ThingsPanel
An integration server that connects AI models with ThingsPanel IoT platform, allowing AI assistants to interact with IoT devices through natural language for device control, data retrieval, and management operations.
What is ThingsPanel?
ThingsPanel is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to integration server that connects ai models with thingspanel iot platform, allowing ai assistants to interact with iot devices through natural language for device control, data retrieval, and managemen...
An integration server that connects AI models with ThingsPanel IoT platform, allowing AI assistants to interact with IoT devices through natural language for device control, data retrieval, and management operations.
This server falls under the Business Applications category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- An integration server that connects AI models with ThingsPan
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx thingspanel-mcpConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use ThingsPanel
ThingsPanel MCP is an integration server that bridges AI assistants to the ThingsPanel IoT platform, enabling natural language control and monitoring of IoT devices. Through this server, AI agents can retrieve device status, read sensor data, execute device commands, and perform platform-wide statistical analysis without writing any API code. It is well-suited for IoT operators who want conversational access to their device fleet through Claude or other MCP-compatible clients.
Prerequisites
- Python 3.8 or higher installed
- Active ThingsPanel account with an API key
- ThingsPanel platform URL (self-hosted or cloud instance)
- An MCP client such as Claude Desktop
Install the package via pip
Install the thingspanel-mcp Python package from PyPI.
pip install thingspanel-mcpObtain your ThingsPanel API key
Log in to your ThingsPanel instance and navigate to Settings to generate or copy your API authentication token.
Test the server from the command line
Verify the server runs correctly by passing your credentials as command-line arguments.
thingspanel-mcp --api-key "your_api_key_here" --base-url "http://your-thingspanel-host/"Add the server to Claude Desktop
Edit your claude_desktop_config.json to register the ThingsPanel MCP server with your credentials.
{
"mcpServers": {
"thingspanel": {
"command": "thingspanel-mcp",
"args": [
"--api-key", "your_api_key_here",
"--base-url", "http://your-thingspanel-host/"
]
}
}
}Restart Claude Desktop
Fully quit and relaunch Claude Desktop so it detects the new MCP server.
ThingsPanel Examples
Client configuration
Complete claude_desktop_config.json configuration for ThingsPanel MCP using environment variables for credentials.
{
"mcpServers": {
"thingspanel": {
"command": "thingspanel-mcp",
"args": [],
"env": {
"THINGSPANEL_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here",
"THINGSPANEL_BASE_URL": "http://demo.thingspanel.cn/"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example natural language prompts for querying and controlling IoT devices via ThingsPanel.
- "What is the current temperature reading from my living room sensor?"
- "List all active devices on the platform"
- "Turn on device ID abc123"
- "Show me a summary of device activity from the past 24 hours"
- "How many devices are currently offline?"Troubleshooting ThingsPanel
Connection refused when connecting to the ThingsPanel platform
Verify that THINGSPANEL_BASE_URL is correct and includes the trailing slash. Confirm your ThingsPanel instance is running and accessible from the machine running the MCP server.
Authentication error or 401 Unauthorized response
Double-check your THINGSPANEL_API_KEY value. Generate a new token from the ThingsPanel settings panel and update your configuration.
Device commands are accepted but have no effect
Ensure the device is online and connected to ThingsPanel. Check the device's last-seen timestamp and confirm the command format matches what the device firmware expects.
Frequently Asked Questions about ThingsPanel
What is ThingsPanel?
ThingsPanel is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integration server that connects ai models with thingspanel iot platform, allowing ai assistants to interact with iot devices through natural language for device control, data retrieval, and management operations. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install ThingsPanel?
Follow the installation instructions on the ThingsPanel GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with ThingsPanel?
ThingsPanel works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is ThingsPanel free to use?
Yes, ThingsPanel 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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