Connects the command line to MCP servers to list tools, get schemas, and run external operations.
Install
mkdir -p .claude/skills/mcp-cli && curl -L -o skill.zip "https://agentskills.codes/api/skills/download/521" && unzip -o skill.zip -d .claude/skills/mcp-cli && rm skill.zipInstalls to .claude/skills/mcp-cli
Activation
This is the description your AI agent reads to decide when to run this skill — the better it matches your request, the more reliably it fires.
Interface for MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers via CLI. Use when you need to interact with external tools, APIs, or data sources through MCP servers, list available MCP servers/tools, or call MCP tools from command line.Key capabilities
- →List available MCP servers and tools
- →Retrieve JSON schemas for tool parameters
- →Execute MCP tools with JSON arguments
- →Search for tools by name using glob patterns
How it works
The CLI acts as a client that communicates with MCP servers to discover capabilities, inspect input requirements, and execute operations via standard input/output.
Inputs & outputs
When to use mcp-cli
- →List connected MCP tools
- →Explore MCP server capabilities
- →Call remote tools via CLI
About this skill
MCP-CLI
Access MCP servers through the command line. MCP enables interaction with external systems like GitHub, filesystems, databases, and APIs.
Commands
| Command | Output |
|---|---|
mcp-cli | List all servers and tool names |
mcp-cli <server> | Show tools with parameters |
mcp-cli <server>/<tool> | Get tool JSON schema |
mcp-cli <server>/<tool> '<json>' | Call tool with arguments |
mcp-cli grep "<glob>" | Search tools by name |
Add -d to include descriptions (e.g., mcp-cli filesystem -d)
Workflow
- Discover:
mcp-cli→ see available servers and tools - Explore:
mcp-cli <server>→ see tools with parameters - Inspect:
mcp-cli <server>/<tool>→ get full JSON input schema - Execute:
mcp-cli <server>/<tool> '<json>'→ run with arguments
Examples
# List all servers and tool names
mcp-cli
# See all tools with parameters
mcp-cli filesystem
# With descriptions (more verbose)
mcp-cli filesystem -d
# Get JSON schema for specific tool
mcp-cli filesystem/read_file
# Call the tool
mcp-cli filesystem/read_file '{"path": "./README.md"}'
# Search for tools
mcp-cli grep "*file*"
# JSON output for parsing
mcp-cli filesystem/read_file '{"path": "./README.md"}' --json
# Complex JSON with quotes (use heredoc or stdin)
mcp-cli server/tool <<EOF
{"content": "Text with 'quotes' inside"}
EOF
# Or pipe from a file/command
cat args.json | mcp-cli server/tool
# Find all TypeScript files and read the first one
mcp-cli filesystem/search_files '{"path": "src/", "pattern": "*.ts"}' --json | jq -r '.content[0].text' | head -1 | xargs -I {} sh -c 'mcp-cli filesystem/read_file "{\"path\": \"{}\"}"'
Options
| Flag | Purpose |
|---|---|
-j, --json | JSON output for scripting |
-r, --raw | Raw text content |
-d | Include descriptions |
Exit Codes
0: Success1: Client error (bad args, missing config)2: Server error (tool failed)3: Network error
When not to use it
- →When direct API access is preferred over MCP abstraction
Prerequisites
Limitations
- →Dependent on MCP server availability
- →Requires correct JSON formatting for arguments
How it compares
It provides a unified command-line interface for interacting with diverse MCP-enabled systems instead of using system-specific APIs.
Compared to similar skills
mcp-cli side by side with the closest alternatives in the catalog.
| Skill | Installs | Updated | Safety | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mcp-cli (this skill) | 7 | 6mo | Review | Intermediate |
| mcp-integration | 21 | 8mo | Review | Intermediate |
| opencode-orchestrator-creator | 8 | 9mo | Review | Intermediate |
| mcp-management | 6 | 7mo | Review | Intermediate |
Try saying
Example prompts that trigger this skill in your AI assistant.
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