Add it to Claude Code
claude mcp add -e "ZEN_API_KEY=${ZEN_API_KEY}" zen-mcp -- npx -y zen-mcp-serverZEN_API_KEYMake your agent remember this setup
zen-mcp's config, env vars, and the gotchas you hit — recalled in every future Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex session.
npx conare@latestFree · one command · indexes the sessions already on disk. Set up in the browser instead →
What it does
- Orchestrates collaboration between multiple AI models within a single conversation.
- Maintains context persistence across different AI models and sessions.
- Provides specialized tools for planning, code review, debugging, and pre-commit validation.
- Allows Claude to delegate subtasks to specialized models like Gemini or O3.
- Enables multi-model consensus analysis for complex development decisions.
Tools 8
chatGeneral development chat and collaborative thinking.thinkdeepExtended reasoning partner for complex problem solving.challengeCritical challenge prompt to prevent superficial agreement.plannerInteractive step-by-step project planning.consensusMulti-model perspective gathering for analysis.codereviewProfessional code review and audit.precommitPre-commit validation for code changes.debugExpert debugging assistant for complex problems.Environment Variables
ZEN_API_KEYrequiredAPI key for accessing the orchestration services.Try it
Original README from jray2123/zen-mcp-server
Zen MCP: Many Workflows. One Context.
<b>🤖 Claude OR Gemini CLI + [Gemini / OpenAI / Grok / OpenRouter / DIAL / Ollama / Any Model] = Your Ultimate AI Development Team</b>
The ultimate development partners for your favorite Coding Agent (Claude OR Gemini CLI) - a Model Context Protocol server that gives you access to multiple AI models for enhanced code analysis, problem-solving, and collaborative development.
Features true AI orchestration with conversations that continue across workflows - Give Claude a complex workflow and let it orchestrate between models automatically. Claude stays in control, performs the actual work, but gets perspectives from the best AI for each subtask. With tools like `planner` for breaking down complex projects, `analyze` for understanding codebases, `codereview` for audits, `refactor` for improving code structure, `debug` for solving complex problems, and `precommit` for validating changes, Claude can switch between different tools and models mid-conversation, with context carrying forward seamlessly.
Example Workflow - Claude Code:
Perform a codereview using gemini pro and o3 and use planner to generate a detailed plan, implement the fixes and do a final precommit check by continuing from the previous codereview- This triggers a `codereview` workflow where Claude walks the code, looking for all kinds of issues
- After multiple passes, collects relevant code and makes note of issues along the way
- Maintains a
confidencelevel betweenexploring,low,medium,highandcertainto track how confidently it's been able to find and identify issues - Generates a detailed list of critical -> low issues
- Shares the relevant files, findings, etc with Gemini Pro to perform a deep dive for a second `codereview`
- Comes back with a response and next does the same with o3, adding to the prompt if a new discovery comes to light
- When done, Claude takes in all the feedback and combines a single list of all critical -> low issues, including good patterns in your code. The final list includes new findings or revisions in case Claude misunderstood or missed something crucial and one of the other models pointed this out
- It then uses the `planner` workflow to break the work down into simpler steps if a major refactor is required
- Claude then performs the actual work of fixing highlighted issues
- When done, Claude returns to Gemini Pro for a `precommit` review
All within a single conversation thread! Gemini Pro in step 11 knows what was recommended by O3 in step 7! Taking that context and review into consideration to aid with its final pre-commit review.
Think of it as Claude Code for Claude Code. This MCP isn't magic. It's just super-glue.
Remember: Claude stays in full control — but YOU call the shots. Zen is designed to have Claude engage other models only when needed — and to follow through with meaningful back-and-forth. You're the one who crafts the powerful prompt that makes Claude bring in Gemini, Flash, O3 — or fly solo. You're the guide. The prompter. The puppeteer.
You are the AI - **Actually Intelligent**.
Because these AI models clearly aren't when they get chatty →
Quick Navigation
Getting Started
- Quickstart - Get running in 5 minutes
- Available Tools - Overview of all tools
- AI-to-AI Conversations - Multi-turn conversations
Tools Reference
- `chat` - Collaborative thinking
- `thinkdeep` - Extended reasoning
- `challenge` - Prevents You're absolutely right! responses
- `planner` - Interactive step-by-step planning
- `consensus` - Multi-model consensus analysis
- `codereview` - Code review
- `precommit` - Pre-commit validation
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debug](#8-debug---expert-d