Paperclip MCP ships as a lightweight Node.js process that speaks MCP’s stdio transport, making it compatible with every major AI coding assistant. You can run it directly viaDocumentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/bruhsb/paperclip-mcp/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
npx with no installation step, pull the pre-built container image from GitHub Container Registry, or spin up a full local Paperclip stack with a single Compose command. Pick the variant that matches your environment, then follow the host-specific guide below to drop in the exact config block your editor expects.
Installation variants
Three first-class variants are supported. All three expose the same 104 tools — the difference is only in the runtime environment.| Variant | Requires Node.js | Approx. image size | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm / npx | Yes (≥ 22) | ~no image | Local dev, fastest startup |
| Docker / Podman | No | ~186 MB | CI, air-gapped hosts, isolated runtime |
| Compose stack | No | ~186 MB + server | Full local Paperclip + MCP in one command |
The npm variant uses
npx -y paperclip-mcp, which downloads and caches the package on first run. Subsequent starts use the cached copy — no re-download unless the version changes.Required environment variables
Every variant requires the same four environment variables. Two optional variables are injected automatically by Paperclip during orchestrated agent runs.| Variable | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
PAPERCLIP_API_KEY | Yes | Bearer token for API authentication |
PAPERCLIP_API_URL | Yes | Base URL of the Paperclip API, e.g. http://127.0.0.1:3100 |
PAPERCLIP_AGENT_ID | Yes | UUID of the agent running this MCP server |
PAPERCLIP_COMPANY_ID | Yes | UUID of the company (used for company-scoped endpoints) |
PAPERCLIP_RUN_ID | No | Heartbeat run ID — injected automatically by Paperclip during agent runs |
PAPERCLIP_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS | No | HTTP request timeout in milliseconds (default: 30000) |
Choose your MCP host
Follow the guide for your editor. Each page contains the exact config block, file location, and verification steps.Claude Code
CLI (
claude mcp add) and settings.json — npm and Docker variants covered.Cursor
.cursor/mcp.json project or global config — npm and Docker variants covered.VS Code
.vscode/mcp.json or user settings.json — npm and Docker variants covered.Windsurf
Windsurf
mcpServers config — npm and Docker variants covered.Docker and Compose
If you prefer a containerised runtime or want to run the full Paperclip server alongside the MCP process, see the Docker guide.Docker / Podman
Pre-built image, local build, networking, security hardening, and smoke testing.