Arcade
MCP Server Framework and Tool Development library for building custom capabilities into agents.
What is Arcade?
Arcade is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to mcp server framework and tool development library for building custom capabilities into agents.
MCP Server Framework and Tool Development library for building custom capabilities into agents.
This server falls under the Developer Tools category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- MCP Server Framework and Tool Development library for buildi
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx arcadeConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Arcade
Arcade MCP is a Python framework and hosted platform for building and deploying MCP servers with authorized tool calling, letting AI agents securely invoke third-party services like GitHub, Slack, Google Workspace, and 19 other OAuth providers without ever exposing user credentials to the model or the client. It provides a decorator-based API that covers the full MCP specification including tools, resources, prompts, sampling, elicitation, progress reporting, and logging, plus a built-in evaluation harness (arcade evals) for testing tool accuracy. Developers can run servers locally over stdio or HTTP+SSE, and deploy to Arcade Cloud with a single command.
Prerequisites
- Python 3.10 or later
- uv package manager (recommended) or pip
- An Arcade AI account (free tier available at arcade.dev) for authorized tool calling and cloud deployment
- OAuth provider registration in the Arcade Dashboard for any third-party integrations you want to use
Install arcade-mcp
Install the arcade-mcp package using uv tool install for an isolated global install, or pip for a standard installation.
# Using uv (recommended):
uv tool install arcade-mcp
# Using pip:
pip install arcade-mcpLog in to Arcade
Authenticate with the Arcade platform to enable authorized tool calling and cloud deployment.
arcade loginConfigure your MCP client
Register the Arcade MCP server with your preferred client (Claude, Cursor, VS Code). The configure subcommand writes the config automatically.
# Configure for Claude:
arcade configure claude
# Configure for Cursor with HTTP transport:
arcade configure cursor --transport http --port 8080Create your first MCP tool
Use the MCPApp decorator API to define tools in Python. Arcade handles schema generation, input validation, and OAuth token injection automatically.
from arcade_mcp_server import MCPApp
from typing import Annotated
app = MCPApp(name="my_server", version="1.0.0")
@app.tool
def greet(name: Annotated[str, "Name to greet"]) -> str:
"""Greet a person by name."""
return f"Hello, {name}!"Run and test the server
Start the server in stdio mode for local testing, or HTTP+SSE mode for remote connections. Use arcade evals to run accuracy tests against your tool definitions.
# stdio mode:
uv run server.py
# HTTP+SSE mode:
uv run server.py http
# Run evaluations:
arcade evalsDeploy to Arcade Cloud
Deploy your MCP server to Arcade's managed cloud hosting with a single command, making it available to any client without running a local process.
arcade deployArcade Examples
Client configuration
After running 'arcade configure claude', the config is written automatically. For manual setup, add the entry to claude_desktop_config.json.
{
"mcpServers": {
"arcade": {
"command": "uv",
"args": ["run", "server.py"],
"env": {
"ARCADE_API_KEY": "<your-arcade-api-key>"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Arcade enables authorized access to 22+ OAuth providers. These prompts work once the relevant providers are configured in the Arcade Dashboard.
- "Create a new GitHub issue in my repo titled 'Fix login bug' with a description of the problem"
- "Send a Slack message to the #engineering channel: deployment complete"
- "List my unread Gmail messages from today"
- "Create a Google Calendar event for tomorrow at 2pm called 'Team Sync'"Troubleshooting Arcade
'arcade login' fails or times out
Check that you have a stable internet connection and that arcade.dev is accessible. If behind a corporate proxy, set HTTP_PROXY and HTTPS_PROXY environment variables. Try 'arcade login --debug' for verbose output.
OAuth tool calls fail with 'token not found' or authorization errors
Open the Arcade Dashboard and verify that the OAuth provider (GitHub, Slack, etc.) is registered and that your account has granted the required scopes. Run 'arcade configure <client>' again after updating provider settings.
Server runs but Claude cannot see the defined tools
Ensure the server is running before starting Claude Desktop. For stdio transport, confirm the command in claude_desktop_config.json points to the correct server.py file path. For HTTP transport, verify the port is not already in use.
Frequently Asked Questions about Arcade
What is Arcade?
Arcade is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that mcp server framework and tool development library for building custom capabilities into agents. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Arcade?
Follow the installation instructions on the Arcade GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Arcade?
Arcade works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Arcade free to use?
Yes, Arcade is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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