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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getmcp.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

MCP Inspector is an official developer tool from Anthropic that gives you a live, interactive view into any MCP server. Connect it to your GetMCP server to browse tools, call them manually, inspect raw JSON-RPC messages, and verify everything works — before you involve Claude, Cursor, or any other client. Think of it as Postman, but purpose-built for the MCP protocol. MCP Inspector connected to a GetMCP server — placeholder

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Why Use It

  • Verify tools are configured correctly — see exactly what tools/list returns to AI clients
  • Test tool calls manually — fill in arguments and see the raw response your API returns
  • Debug authentication — confirm your server URL, inbound auth, and Custom Headers all work
  • Inspect protocol messages — see the exact JSON-RPC requests and responses
  • Catch problems before users do — faster than connecting Claude Desktop and asking it questions

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Prerequisites

  • Node.js 18+ installed (nodejs.org)
  • A GetMCP server that is set to Active status
  • Your server’s MCP endpoint URL (from the server detail page)

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Launch Inspector

MCP Inspector runs entirely in your browser via npx — no installation required: 
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector
Your browser opens automatically at http://localhost:5173.

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Connect to Your GetMCP Server

1

Select transport

In the Transport dropdown, select Streamable HTTP.
2

Enter your server URL

Paste your GetMCP server URL into the URL field:
https://yoursite.com/mcp/{server-slug}
Your URL is on the server detail page in GetMCP admin.
3

Add authentication headers (if required)

If your server has inbound authentication enabled, click Add Header and enter:
HeaderValue
AuthorizationBearer YOUR_TOKEN
Leave this blank if your server uses none auth type.
4

Click Connect

Click the Connect button. Inspector runs the initialize handshake and negotiates the protocol version. A green status indicator confirms the connection.MCP Inspector connection status — placeholder

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Browse Your Tools

Click the Tools tab to see every tool tools/list returns — exactly what Claude or Cursor sees when they connect. Tools list in MCP Inspector — placeholder For each tool you can see:
  • Name — the snake_case identifier
  • Description — what you wrote (this is what the AI reads)
  • Input Schema — the JSON Schema defining accepted parameters

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Call a Tool

1

Click a tool name

Select a tool from the list. The input form renders automatically from the tool’s JSON Schema.
2

Fill in the arguments

Enter values for each parameter. Required fields are marked.Tool call form — placeholder
3

Click Run

Inspector sends a tools/call JSON-RPC request and displays the full response.Tool call response — placeholder
The response panel shows the raw JSON-RPC response — including the API data returned in result.content[0].text. You can see exactly what an AI client receives.

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Browse Resources and Prompts

Resources tab — Lists all resources via resources/list. Click any resource to call resources/read and see its content. Prompts tab — Lists all prompt templates via prompts/list. Click a prompt, fill in argument values, and call prompts/get to see the fully rendered prompt text.

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Inspect Raw Messages

Click the History or Messages panel to see every JSON-RPC request and response as raw JSON. This is the exact protocol traffic your GetMCP server exchanges with AI clients. Useful for:
  • Confirming the initialize capability negotiation is correct
  • Checking that tool input schemas are valid JSON Schema
  • Verifying error response formats when something goes wrong
MCP Inspector History Panel

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Troubleshooting

  • Confirm your WordPress site is reachable over HTTPS
  • Check the server status is Active in GetMCP admin
  • Verify the URL — the slug must be exact
  • Flush WordPress permalinks: Settings → Permalinks → Save Changes
Your server has inbound authentication enabled. Add the Authorization header in Inspector’s header configuration before clicking Connect. The value must match exactly what you set in the server’s Authentication tab.
All tools are set to Paused status. Go to GetMCP admin → Tools tab and set at least one tool to Active.
The error message is in result.content[0].text. Common causes:
  • API key missing or expired — check Custom Headers in the tool’s Advanced Settings
  • API endpoint URL typo — verify the endpoint in the tool editor
  • Missing required parameter — confirm your test arguments match the input schema
Ensure Node.js 18 or higher is installed: node --version. If outdated, download from nodejs.org.
MCP Inspector is maintained by Anthropic as part of the official MCP project. Source code and docs: github.com/modelcontextprotocol/inspector