This skill should be used when the user asks to "build an MCP server", "create an MCP", "make an MCP integration", "wrap an API for Claude", "expose tools to Claude", "make an MCP app", or discusses building something with the Model Context Protocol. It is the entry point for MCP server development — it interrogates the user about their use case, determines the right deployment model (remote HTTP, MCPB, local stdio), picks a tool-design pattern, and hands off to specialized skills.
Collected from public GitHub. Every version is saved exactly as it was and never changes. Install it at an exact version with the mdr tool, and every file is checked before it reaches your agent. The main file is checked against the SHA-256 fingerprint recorded here, and the others against the fingerprints GitHub keeps for its source commit. The automatic checks below grade the latest version, and the same checks always give the same file the same grade.
What the file says
# Build an MCP Server
You are guiding a developer through designing and building an MCP server that works seamlessly with Claude. MCP servers come in many forms — picking the wrong shape early causes painful rewrites later. Your first job is **discovery, not code**.
**Load Claude-specific context first.** The MCP spec is generic; Claude has additional auth types, review criteria, and limits. Before answering questions or scaffolding, fetch `https://claude.com/docs/llms-full.txt` (the full export of the Claude connector docs) so your guidance reflects Claude's actual constraints.
Do not start scaffolding until you have answers to the questions in Phase 1. If the user's opening message already answers them, acknowledge that and skip straight to the recommendation.
---
## Phase 1 — Interrogate the use case
Ask these questions conversationally (batch them into one message, don't interrogate one-at-a-time). Adapt wording to what the user has already told you.
### 1. What does it connect to?
| If it connects to… | Likely direction |
|---|---|
| A cloud API (SaaS, REST, GraphQL) | Remote HTTP server |
| A local process, filesystem, or desktop app | MCPB or local stdio |
…
The line at the top of this page pins the label v0.1.0, which is what most people want. This one pins the sha256 fingerprint of the contents instead, so it survives a label being moved. Either way the exact version is written to mdr.lock, and mdr install downloads and checks those contents again, so it installs them exactly or stops with an error.
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/artifacts/art_enq3td7io6xbklyn
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/resolve?ref=anthropics/claude-plugins-official/build-mcp-server
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/blob/088cd04be7f03ebbdfd24973cbcbf93c7a2e09117c4bba7b2b06bcc3e0a556f6
Your AI assistant does the legwork. You hear about the deals worth your word. Hand yours the standing instructions at modelranch.com and it joins the network that reads files like this one.
anthropics/claude-plugins-official · external_plugins/discord/skills/access/SKILL.md · Manage Discord channel access — approve pairings, edit allowlists, set DM/group policy. Use when the user asks to pair…
anthropics/claude-plugins-official · external_plugins/discord/skills/configure/SKILL.md · Set up the Discord channel — save the bot token and review access policy. Use when the user pastes a Discord bot token…
anthropics/claude-plugins-official · external_plugins/imessage/skills/access/SKILL.md · Manage iMessage channel access — approve pairings, edit allowlists, set DM/group policy. Use when the user asks to…
anthropics/claude-plugins-official · external_plugins/imessage/skills/configure/SKILL.md · Check iMessage channel setup and review access policy. Use when the user asks to configure iMessage, asks "how do I set…
anthropics/claude-plugins-official · external_plugins/telegram/skills/access/SKILL.md · Manage Telegram channel access — approve pairings, edit allowlists, set DM/group policy. Use when the user asks to…
anthropics/claude-plugins-official · external_plugins/telegram/skills/configure/SKILL.md · Set up the Telegram channel — save the bot token and review access policy. Use when the user pastes a Telegram bot…
anthropics/claude-plugins-official · plugins/claude-code-setup/skills/claude-automation-recommender/SKILL.md · Analyze a codebase and recommend Claude Code automations (hooks, subagents, skills, plugins, MCP servers). Use when…
anthropics/claude-plugins-official · plugins/claude-md-management/skills/claude-md-improver/SKILL.md · Audit and improve CLAUDE.md files in repositories. Use when user asks to check, audit, update, improve, or fix…
anthropics/claude-plugins-official · plugins/claude-security/skills/claude-security/SKILL.md · Claude Security: scan the codebase (the whole repository or a scoped part of it), scan changes (this branch's or a pull…
anthropics/claude-plugins-official · plugins/cwc-makers/skills/cardputer-buddy/SKILL.md · Iterate on the Cardputer-Adv MicroPython app bundle (Claude Buddy, Snake, Hello) after the device is already…
anthropics/claude-plugins-official · plugins/example-plugin/skills/example-command/SKILL.md · An example user-invoked skill that demonstrates frontmatter options and the skills/<name>/SKILL.md layout
nota-america/forgecat-agent-profiles · profiles/anthropics/claude-plugins-official/anthropics_claude-plugins-official_mcp-server-dev/for-forgecat/skills/build-mcp-server/SKILL.md · This skill should be used when the user asks to "build an MCP server", "create an MCP", "make an MCP integration"…
nota-america/forgecat-agent-profiles · profiles/anthropics/claude-plugins-official/anthropics_claude-plugins-official_mcp-server-dev/for-cursor/.cursor/skills/build-mcp-server/SKILL.md · This skill should be used when the user asks to "build an MCP
nota-america/forgecat-agent-profiles · profiles/anthropics/claude-plugins-official/anthropics_claude-plugins-official_mcp-server-dev/for-codex/.agents/skills/build-mcp-server/SKILL.md · This skill should be used when the user asks to "build an MCP
nota-america/forgecat-agent-profiles · profiles/anthropics/claude-plugins-official/anthropics_claude-plugins-official_mcp-server-dev/for-claude/.claude/skills/build-mcp-server/SKILL.md · This skill should be used when the user asks to "build an MCP
velimirmueller/claude-development-skills · skills/ai/build-mcp-server/SKILL.md · Use when exposing a service or dataset to AI clients through the Model Context Protocol — few task-shaped tools with…
velimirmueller/claude-skills · skills/ai/build-mcp-server/SKILL.md · Use when exposing a service or dataset to AI clients through the Model Context Protocol — few task-shaped tools with…
velimirmueller/lab-claude-skills · skills/ai/build-mcp-server/SKILL.md · Use when exposing a service or dataset to AI clients through the Model Context Protocol — few task-shaped tools with…
