> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/cline/cline/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# MCP Marketplace

> Discover and install pre-built MCP servers directly inside Cline with one-click installation, automatic configuration, and no manual JSON editing required.

The MCP Marketplace is built into Cline and gives you access to hundreds of ready-to-use MCP servers across categories like search, file systems, browser automation, research, and more. Installation is handled end-to-end: Cline downloads the server code, installs dependencies, builds it, and writes the configuration — you just supply any required API keys.

## Prerequisites

Before installing servers from the Marketplace, make sure the following runtimes are present on your machine. Most servers require at least one of these.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Node.js 18 or newer (required for JavaScript/TypeScript servers)">
    Check your version:

    ```bash theme={null}
    node --version
    ```

    Install or update from [nodejs.org](https://nodejs.org/).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Python 3.10 or newer (required for Python servers)">
    Check your version:

    ```bash theme={null}
    python --version
    ```

    Install or update from [python.org](https://python.org/). Some servers require Python 3.11+.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="uv package manager (recommended for Python servers)">
    `uv` provides fast, isolated Python dependency management. Install it with:

    ```bash theme={null}
    curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
    ```

    Or via pip:

    ```bash theme={null}
    pip install uv
    ```

    Verify with `uv --version`.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Installing a server from the Marketplace

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Marketplace">
    In VS Code, click the Cline icon in the Activity Bar to open the Cline panel. Then click the **Extensions** button (square icon) in Cline's top toolbar. The MCP Marketplace opens, showing servers grouped by category.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Browse and select a server">
    Scroll through categories such as **Search**, **File-systems**, **Browser-automation**, **Research-data**, and others. Click any server card to read a description of its capabilities and requirements.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install and configure">
    Click the **Install** button on the server detail page.

    * If the server requires an API key, Cline will show you where to obtain one and prompt you to enter it securely.
    * Cline installs the server to `~/Documents/Cline/MCP/` and updates your MCP settings file automatically.

    <Note>
      Corporate users: confirm with your security team that installing third-party MCP servers is permitted before proceeding.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify installation">
    After installation, Cline shows a confirmation message. Open the **MCP Servers** panel (the plug icon in Cline's toolbar) and check that your new server shows a **green status dot**, indicating it is connected and ready.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Use the server">
    Start a new chat and ask Cline to use the server's capabilities. For example:

    > "Search the web for the latest React 19 release notes using Perplexity."

    Cline selects the appropriate tool, asks for your approval, and executes it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What happens during installation

When you click **Install**, Cline performs these steps automatically:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Download">
    The server code is cloned or downloaded to `~/Documents/Cline/MCP/<server-name>/`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Build">
    Dependencies are installed (`npm install` or `pip install / uv sync`) and the project is compiled if needed (TypeScript → JavaScript).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure">
    Your MCP settings file is updated with the server's entry, including its command, arguments, and any environment variables you provided.

    Settings file location:

    ```
    ~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/globalStorage/saoudrizwan.claude-dev/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Launch">
    Cline detects the configuration change, spawns the server as a child process, and establishes communication via stdio or HTTP.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Register capabilities">
    The server's tools and resources are added to Cline's context so they are available in every subsequent conversation.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## MCP server rules

When you have many MCP servers enabled, you can guide Cline's tool selection using **MCP Rules** in a `.clinerules` file or your custom instructions. Rules map keyword triggers to server groups, so Cline activates the right server automatically based on what you type.

```json theme={null}
{
  "mcpRules": {
    "webInteraction": {
      "servers": ["firecrawl-mcp-server", "fetch-mcp"],
      "triggers": ["web", "scrape", "browse", "website"],
      "description": "Tools for web browsing and scraping"
    },
    "finance": {
      "servers": ["alphaadvantage-mcp"],
      "triggers": ["stock", "price", "earnings", "market"],
      "description": "Financial data and analysis tools"
    }
  },
  "defaultBehavior": {
    "priorityOrder": ["webInteraction", "finance"],
    "fallbackBehavior": "Ask user which tool would be most appropriate"
  }
}
```

**How it works:**

* **servers** — the MCP server names to activate for this category.
* **triggers** — keywords Cline watches for in your messages.
* **description** — a human-readable label for the category.
* **priorityOrder** — resolves ambiguity when multiple categories match.

For example, if you type "Can you scrape this website?", Cline detects the trigger words `scrape` and `website`, and automatically enables the `webInteraction` servers.

## Troubleshooting

### Common installation problems

| Problem                     | Solution                                                                  |
| --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `node: command not found`   | Install Node.js 18+ from [nodejs.org](https://nodejs.org/)                |
| `python: command not found` | Install Python 3.10+ from [python.org](https://python.org/)               |
| `uv: command not found`     | Run `pip install uv` or follow the uv install instructions above          |
| API key rejected            | Double-check the key was copied correctly with no leading/trailing spaces |
| Server shows red dot        | Click **Restart Server** in the MCP Servers panel; check logs for errors  |
| Port already in use         | Another process is using the server's port; stop the conflicting process  |

### How to remove a server

1. Open `cline_mcp_settings.json` (path shown in the Configure tab of the MCP Servers panel).
2. Delete the entire key for your server inside the `mcpServers` object.
3. Save the file.
4. Delete the server directory from `~/Documents/Cline/MCP/<server-name>/`.
5. Restart Cline.

### Server keeps failing

If a server repeatedly errors after installation:

* Run the server command manually in a terminal to see the raw error output:
  ```bash theme={null}
  node /Users/you/Documents/Cline/MCP/my-server/build/index.js
  ```
* Verify all required environment variables are set in your MCP config.
* Check that file paths in the config point to files that actually exist after the build step.
* Try Claude Sonnet as your model during installation — it tends to handle build debugging best.
* Remove and reinstall the server if configuration state is corrupted.