Gradle
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server to enable AI tools to interact with Gradle projects programmatically.
What is Gradle?
Gradle is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to model context protocol (mcp) server to enable ai tools to interact with gradle projects programmatically.
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server to enable AI tools to interact with Gradle projects programmatically.
This server falls under the Developer Tools category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server to enable AI tools to
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx gradleConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Gradle
The Gradle MCP Server enables AI tools to interact programmatically with Gradle build projects through the Model Context Protocol. It provides capabilities for project introspection (listing tasks, properties, and source structure), background task execution with output filtering, test suite running with detailed logging, dependency and source code searching, Kotlin REPL access for runtime exploration, Compose UI component rendering, Build Scan integration, and Gradle documentation search. It is built with Kotlin and distributed via JBang, making it easy to run without a local Gradle installation.
Prerequisites
- JDK 25 or higher (JBang can provision this automatically if you use the managed JDK option)
- JBang installed (see https://www.jbang.dev/installation/)
- A Gradle project to work with (the server operates on an existing project directory)
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, or VS Code with MCP support
Install JBang
JBang is the primary distribution mechanism for the Gradle MCP server. Install it using one of the official methods.
# macOS/Linux via SDKman:
sdk install jbang
# macOS via Homebrew:
brew install jbang
# Windows via Scoop:
scoop install jbangTest the server runs correctly
Verify that JBang can fetch and run the Gradle MCP server. This also caches the artifact locally for faster subsequent starts.
jbang run --quiet --fresh gradle-mcp@rnett --helpAdd the server to your MCP client config
Register the Gradle MCP server in your client's configuration file. The server discovers the Gradle project from MCP roots or from the GRADLE_MCP_PROJECT_ROOT environment variable.
{
"mcpServers": {
"gradle": {
"command": "jbang",
"args": ["run", "--quiet", "--fresh", "gradle-mcp@rnett"]
}
}
}Set the default project root (optional)
If your MCP client does not support MCP roots, set the GRADLE_MCP_PROJECT_ROOT environment variable to the absolute path of your Gradle project.
{
"mcpServers": {
"gradle": {
"command": "jbang",
"args": ["run", "--quiet", "--fresh", "gradle-mcp@rnett"],
"env": {
"GRADLE_MCP_PROJECT_ROOT": "/path/to/your/gradle/project"
}
}
}
}Restart your MCP client and verify the connection
Restart the client. Ask it to list available Gradle tasks in your project to confirm the server is working correctly.
Gradle Examples
Client configuration
Full MCP client config for the Gradle server using JBang, with an explicit project root set via environment variable.
{
"mcpServers": {
"gradle": {
"command": "jbang",
"args": ["run", "--quiet", "--fresh", "gradle-mcp@rnett"],
"env": {
"GRADLE_MCP_PROJECT_ROOT": "/path/to/your/gradle/project"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Interact with your Gradle project using natural language through your AI assistant.
- "List all tasks in my Gradle project"
- "Run the 'test' Gradle task and show me the output"
- "Search for usages of the 'HttpClient' class in my project source code"
- "What dependencies does the 'app' subproject have?"
- "Run the ':compileKotlin' task and filter the output for warnings only"
- "Search the Gradle documentation for how to configure the Kotlin plugin"Troubleshooting Gradle
JVM CDS (Class Data Sharing) error on startup
Add --no-cds to the jbang args: `["run", "--quiet", "--fresh", "--no-cds", "gradle-mcp@rnett"]`. This disables CDS which can conflict with JVMTI agents used by some JDK configurations.
Server cannot find the Gradle project ('no project root configured')
Set the GRADLE_MCP_PROJECT_ROOT environment variable in your MCP client config to the absolute path of your Gradle project directory, or configure MCP roots in your client if it supports that feature.
JBang fails to download the artifact in an offline or restricted network environment
Use the Maven artifact form instead: `jbang run --fresh dev.rnett.gradle-mcp:gradle-mcp:+` and configure a local Maven mirror, or pre-cache the artifact on a machine with internet access and copy the JBang cache directory.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gradle
What is Gradle?
Gradle is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that model context protocol (mcp) server to enable ai tools to interact with gradle projects programmatically. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Gradle?
Follow the installation instructions on the Gradle GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Gradle?
Gradle works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Gradle free to use?
Yes, Gradle is open source and available under the Apache-2.0 license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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