Netlify MCP Servers

An MCP server exposes tools (and optionally resources/prompts) that an AI client — Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor — can call. On Netlify, a remote MCP server is just one Netlify Function that speaks the MCP protocol over HTTP. This skill gets you a working, secure server and connects a client to it.

The same setup works two ways:

• Standalone server — a repo whose only job is the MCP endpoint (e.g. wrapping a third-party API).
• Added to an existing app — one more function alongside your site. Have its tools call the same service/data layer your UI and REST routes already use, so logic isn't duplicated.

Before you build

Decide one thing up front, because it shapes the auth code:

• Who calls this server? Just you (a personal/single-user server) → use a single shared secret. Multiple people, each acting as themselves → use per-user API keys backed by Netlify Identity. See authentication.

If you're not sure, start with the single shared secret — it's a few lines and you can layer per-user keys on later. I'll default to that unless you say otherwise.

Stack