About
Experimental: Bidirectional MCP integration for Strands Agents.
README
Bidirectional MCP integration for Strands Agents.
pip install strands-mcp-server
Overview
- mcp_server - Expose agent as MCP server
- mcp_client - Connect to MCP servers
- CLI - stdio for Claude Desktop
graph LR
subgraph "Your Strands Agent"
A[Tools: calculator, shell, etc.]
B[mcp_server tool]
C[mcp_client tool]
A --> B
C --> A
end
subgraph "Server Mode"
B -->|HTTP/stdio| D[MCP Protocol]
D --> E[Claude Desktop]
D --> F[Other Agents]
D --> G[Custom Clients]
end
subgraph "Client Mode"
H[Remote MCP Servers] -->|HTTP/stdio/SSE| I[MCP Protocol]
I --> C
end
subgraph "CLI"
J[uvx strands-mcp-server] -->|Local Mode| D
J -->|Proxy Mode| I
end
style A fill:#2d3748,stroke:#4a5568,color:#fff
style B fill:#2b6cb0,stroke:#2c5282,color:#fff
style C fill:#38a169,stroke:#2f855a,color:#fff
style D fill:#805ad5,stroke:#6b46c1,color:#fff
style I fill:#805ad5,stroke:#6b46c1,color:#fff
style E fill:#d69e2e,stroke:#b7791f,color:#fff
style F fill:#d69e2e,stroke:#b7791f,color:#fff
style G fill:#d69e2e,stroke:#b7791f,color:#fff
style H fill:#e53e3e,stroke:#c53030,color:#fff
style J fill:#48bb78,stroke:#38a169,color:#fff
Quick Start
Server:
from strands import Agent
from strands_mcp_server import mcp_server
agent = Agent(tools=[..., mcp_server])
agent("start mcp server on port 8000")
Client:
from strands import Agent
from strands_mcp_server import mcp_client
agent = Agent(tools=[mcp_client])
agent.tool.mcp_client(
action="connect",
connection_id="remote",
transport="http",
server_url="http://localhost:8000/mcp"
)
agent.tool.mcp_client(
action="call_tool",
connection_id="remote",
tool_name="calculator",
tool_args={"expression": "42 * 89"}
)
For Agents like Claude Desktop/Kiro/...:
{
"mcpServers": {
"my-agent": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["strands-mcp-server", "--cwd", "/path/to/project"]
}
}
}
API
mcp_server
| Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
action |
required | start, stop, status, list |
transport |
http |
http or stdio |
port |
8000 | Port |
tools |
None | Tools to expose (None = all) |
expose_agent |
True | Include invoke_agent |
stateless |
False | Multi-node ready |
mcp_client
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
action |
connect, disconnect, list_tools, call_tool |
connection_id |
Connection ID |
transport |
http, stdio, sse |
server_url |
Server URL |
tool_name |
Tool to call |
tool_args |
Tool arguments |
invoke_agent
Full agent access when expose_agent=True:
agent.tool.mcp_client(
action="call_tool",
connection_id="remote",
tool_name="invoke_agent",
tool_args={"prompt": "Calculate 2 + 2"}
)
CLI
uvx strands-mcp-server [OPTIONS]
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--cwd PATH |
Working directory |
--upstream-url URL |
Upstream server (proxy) |
--system-prompt TEXT |
System prompt |
--no-agent-invocation |
Disable invoke_agent |
--debug |
Debug mode |
Examples:
# Local
uvx strands-mcp-server --cwd /path/to/project
# Proxy
uvx strands-mcp-server --upstream-url http://localhost:8000/mcp
Troubleshooting
# Debug
uvx strands-mcp-server --cwd /path --debug
# Check connection
curl http://localhost:8000/mcp
# Port in use
lsof -i :8000 && kill -9 <PID>
# Claude logs
tail -f ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log
Links
License: Apache 2.0
Installing Strands
This server has no published package — it is built from source. Open the repository and follow its README.
▸ github.com/cagataycali/strands-mcp-serverFAQ
Is Strands MCP free?
Yes, Strands MCP is free — one-click install via Unyly at no cost.
Does Strands need an API key?
No, Strands runs without API keys or environment variables.
Is Strands hosted or self-hosted?
Self-hosted: the server runs locally on your machine via the install command above.
How do I install Strands in Claude Desktop, Claude Code or Cursor?
Open Strands on unyly.org, pick your client tab (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor) and press Install — the config is generated automatically, no JSON editing.
Related MCPs
GitHub
PRs, issues, code search, CI status
by GitHubFilesystem
Secure file operations with configurable access controls.
Memory
Knowledge graph-based persistent memory system.
Template MCP Server
A CLI tool to create a new Model Context Protocol server project with TypeScript support, dual transport options, and an extensible structure
by mcpdotdirectCompare Strands with
Not sure what to pick?
Find your stack in 60 seconds
Author?
Embed badge for your README
Browse similar
All development MCPs
