> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://mcp.avelino.run/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://mcp.avelino.run/readme.md).

# Introduction

CLI that turns MCP servers into terminal commands.

## Why?

Companies invested years building MCP server integrations. 5,800+ servers, 10,000+ in production, 97M+ monthly SDK downloads. All that work exposes structured APIs over a standard protocol. [**Why MCP on the command line?**](/why-mcp-cli.md) explains why this matters and how `mcp` lets you reuse all of it from your terminal.

[**MCP servers are draining your hardware**](/mcp-servers-are-draining-your-hardware.md) — Every MCP client spawns all backend processes at startup and keeps them alive forever. We built lazy initialization and adaptive idle shutdown so the proxy only keeps alive what you're actually using.

## First steps

Are you new to `mcp`? Start here:

* [**Getting started**](/first-steps/getting-started.md) — Install, configure your first server, call your first tool. 5 minutes from zero to working.
* [**Tutorial**](/first-steps/tutorial.md) — A hands-on walkthrough that covers everything you need to use `mcp` day-to-day.

## Guides

Focused explanations for specific topics:

* [**Configuration**](/guides/configuration.md) — Config file format, environment variables, server types.
* [**Authentication**](/guides/authentication.md) — OAuth, API tokens, service-specific setup.
* [**Registry**](/guides/registry.md) — Finding and adding servers from the MCP registry.
* [**Scripting**](/guides/scripting.md) — Using `mcp` in shell scripts, piping, CI/CD.
* [**Proxy mode**](/guides/proxy-mode.md) — Expose all servers as a single MCP endpoint for LLM tools.
* [**Audit logging**](/guides/audit-logging.md) — Track every operation with queryable logs and real-time streaming.

## Reference

Technical details and complete specifications:

* [**CLI reference**](/reference/cli.md) — Every command, flag, and option.
* [**Config file reference**](/reference/config-file.md) — Full `servers.json` specification.
* [**Environment variables**](/reference/environment-variables.md) — All supported env vars.
* [**Architecture**](/reference/architecture.md) — How the codebase is organized.

## How-to

Recipes for common tasks:

* [**Supported services**](/how-to/services.md) — Setup guides for Sentry, Slack, Grafana, GitHub, and more.
* [**Troubleshooting**](/how-to/troubleshooting.md) — Common errors and how to fix them.


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters:

```
GET https://mcp.avelino.run/readme.md?ask=<question>&goal=<user_goal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.