Runpod MCP

The Runpod MCP server exposes Runpod's control plane as structured tool calls, so an MCP-capable agent can manage infrastructure without shelling out. It is the same Runpod REST API that runpodctl uses — pick MCP when its tools are connected (typed params, structured errors, no shell quoting).

Connect

Connect the hosted server with your API key as a Bearer header if you also use runpodctl/flash — that one key auths the MCP and the CLIs (the 80% path):

claude mcp add --transport http runpod -s user https://mcp.getrunpod.io/ \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $RUNPOD_API_KEY"

Plain OAuth ("Sign in with Runpod", via npx @runpod/mcp-server@latest add) is MCP-only — the CLIs stay unauthed, so use it only for MCP-only work. Local stdio runs the server as a subprocess with your key. Those variants + the key-vs-OAuth tradeoff: reference/connect.md. After connecting, reconnect the client (in Claude Code, /mcp) so the tools load.