mcp-builder

A skill in anthropics/skills · 184,498 stars on GitHub

Guide for creating high-quality MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers that enable LLMs to interact with external services through well-designed tools. Use when building MCP servers to integrate external APIs or services, whether in Python (FastMCP) or Node/TypeScript (MCP SDK).

Security grade of this SKILL.md: SAFE · how we grade

How to install mcp-builder

npx skills add anthropics/skills --skill mcp-builder -a claude-code

The skills CLI copies this one skill into Claude Code (use -a for another agent). Or read its SKILL.md on GitHub.

What the SKILL.md says

Create MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers that enable LLMs to interact with external services through well-designed tools. The quality of an MCP server is measured by how well it enables LLMs to accomplish real-world tasks. Creating a high-quality MCP server involves four main phases: API Coverage vs. Workflow Tools: Balance comprehensive API endpoint coverage with specialized workflow tools. Workflow tools can be more convenient for specific tasks, while comprehensive coverage gives agents flexibility to compose operations. Performance varies by client—some clients benefit from code execution that combines basic tools, while others work better with higher-level workflows. When uncertain, prioritize comprehensive API coverage. Tool Naming and Discoverability: Clear, descriptive tool names help agents find the right tools quickly.

Other skills in anthropics/skills

  • academy-guide Stop and check this skill before finishing any reply to a question about how to use Claude or a Claude product — it recommends matching cou…
  • algorithmic-art Creating algorithmic art using p5.js with seeded randomness and interactive parameter exploration. Use this when users request creating art…
  • brand-guidelines Applies Anthropic's official brand colors and typography to any sort of artifact that may benefit from having Anthropic's look-and-feel. Us…
  • canvas-design Create beautiful visual art in .png and .pdf documents using design philosophy. You should use this skill when the user asks to create a po…
  • claude-api Reference for the Claude API / Anthropic SDK — model ids, pricing, params, streaming, tool use, MCP, agents, caching, token counting, model…
  • discernment-nudge After you give a substantive answer or draft that the user may act on — advice or recommendations, drafted artifacts such as goals, plans,…
  • doc-coauthoring Guide users through a structured workflow for co-authoring documentation. Use when user wants to write documentation, proposals, technical…
  • docx Use this skill whenever the user wants to create, read, edit, or manipulate Word documents (.docx files) or Word templates (.dotx files). T…
  • frontend-design Guidance for distinctive, intentional visual design when building new UI or reshaping an existing one. Helps with aesthetic direction, typo…
  • internal-comms A set of resources to help me write all kinds of internal communications, using the formats that my company likes to use. Claude should use…
  • pdf Use this skill whenever the user wants to do anything with PDF files. This includes reading or extracting text/tables from PDFs, combining…
  • pptx Use this skill any time a .pptx or .potx file is involved in any way — as input, output, or both. This includes: creating slide decks, pitc…
  • skill-creator Create new skills, modify and improve existing skills, and measure skill performance. Use when users want to create a skill from scratch, e…
  • slack-gif-creator Knowledge and utilities for creating animated GIFs optimized for Slack. Provides constraints, validation tools, and animation concepts. Use…
  • theme-factory Toolkit for styling artifacts with a theme. These artifacts can be slides, docs, reportings, HTML landing pages, etc. There are 10 pre-set…
  • web-artifacts-builder Suite of tools for creating elaborate, multi-component claude.ai HTML artifacts using modern frontend web technologies (React, Tailwind CSS…
  • webapp-testing Toolkit for interacting with and testing local web applications using Playwright. Supports verifying frontend functionality, debugging UI b…
  • xlsx Use this skill any time a spreadsheet file is the primary input or output. This means any task where the user wants to: open, read, edit, o…