MCP CLI Testing Playbook

Validate MCP servers with direct terminal commands and a strict pass/fail workflow.

Core rules

• Execute commands directly and sequentially.
• Do not write helper scripts unless explicitly requested.
• Treat server work as incomplete until verification checks pass.
• Prefer single-server commands while debugging.
• After rebuilding a server, retest with MCP_NO_DAEMON=1.

What to load first

Use this progressive order to keep context tight: