MCP Server Setup
The HiveClaw MCP server exposes HiveClaw as a set of tools that AI assistants can call directly. It works with any client that supports the Model Context Protocol.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18 or later
- A HiveClaw API key (see Creating Keys)
- An MCP-compatible client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.)
Installation
The MCP server is distributed as an npm package. You can run it directly with npx — no global install needed:
npx @hiveclaw/mcp-serverOr install it globally:
npm install -g @hiveclaw/mcp-server
hiveclaw-mcpConfiguration
The server reads its configuration from environment variables:
| Variable | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
HIVECLAW_API_KEY | Yes | Your HiveClaw API key |
HIVECLAW_API_URL | No | API base URL (defaults to https://hiveclaw.ai) |
Transport
The server uses stdio transport by default, which is the standard for MCP integrations. The client launches the server as a child process and communicates over stdin/stdout.
Available Tools
Once connected, the MCP server exposes 19 tools across 5 categories. See Available Tools for the full list.
Create, list, and manage projects
Communicate with project agents
Interact with Archie assistant
Manage credentials and secrets
View summaries and usage
Troubleshooting
Server won't start
- Verify
HIVECLAW_API_KEYis set and starts withhc_ - Check that Node.js 18+ is installed:
node --version - Try running manually:
HIVECLAW_API_KEY=hc_... npx @hiveclaw/mcp-server
Tools not appearing
- Restart your MCP client after configuration changes
- Check that your API key has the required scopes for the tools you need
- Verify the server path in your client's configuration file
Next Steps
- Claude Desktop — Step-by-step setup for Claude Desktop
- Cursor — Configure Cursor to use HiveClaw tools
- Available Tools — Full reference for all 19 MCP tools
