Set up the cloud MCP server – mabl help

With the cloud MCP server, you can connect your AI client to mabl without using the mabl CLI. For an overview of server options, see the mabl MCP overview.

Prerequisite

You need an AI client that supports MCP servers, such as Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, or Claude Desktop.

Setup

The mabl cloud MCP server supports two authentication methods:

OAuth - connect the cloud MCP to your mabl user account, giving you access to any workspace your user belongs to. Uses your mabl login, so you'll occasionally need to re-authenticate, just like with the mabl app. If you're not sure which method to pick, start here.
API key - connect to the cloud MCP through a mabl API key. Access is scoped to the single workspace the key was generated in and persists until the key itself expires or is deleted. Best for agent-to-agent use cases.

OAuth setup

Many AI clients use a JSON configuration file for MCP servers. Use the following config block:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mabl": {
      "url": "https://mcp.mabl.com/mcp",
      "type": "http"
    }
  }
}

Type string may vary

Some clients, such as Cursor and Windsurf, use "type": "streamable-http" instead of "type": "http". Check your client’s documentation for the expected type string.

In Claude Code, you can also run the following command in your terminal:

claude mcp add --transport http mabl https://mcp.mabl.com/mcp

Not all clients use JSON configuration. Refer to your AI client’s documentation for specific instructions on adding remote MCP servers. If your AI client doesn't support HTTP, see the section on alternative transports for other setup methods.

After adding the server, complete authentication through a browser consent flow:

Client-initiated: Your client may recognize that you aren't logged in and provide a button or prompt to initiate the process.
User-initiated: If your agent doesn't automatically prompt you to authenticate, use a prompt like "Help me authenticate the mabl MCP" to initiate the process.

The cloud MCP will open a browser window to a consent page. Review the details and click Accept. At this point, if you aren't already logged into the mabl web app, you'll also need to sign in to mabl.

By default, the cloud MCP server connects to the primary workspace associated with your mabl user account. If you aren't sure what your default workspace is, ask your client:

“What is my default workspace?”

To list all available workspaces, use the get_workspaces tool. For example:

“What workspaces do I have access to?”

To use the mabl cloud MCP tools in a non-primary workspace, provide the name of the workspace or workspace ID when you invoke tools. For example:

“Get my recently created tests from the mabl prod tests workspace.”

API key setup

API key setup authenticates your connection directly. Use the following config block, replacing YOUR_API_KEY_HERE with either an "Editor" or "Viewer" type mabl API key:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mabl": {
      "url": "https://mcp.mabl.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Type string may vary

Some clients, such as Cursor and Windsurf, use "type": "streamable-http" instead of "type": "http". Check your client’s documentation for the expected type string.

In Claude Code, you can also run:

claude mcp add --transport http mabl https://mcp.mabl.com/mcp --header "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"

If your config file will be checked into version control or shared with others, reference the key from an environment variable instead of pasting it directly. For example, "x-api-key": "${MABL_API_KEY}".

If your AI client doesn't support HTTP, see the section on alternative transports for other setup methods.

Alternative transports

If your AI client doesn't support HTTP, you can try SSE or a stdio bridge. Claude Desktop, for example, requires the stdio bridge. Both options work with OAuth and API key authentication methods.

SSE config

Add the following to your client's MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mabl": {
      "type": "sse",
      "url": "https://mcp.mabl.com/sse"
    }
  }
}

For API key auth, add a headers object alongside url and follow the API key setup pattern.

stdio bridge

If you cannot use HTTP or SSE transport, you can use a package like mcp-remote to bridge between your client's stdio transport and the server's SSE transport. mcp-remote is a third-party open-source package, not maintained by mabl.