Adobe App Builder Template

Install the Adobe I/O CLI globally — it orchestrates project creation, plugin management, and deployment.

npm install -g @adobe/aio-cli

Run aio app init and select the MCP server template from the interactive prompts. The generator downloads the template and sets up the project structure.

aio app init my-mcp-server
# Follow prompts; select the MCP server template when offered

In the generated .env file, set the appropriate auth variables for your chosen security mode. Use AUTH_VALIDATE_IMS for IMS token validation or SERVICE_API_KEY for API-key auth.

# .env
AUTH_VALIDATE_IMS=true
# or
SERVICE_API_KEY=your-api-key-here

Open actions/mcp/index.js (or .ts) and register your custom tools using the MCP TypeScript SDK. Each tool uses Zod schemas for type-safe parameter validation.

import { McpServer } from '@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/mcp.js'
import { z } from 'zod'

const server = new McpServer({ name: 'my-mcp-server', version: '1.0.0' })
server.tool('hello', { name: z.string() }, async ({ name }) => ({
  content: [{ type: 'text', text: `Hello, ${name}!` }]
}))

Deploy the project to the serverless runtime. The CLI packages the action and uploads it; you receive a public HTTPS endpoint.

aio app deploy

Add the deployed runtime endpoint to claude_desktop_config.json. Include the Authorization header matching your chosen auth mode.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "adobe-mcp": {
      "url": "https://your-namespace.adobeioruntime.net/api/v1/web/my-mcp-server/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_IMS_TOKEN"
      }
    }
  }
}