Get the input/output schema for a tool by canonical ID. |
swytchcode_exec | swy exec | Execute a tool by canonical ID. Supports dry_run, demo, and explain modes. |
swytchcode_list | swy list | List locally available tools and integrations. No registry calls. |
swytchcode_search | swy search | Search the remote registry for integrations and published workflows. |
swytchcode_add | swy add method | Enable an already-installed tool by canonical ID. |
swytchcode_policy | swy policy list | List configured execution guard policies (read-only). |
Full profile (14 tools)
Everything in the agent profile, plus setup and management tools for developers and power users.
| MCP Tool | CLI Equivalent | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
swytchcode_init | swy init | Initialize Swytchcode in this project: creates .swytchcode/, tooling.json, and editor-specific config. |
swytchcode_bootstrap | swy bootstrap | Fetch all integrations declared in tooling.json that aren’t already installed. |
swytchcode_version | swy -v | Get the current Swytchcode version. |
swytchcode_get | swy get | Fetch and install integration bundles (methods only) for a project. |
swytchcode_add_workflow | swy add workflow | Install a published workflow by canonical ID, auto-fetching missing integrations. |
swytchcode_doctor | swy doctor | Run local diagnostics: tooling, bundles, manifest, base URLs, and auth posture. CI-friendly. |
swytchcode_plan | swy plan | Show the ordered steps for a workflow by canonical ID. |
These MCP tools mirror the same CLI execution engine used by the terminal workflow. swytchcode_add, swytchcode_discover, swytchcode_exec, and swytchcode_info are registered in both profiles with profile-appropriate descriptions.
MCP server management commands
The CLI exposes these lifecycle commands for the MCP server.
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
swy mcp serve | Start the MCP server in the foreground over stdio (default transport). |
swy mcp serve --profile full | Start with all 14 tools instead of the default 7-tool agent profile. |
swy mcp serve --transport http --port 5476 | Start the MCP server over HTTP/SSE at http://127.0.0.1:<port>/sse, localhost-only. |
swy mcp serve -d --transport http | Start the MCP server as a background daemon (daemon mode requires HTTP transport). |
swy mcp serve --claude | Register this server with Claude Code automatically via claude mcp add (requires the claude CLI on PATH; stdio transport only). |
swy mcp status | Check whether the daemon is running. |
swy mcp stop | Stop the daemon. |
swy mcp token [--rotate] | Print the MCP HTTP bearer token (required for HTTP transport only; stdio needs no token). Stored at ~/.swytchcode/mcp_token. |
You can also pair these commands with the editor initialization workflow, which registers the server (stdio transport) automatically:
swy init --editor=cursor --mode=sandboxswy init --editor=claude --mode=sandboxswy init --editor=codex --mode=sandboxswy init --editor=copilot --mode=sandboxswy init --editor=gemini --mode=sandboxswy init --editor=hermes --mode=sandboxswy init --editor=openclaw --mode=sandboxswy init --editor=windsurf --mode=sandboxEach editor writes its own config file/format (see the init section of the command reference for the full per-editor breakdown). Claude Code is the one exception that isn’t a plain file merge - it’s registered by shelling out to the claude CLI itself, since Claude Code’s own config format/location isn’t meant to be hand-written.
MCP architecture
End-to-end flow diagram
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│ AI Client / IDE ││ e.g. Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Gemini, Hermes, OpenClaw, ││ Windsurf │└───────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ │ MCP request ▼┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│ Swytchcode MCP Server ││ Exposes tools such as swytchcode_list, swytchcode_get, and ││ swytchcode_exec │└───────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ │ CLI call / structured execution ▼┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│ Swytchcode CLI ││ Resolves project state, tool schemas, auth, and policies │└───────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ │ Approved API call ▼┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│ External APIs / Integration Providers ││ Stripe, GitHub, and other supported integrations │└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘This keeps the AI client decoupled from direct API logic while preserving a single secure execution path across all supported editors.
Related pages
Browse all examples →Zoom via MCP
Drives Zoom entirely through Swytchcode as an MCP server in Claude, Cursor, Codex, Copilot, or Windsurf.
Connect AI Clients
Set up the MCP server for Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, and other editors.
CLI Overview
Explore the core concepts and architecture of the Swytchcode CLI.
Command Reference
Every swy subcommand, flag, and exit code.