Shadcn UI v4 MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides AI assistants with comprehensive access to shadcn/ui v4 components, blocks, demos, and metadata. This server enables AI tools like Claude Desktop, Continue.dev, VS Code, Cursor, and other MCP-compatible clients to retrieve and work with shadcn/ui components seamlessly.

🚀 Key Features

• Component Source Code: Get the latest shadcn/ui v4 component TypeScript source
• Component Demos: Access example implementations and usage patterns
• Blocks Support: Retrieve complete block implementations (dashboards, calendars, login forms, etc.)
• Metadata Access: Get component dependencies, descriptions, and configuration details
• Directory Browsing: Explore the shadcn/ui repository structure
• GitHub API Integration: Efficient caching and intelligent rate limit handling
• Framework Support: Switch between React (shadcn/ui) and Svelte (shadcn-svelte) implementations

📦 Quick Start

⚡ Using npx (Recommended)

The fastest way to get started - no installation required!

# Basic usage (rate limited to 60 requests/hour)
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server

# With GitHub token for better rate limits (5000 requests/hour)
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server --github-api-key ghp_your_token_here

# Short form
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server -g ghp_your_token_here

# Using environment variable
export GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=ghp_your_token_here
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server

# Switch to Svelte framework (default is react)
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server --framework svelte

# Use Svelte with GitHub token
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server --framework svelte --github-api-key ghp_your_token_here

# Using environment variable for framework
export FRAMEWORK=svelte
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server

🎯 Try it now: Run npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server --help to see all options!

🔄 Framework Selection: The server supports both React (shadcn/ui) and Svelte (shadcn-svelte) implementations. Use --framework svelte to switch to Svelte components.

🔧 Command Line Options

shadcn-ui-mcp-server [options]

Options:
  --github-api-key, -g <token>    GitHub Personal Access Token
  --framework, -f <framework>     Framework to use: 'react' or 'svelte' (default: react)
  --help, -h                      Show help message  
  --version, -v                   Show version information

Environment Variables:
  GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN    Alternative way to provide GitHub token
  FRAMEWORK                       Framework to use: 'react' or 'svelte' (default: react)

Examples:
  npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server --help
  npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server --version
  npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server -g ghp_1234567890abcdef
  GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=ghp_token npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server
  npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server --framework svelte
  npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server -f react
  export FRAMEWORK=svelte && npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server

🔑 GitHub API Token Setup

Why do you need a token?

• Without token: Limited to 60 API requests per hour
• With token: Up to 5,000 requests per hour
• Better reliability and faster responses

📝 Getting Your Token (2 minutes)

1. Go to GitHub Settings:

   • Visit GitHub Settings → Developer settings → Personal access tokens → Tokens (classic)
   • Or: GitHub Profile → Settings → Developer settings → Personal access tokens

2. Generate New Token:

   • Click "Generate new token (classic)"
   • Add a note: "shadcn-ui MCP server"
   • Expiration: Choose your preference (90 days recommended)
   • Scopes: ✅ No scopes needed! (public repository access is sufficient)

3. Copy Your Token:

   • Copy the generated token (starts with ghp_)
   • ⚠️ Save it securely - you won't see it again!

🚀 Using Your Token

Method 1: Command Line (Quick testing)

npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server --github-api-key ghp_your_token_here

Method 2: Environment Variable (Recommended)

# Add to your shell profile (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, etc.)
export GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=ghp_your_token_here

# Then simply run:
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server

🔄 Framework Selection

The MCP server supports both React (shadcn/ui) and Svelte (shadcn-svelte) implementations. You can switch between them based on your project needs.

📋 Framework Comparison

🎯 How to Switch Frameworks

Method 1: Command Line Argument (Recommended)

# Use React (default)
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server

# Switch to Svelte
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server --framework svelte
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server -f svelte

# Switch back to React
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server --framework react
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server -f react

Method 2: Environment Variable

# Use Svelte
export FRAMEWORK=svelte
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server

# Use React
export FRAMEWORK=react
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server

# Or set for single command
FRAMEWORK=svelte npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server

Method 3: Combined with GitHub Token

# Svelte with GitHub token
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server --framework svelte --github-api-key ghp_your_token_here

# React with GitHub token (default)
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server --github-api-key ghp_your_token_here

🔍 Framework Detection

The server will log which framework is being used:

INFO: Framework set to 'svelte' via command line argument
INFO: MCP Server configured for SVELTE framework
INFO: Repository: huntabyte/shadcn-svelte
INFO: File extension: .svelte

⚠️ Important: When using environment variables, make sure to use the correct syntax:

• ✅ Correct: export FRAMEWORK=svelte && npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server
• ✅ Correct: FRAMEWORK=svelte npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server
• ❌ Incorrect: FRAMEWORK=svelte npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server (without proper spacing)

💡 Use Cases

• React Projects: Use default or --framework react for React/Next.js applications
• Svelte Projects: Use --framework svelte for Svelte/SvelteKit applications
• Multi-Framework Development: Switch between frameworks to compare implementations
• Learning: Explore both React and Svelte versions of the same components

🛠️ Editor Integration

VS Code Integration

Method 1: Using Continue Extension

1. Install Continue Extension:

   • Open VS Code
   • Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
   • Search for "Continue" and install it

2. Configure MCP Server:

   • Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P)
   • Type "Continue: Configure" and select it
   • Add this configuration to your settings:

{
  "continue.server": {
    "mcpServers": {
      "shadcn-ui": {
        "command": "npx",
        "args": ["@jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server", "--github-api-key", "ghp_your_token_here"]
      },
      // If using Svelte, do this instead:
      "shadcn-ui-svelte": {
        "command": "npx",
        "args": ["@jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server", "--framework", "svelte", "--github-api-key", "ghp_your_token_here"]
      }
    }
  }
}

Method 2: Using Claude Extension

1. Install Claude Extension:

   • Search for "Claude" in VS Code extensions
   • Install the official Claude extension

2. Configure MCP Server:

   • Add to your VS Code settings.json:

{
  "claude.mcpServers": {
    "shadcn-ui": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token_here"
      }
    },
      // If using Svelte, do this instead:
    "shadcn-ui-svelte": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server", "--framework", "svelte"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor Integration

Method 1: Global Configuration

1. Open Cursor Settings:

   • Go to Settings (Cmd/Ctrl + ,)
   • Search for "MCP" or "Model Context Protocol"

2. Add MCP Server Configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shadcn-ui": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server", "--github-api-key", "ghp_your_token_here"]
    },
    // If using Svelte, do this instead:
    "shadcn-ui-svelte": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server", "--framework", "svelte", "--github-api-key", "ghp_your_token_here"]
    }
  }
}

Method 2: Workspace Configuration

Create a .cursorrules file in your project root:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shadcn-ui": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token_here"
      }
    },
    // If using Svelte, do this instead:
    "shadcn-ui-svelte": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server", "--framework", "svelte"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop Integration

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration (~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shadcn-ui": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server", "--github-api-key", "ghp_your_token_here"]
    },
    // If using Svelte, do this instead:
    "shadcn-ui-svelte": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server", "--framework", "svelte", "--github-api-key", "ghp_your_token_here"]
    }
  }
}

Or with environment variable:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shadcn-ui": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token_here"
      }
    },
    // If using Svelte, do this instead:
    "shadcn-ui-svelte": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server", "--framework", "svelte"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Continue.dev Integration

1. Install Continue.dev:

   • Download from continue.dev
   • Install the application

2. Configure MCP Server:

   • Open Continue.dev
   • Go to Settings → MCP Servers
   • Add new server:

{
  "name": "shadcn-ui",
  "command": "npx",
  "args": ["@jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server", "--github-api-key", "ghp_your_token_here"]
}

Or for Svelte:

{
  "name": "shadcn-ui-svelte",
  "command": "npx",
  "args": ["@jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server", "--framework", "svelte", "--github-api-key", "ghp_your_token_here"]
}

🎯 Usage Examples

Getting Component Source Code

Ask your AI assistant:

"Show me the source code for the shadcn/ui button component"

The AI can now access the complete TypeScript source code for the button component.

Creating a Dashboard

Ask your AI assistant:

"Create a dashboard using shadcn/ui components. Use the dashboard-01 block as a starting point"

The AI can retrieve the complete dashboard block implementation and customize it for your needs.

Building a Login Form

Ask your AI assistant:

"Help me build a login form using shadcn/ui components. Show me the available form components"

The AI can list all available components and help you build the form.

🛠️ Available Tools

The MCP server provides these tools for AI assistants:

Component Tools

• get_component - Get component source code
• get_component_demo - Get component usage examples
• list_components - List all available components
• get_component_metadata - Get component dependencies and info

Block Tools

• get_block - Get complete block implementations (dashboard-01, calendar-01, etc.)
• list_blocks - List all available blocks with categories

Repository Tools

• get_directory_structure - Explore the shadcn/ui repository structure

Example Tool Usage

// These tools can be called by AI assistants via MCP protocol

// Get button component source
{
  "tool": "get_component",
  "arguments": { "componentName": "button" }
}

// List all components
{
  "tool": "list_components",
  "arguments": {}
}

// Get dashboard block
{
  "tool": "get_block", 
  "arguments": { "blockName": "dashboard-01" }
}

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Rate limit exceeded" errors:

# Solution: Add GitHub API token
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server --github-api-key ghp_your_token_here

"Command not found" errors:

# Solution: Install Node.js 18+ and ensure npx is available
node --version  # Should be 18+
npx --version   # Should work

Component not found:

# Check available components first
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server
# Then call list_components tool via your MCP client

Network/proxy issues:

# Set proxy if needed
export HTTP_PROXY=http://your-proxy:8080
export HTTPS_PROXY=http://your-proxy:8080
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server

Editor not recognizing MCP server:

# Verify the server is running
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server --help

# Check your editor's MCP configuration
# Ensure the command and args are correct

Debug Mode

Enable verbose logging:

# Set debug environment variable
DEBUG=* npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server --github-api-key ghp_your_token

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

📞 Support

• 🐛 Report Issues
• 💬 Discussions
• 📖 Documentation
• 📦 npm Package

🔗 Related Projects

• shadcn/ui - React component library (default framework)
• shadcn-svelte - Svelte component library (use --framework svelte)
• Model Context Protocol - The protocol specification
• MCP TypeScript SDK - Official MCP SDK

⭐ Acknowledgments

• shadcn for the amazing UI component library
• Anthropic for the Model Context Protocol specification
• The open source community for inspiration and contributions

Made with ❤️ by Janardhan Polle

Star ⭐ this repo if you find it helpful!