Adding and configuring servers

Manually add MCP servers to Cline by editing the MCP configuration JSON. Covers stdio and SSE transports, required config fields, enabling/disabling servers, and troubleshooting.

This page explains how to add MCP servers manually by editing Cline’s configuration file, and how to manage them once installed. If you prefer a guided experience, the MCP Marketplace can install many popular servers for you automatically.

Finding MCP servers

MCP Marketplace

One-click install from inside Cline.

Official MCP servers

Reference implementations maintained by the MCP team.

Awesome MCP servers

Community-curated collection on GitHub.

Online directories

mcpservers.org, mcp.so, glama.ai

Adding a server with Cline’s help

The fastest manual approach is to let Cline handle the setup. Paste a GitHub URL into the chat and Cline will clone the repo, build it, and write the configuration entry:

User:  Add the MCP server from https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers/tree/main/src/brave-search

Cline: Cloning the repository. It needs to be built — should I run "npm run build"?

User:  Yes

Cline: Build complete. This server requires a BRAVE_API_KEY environment variable.
       Where should I find it?

Cline handles dependencies and writes the configuration entry; you supply credentials.

Editing the configuration file directly

To add or modify a server manually:

1. Open the MCP Servers panel

   Click the MCP Servers icon (plug icon) in Cline’s top navigation bar.

2. Go to the Configure tab

   Select the Configure tab, then click Configure MCP Servers. This opens cline_mcp_settings.json in your editor.

3. Add your server entry

   Add a key inside the mcpServers object. The key is your server’s display name. See the config formats below.

4. Save the file

   Cline detects the change automatically and launches the new server. No restart required.

Configuration formats

stdio transport (local servers)

Use this format for servers that run as a local process on your machine. Cline spawns the process and communicates via standard input/output.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "brave-search": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/Users/you/Documents/Cline/MCP/brave-search/build/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "BRAVE_API_KEY": "BSA1abc23def456..."
      },
      "alwaysAllow": ["brave_web_search"],
      "disabled": false
    }
  }
}

Required fields for stdio servers:

Field	Type	Description
command	string	The executable to run: node, python, python3, or an absolute path to a binary.
args	string[]	Arguments passed to the command. Usually the path to the built server entry point.
env	object	Environment variables injected into the server process. Use this for API keys and secrets.

Optional fields:

Field	Type	Default	Description
alwaysAllow	string[]	[]	Tool names that Cline can call without asking for approval.
disabled	boolean	false	Set to true to keep the config but stop the server from running.
timeout	number	60	Seconds to wait for a server response before timing out.

SSE transport (remote servers)

Use this format to connect to a server running at a remote URL. Cline connects over HTTP using Server-Sent Events or Streamable HTTP.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "my-remote-server": {
      "url": "https://mcp.example.com/sse",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1..."
      },
      "alwaysAllow": [],
      "disabled": false
    }
  }
}

Required fields for remote servers:

Field	Type	Description
url	string	The full URL of the server’s MCP endpoint.

Optional fields:

Field	Type	Description
headers	object	HTTP headers to include with every request (e.g. Authorization).
type	string	Transport protocol: "streamableHttp" (recommended) or "sse" (legacy).
alwaysAllow	string[]	Tool names that Cline can call without approval.
disabled	boolean	Disable the server without removing its config.
timeout	number	Seconds to wait for a server response.

Choosing between stdio and SSE

	stdio	SSE / Streamable HTTP
Location	Same machine as Cline	Any networked server
Setup	Simple — just a command and args	Requires a running HTTP server
Clients	One Cline instance per server	Multiple clients simultaneously
Latency	Very low (no network)	Network round-trip
Security	Inherently local	Requires HTTPS + auth headers
Best for	Local tools, file access, CLI wrappers	Shared services, SaaS APIs, teams

A complete real-world example

The following shows a config file with both a local Node.js server and a remote SSE server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/Users/you/Documents/Cline/MCP/filesystem/build/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "ALLOWED_DIRS": "/Users/you/projects"
      },
      "alwaysAllow": ["read_file", "list_directory"],
      "disabled": false,
      "timeout": 30
    },
    "analytics-db": {
      "url": "https://internal.company.com/mcp-analytics",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer your-internal-token",
        "X-Team": "engineering"
      },
      "alwaysAllow": [],
      "disabled": false,
      "timeout": 120
    }
  }
}

Managing servers

Enable and disable

Toggle the switch next to a server in the MCP Servers panel to enable or disable it. Disabling a server stops the process but keeps its configuration — set "disabled": true directly in the JSON for the same effect.

Restart a server

If a server becomes unresponsive, click Restart Server in the server’s detail panel. This kills and re-spawns the process without touching configuration.

Delete a server

Click the trash icon or the Delete Server button in the server detail panel. This removes the entry from cline_mcp_settings.json immediately — there is no confirmation dialog.

Deleting a server removes its configuration but does not delete any installed files. Remove the server directory from ~/Documents/Cline/MCP/ manually if you want to free disk space.

Network timeout

Each server can have its own timeout. Set the timeout field (in seconds) in the JSON, or adjust it via the server detail panel slider (30 seconds to 1 hour). The default is 60 seconds. Increase this for servers that make slow upstream API calls.

Global MCP mode

You can control how much MCP contributes to every request’s token usage:

1. Click the MCP Servers icon.
2. Select the Configure tab.
3. Click Advanced MCP Settings.
4. Find the Cline > Mcp: Mode setting and choose your preference.

Reducing MCP mode can help lower costs if you have many servers configured but only use a few of them regularly.

Using MCP tools in chat

After configuring a server, Cline detects its available tools automatically. When you send a message:

1. Cline evaluates whether any tool could help.
2. If so, it proposes a tool call and shows the input it would send.
3. You approve (or deny) the call.
4. The result is returned to Cline and incorporated into the response.

Tools listed in alwaysAllow skip the approval prompt entirely.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Server not responding	Check that the process is running; verify network connectivity for SSE servers
Permission denied / auth error	Confirm API keys and tokens are set correctly in env or headers
Tool not appearing	Ensure the server implements the tool and it is not listed as disabled
Slow responses	Increase the server’s timeout value
Config changes not picked up	Save the file — Cline watches for changes automatically

Related

• MCP overview
• MCP Marketplace
• Building a custom MCP server