What are the requirements for MCP Uplink?

MCP Uplink requires the following environment variables: MCP_API_KEY (required), MCP_ENABLED_TOOLS (optional), MCP_SERVER_URL (optional), MCP_ENV_PREFIX (optional). You'll also need a compatible MCP client like Claude Desktop or Claude Code.

Is MCP Uplink free to use?

Yes, MCP Uplink is open source and free to use. You can find the source code on GitHub.

What MCP clients support MCP Uplink?

MCP Uplink works with any MCP-compatible client including Claude Desktop (Anthropic's official desktop app), Claude Code (CLI tool), Cursor, and other editors with MCP support.

How do I configure MCP Uplink?

Configure MCP Uplink by adding it to your MCP client's config file. For Claude Desktop, edit claude_desktop_config.json and add the server configuration. See the Configuration section above for a ready-to-use example.

MCP Uplink MCP Server

Q: How do I install MCP Uplink?

Install MCP Uplink by running: npx mcp-uplink connect --url https://mcp-uplink.com/api/mcp/slack

Add it to Claude Code

Run this in a terminal.

Run in terminal

claude mcp add -e "MCP_API_KEY=${MCP_API_KEY}" mcp-uplink -- npx mcp-uplink connect --url https://mcp-uplink.com/api/mcp/slack

Required:MCP_API_KEY+ 3 optional

README.md

Cloud MCP Hosting for AI Agents

MCP Uplink 🚀

The official CLI for MCP Uplink - Cloud MCP Hosting for AI Agents

Your AI Agents: Faster, Cheaper, Safer

Connect Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf and any MCP-compatible AI client to the MCP Uplink cloud platform.

⚡ Why MCP Uplink?

Problem	Solution
🔥 Too many tokens	Only load the tools you need. Reduce context by 60%.
💸 High API costs	Fewer tokens = lower costs. Calculate savings at mcp-calculator
🤖 LLM hallucinations	Less noise = more accurate responses. Specialized agents perform better.
🔐 Security concerns	Zero Trust: Your credentials NEVER leave your machine.
⚙️ Infrastructure headaches	We manage MCP servers. You focus on building.

🎯 3 Pillars for Optimal AI Agents

1. 🧠 Intelligent Tool Filtering

Reduce your context window by only exposing the tools your agent actually needs.

❌ Native MCP: Sends ALL 50+ tool definitions → Heavy load, confused LLM
✅ MCP Uplink: Only sends 5 tools you need → Fast, focused, accurate

Result: 60% less tokens, fewer hallucinations, better responses.

2. 🔐 Dual-Layer Security

Layer 1: Zero Trust Architecture

Your API keys and tokens stay in YOUR local .env file
Secrets are transmitted in-memory via encrypted HTTPS headers
We NEVER store your credentials - we're just a secure proxy

Layer 2: Tool Blocking

Block dangerous tools like delete, drop, modify
Prevent catastrophic accidents where an agent deletes your database

3. 💰 Maximum Performance, Minimum Cost

Less noise = faster and more accurate LLM responses
Agents respond instantly with higher quality answers
Managed infrastructure = no DevOps overhead for you

📦 Installation

No installation required! Just use npx:

npx mcp-uplink connect --url https://mcp-uplink.com/api/mcp/slack

Or install globally for faster startup:

npm install -g mcp-uplink

🚀 Quick Start

Claude Desktop Configuration

Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json:

OS	Path
Mac	`~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
Windows	`%APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
Linux	`~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "slack": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-uplink",
        "connect",
        "--url", "https://mcp-uplink.com/api/mcp/slack"
      ],
      "env": {
        "MCP_API_KEY": "your-mcp-uplink-api-key",
        "MCP_ENABLED_TOOLS": "send_message,list_channels",
        "SLACK_BOT_TOKEN": "xoxb-your-slack-token",
        "SLACK_TEAM_ID": "T0123456789"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor / VS Code / Windsurf

Same configuration format - just add to your MCP settings.

⚙️ CLI Options

Option	Description
`-u, --url <url>`	Required. MCP Uplink endpoint URL
`-k, --api-key <key>`	Platform API key (or set `MCP_API_KEY` env var)
`--enabled-tools <list>`	Comma-separated list of tools to enable
`--no-forward-env`	Disable environment variable forwarding
`--env-prefix`	Only forward env vars with this prefix

Environment Variables

Variable	Description
`MCP_API_KEY`	Your MCP Uplink API key
`MCP_ENABLED_TOOLS`	Tools to enable (e.g., `send_message,list_users`)
`MCP_SERVER_URL`	Default server URL
`MCP_ENV_PREFIX`	Prefix filter for env vars

🔒 Security Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  YOUR MACHINE (Secure)                                      │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │  .env file                                           │   │
│  │  SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-xxx (never leaves here)        │   │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                           │                                 │
│                           ▼                                 │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │  mcp-uplink CLI (local process)                      │   │
│  │  - Captures env vars in-memory                       │   │
│  │  - Encrypts via HTTPS header (X-Mcp-Env)             │   │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                            │
                            ▼ HTTPS (encrypted)
┌─────────────────────

Environment Variables

MCP_API_KEYrequiredYour MCP Uplink API key

MCP_ENABLED_TOOLSComma-separated list of tools to enable

MCP_SERVER_URLDefault server URL

MCP_ENV_PREFIXPrefix filter for env vars

Configuration

claude_desktop_config.json

{"mcpServers": {"slack": {"command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "mcp-uplink", "connect", "--url", "https://mcp-uplink.com/api/mcp/slack"], "env": {"MCP_API_KEY": "your-mcp-uplink-api-key", "MCP_ENABLED_TOOLS": "send_message,list_channels", "SLACK_BOT_TOKEN": "xoxb-your-slack-token", "SLACK_TEAM_ID": "T0123456789"}}}}

Try it

→Connect to my cloud-hosted Slack MCP server and list the available channels.

→Use the MCP Uplink proxy to enable only the message sending tool for my Slack agent.

→Configure my Claude Desktop to use the managed MCP Uplink endpoint for my project tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key features of MCP Uplink?

Intelligent tool filtering to reduce context window size by up to 60%. Zero Trust architecture where API keys and secrets remain on the local machine. Secure proxying of MCP tools via encrypted HTTPS headers. Tool blocking to prevent execution of dangerous commands like delete or drop. Managed infrastructure to eliminate DevOps overhead for MCP servers.

What can I use MCP Uplink for?

Reducing LLM API costs by filtering out unnecessary tool definitions. Improving LLM response accuracy by reducing context noise. Managing sensitive API credentials securely without storing them on third-party servers. Deploying and hosting MCP servers without maintaining local infrastructure.

How do I install MCP Uplink?

Install MCP Uplink by running: npx mcp-uplink connect --url https://mcp-uplink.com/api/mcp/slack

What MCP clients work with MCP Uplink?

MCP Uplink works with any MCP-compatible client including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, and other editors with MCP support.

Turn this server into reusable context

Keep MCP Uplink docs, env vars, and workflow notes in Conare so your agent carries them across sessions.

Need the old visual installer? Open Conare IDE.

Open Conare

View all cloud servers →

MCP Uplink MCP Server

Add it to Claude Code

MCP Uplink 🚀

⚡ Why MCP Uplink?

🎯 3 Pillars for Optimal AI Agents

1. 🧠 Intelligent Tool Filtering

2. 🔐 Dual-Layer Security

3. 💰 Maximum Performance, Minimum Cost

📦 Installation

🚀 Quick Start

Claude Desktop Configuration

Cursor / VS Code / Windsurf

⚙️ CLI Options

Environment Variables

🔒 Security Architecture

Environment Variables

Configuration

Try it

Frequently Asked Questions

Turn this server into reusable context

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