ntfy
A Model Context Protocol server enabling AI systems to send real-time notifications to phones, desktops, and other devices through the ntfy publish/subscribe service.
What is ntfy?
ntfy is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to model context protocol server enabling ai systems to send real-time notifications to phones, desktops, and other devices through the ntfy publish/subscribe service.
A Model Context Protocol server enabling AI systems to send real-time notifications to phones, desktops, and other devices through the ntfy publish/subscribe service.
This server falls under the Communication category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- A Model Context Protocol server enabling AI systems to send
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
NPM
npx -y ntfy-mcp-serverManual Installation
npx -y ntfy-mcp-serverConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use ntfy
The ntfy MCP server connects AI agents to the ntfy publish/subscribe notification service, enabling them to push real-time alerts to phones, desktops, and any device running the ntfy app. It exposes tools for publishing messages with priority levels and action buttons, fetching cached messages from topics, managing (clearing/deleting) previously sent notifications, and looking up emoji tags. This makes it ideal for long-running AI workflows that need to notify a human when a task completes, an error occurs, or intervention is required.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18+ or Bun runtime installed
- An ntfy account or access to a self-hosted ntfy server (ntfy.sh is free with rate limits)
- An ntfy topic name (any string; topics are created on first use on ntfy.sh)
- Optional: an ntfy auth token or username/password for private topics
- An MCP client such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, or another MCP-compatible app
Choose your ntfy server and topic
Decide whether to use the public ntfy.sh service or a self-hosted instance. On ntfy.sh, topics are public by default — choose a long, hard-to-guess topic name to keep notifications private. For production use, consider self-hosting or using access tokens.
Install the ntfy mobile or desktop app
Download the ntfy app on your phone (Android/iOS) or desktop and subscribe to your chosen topic so you receive push notifications. The web app at ntfy.sh also works in a browser.
Obtain an auth token (optional, for private topics)
If your ntfy server requires authentication, generate an access token from your ntfy account settings or self-hosted admin panel. You will set this as the NTFY_AUTH_TOKEN environment variable.
Add the server to your MCP client configuration
Open your MCP client's config file (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json for Claude Desktop) and add the ntfy-mcp-server entry. Set NTFY_DEFAULT_TOPIC to your topic name and NTFY_BASE_URL if using a self-hosted instance.
{
"mcpServers": {
"ntfy-mcp-server": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "ntfy-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"NTFY_BASE_URL": "https://ntfy.sh",
"NTFY_DEFAULT_TOPIC": "your-topic-name",
"NTFY_AUTH_TOKEN": "your-auth-token-if-needed",
"MCP_LOG_LEVEL": "info"
}
}
}
}Restart your MCP client
Save the config file and restart Claude Desktop or your MCP client so it picks up the new server. The ntfy tools (ntfy_publish_message, ntfy_fetch_messages, ntfy_manage_message, ntfy_search_emoji_tags) should now be available.
ntfy Examples
Client configuration
Full Claude Desktop configuration for the ntfy MCP server using npx, with a public ntfy.sh topic.
{
"mcpServers": {
"ntfy-mcp-server": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "ntfy-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"NTFY_BASE_URL": "https://ntfy.sh",
"NTFY_DEFAULT_TOPIC": "my-ai-alerts-abc123",
"MCP_LOG_LEVEL": "info"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts that use the ntfy tools to send and manage notifications.
- "Send a notification to my ntfy topic saying the data processing job has finished successfully with high priority."
- "Send an urgent alert with the tag 'warning' that the server memory usage exceeded 90%."
- "Fetch the last few messages from my ntfy topic 'my-ai-alerts-abc123' and summarize them."
- "Send a notification with an action button that links to https://dashboard.example.com when the report is ready."Troubleshooting ntfy
Notifications are not arriving on the device
Confirm the ntfy app is subscribed to the exact same topic name set in NTFY_DEFAULT_TOPIC. Topic names are case-sensitive. Also check NTFY_BASE_URL points to the correct server (ntfy.sh vs self-hosted).
Authentication errors (403 Forbidden) when publishing
Ensure NTFY_AUTH_TOKEN is set correctly or that NTFY_AUTH_USERNAME and NTFY_AUTH_PASSWORD match your ntfy account credentials. For ntfy.sh, tokens are generated under Account settings.
The ntfy tools do not appear in the MCP client
Verify that npx can resolve ntfy-mcp-server by running 'npx -y ntfy-mcp-server' in a terminal. Ensure Node.js 18+ is on PATH and that the MCP client was fully restarted after editing the config.
Frequently Asked Questions about ntfy
What is ntfy?
ntfy is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that model context protocol server enabling ai systems to send real-time notifications to phones, desktops, and other devices through the ntfy publish/subscribe service. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install ntfy?
Install via npm with the command: npx -y ntfy-mcp-server. Then add the server configuration to your AI client's JSON config file (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json).
Which AI clients work with ntfy?
ntfy works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is ntfy free to use?
Yes, ntfy 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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Browse More Communication MCP Servers
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