Get MCP Keys
A lightweight utility that securely loads API keys for Cursor MCP servers from your home directory, preventing accidental exposure of secrets in repositories. Keep your credentials safe while maintaining seamless integration with AI coding assistants
What is Get MCP Keys?
Get MCP Keys is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to lightweight utility that securely loads api keys for cursor mcp servers from your home directory, preventing accidental exposure of secrets in repositories. keep your credentials safe while maintainin...
A lightweight utility that securely loads API keys for Cursor MCP servers from your home directory, preventing accidental exposure of secrets in repositories. Keep your credentials safe while maintaining seamless integration with AI coding assistants
This server falls under the Security category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- A lightweight utility that securely loads API keys for Curso
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx get-mcp-keysConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Get MCP Keys
Get MCP Keys is a lightweight Node.js utility that securely loads API keys from a ~/.mcprc file in your home directory and injects them as environment variables before launching any MCP server. It acts as a transparent wrapper so sensitive credentials never need to appear inside repository-tracked configuration files. This is especially useful for Cursor IDE and Claude Desktop users who manage multiple MCP servers each requiring different API keys.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 16 or higher and npm installed
- A ~/.mcprc file created in your home directory with API keys stored in KEY=value format
- The ~/.mcprc file permissions set to 600 (readable only by you)
- An MCP client such as Claude Desktop or Cursor IDE
- The target MCP server(s) you want to wrap (e.g., firecrawl-mcp, brave-search)
Create and secure the ~/.mcprc credentials file
Create the credentials file in your home directory and restrict its permissions so only your user account can read it.
touch ~/.mcprc
chmod 600 ~/.mcprcAdd your API keys to ~/.mcprc
Open ~/.mcprc in a text editor and add your API keys in KEY=value format, one per line. Do not commit this file to any repository.
FIRECRAWL_API_KEY=fc-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
BRAVE_API_KEY=BSAxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxUpdate your MCP client configuration to use get-mcp-keys as a wrapper
Instead of calling your MCP server directly, call @masonator/get-mcp-keys first, then pass the actual MCP server command and its arguments as subsequent array elements.
Verify credentials are loaded
Start your MCP client and test one of the wrapped servers. If the API key was loaded correctly, the server will authenticate without errors. If not, double-check the key name in ~/.mcprc matches what the server expects.
Get MCP Keys Examples
Client configuration
Wrap the firecrawl-mcp server so its API key is loaded from ~/.mcprc instead of being hardcoded in the config.
{
"mcpServers": {
"firecrawl": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@masonator/get-mcp-keys",
"npx",
"-y",
"firecrawl-mcp"
]
}
}
}Prompts to try
Once the wrapped server is running, interact with it normally through your MCP client.
- "Crawl https://example.com and summarize the main content."
- "Search the web for the latest news on MCP servers using Brave Search."
- "List all available tools from the connected MCP servers."Troubleshooting Get MCP Keys
MCP server still fails authentication even after adding the key to ~/.mcprc
Verify the variable name in ~/.mcprc exactly matches what the MCP server expects (e.g., FIRECRAWL_API_KEY not FIRECRAWL_KEY). Also confirm the file is saved without extra spaces around the = sign.
Permission denied when reading ~/.mcprc
Run 'chmod 600 ~/.mcprc' to ensure the file is readable by your user. If running the MCP client as a different user, adjust permissions accordingly.
npx command not found or get-mcp-keys fails to launch
Ensure Node.js 16+ is installed and npx is on your PATH. Try running 'npx -y @masonator/get-mcp-keys' manually in a terminal to verify the package can be fetched and executed.
Frequently Asked Questions about Get MCP Keys
What is Get MCP Keys?
Get MCP Keys is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that lightweight utility that securely loads api keys for cursor mcp servers from your home directory, preventing accidental exposure of secrets in repositories. keep your credentials safe while maintaining seamless integration with ai coding assistants It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Get MCP Keys?
Follow the installation instructions on the Get MCP Keys GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Get MCP Keys?
Get MCP Keys works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Get MCP Keys free to use?
Yes, Get MCP Keys is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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