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Leanly MCP Server (Model Context Protocol)

Introduction​

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard for connecting Large Language Models (LLMs) with external tools, data, and services — like Leanly.

This guide walks you through the one-time setup of the Leanly MCP server in your local development environment.

Quickstart​

1. Install the MCP Server​

You can connect the Leanly MCP server to any MCP-compatible client such as VS Code, Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and more. Each client has its own configuration format — see examples below.

VS Code​

Create <your-repo>/.vscode/mcp.json with:

{
  "servers": {
    "leanly": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@leanlyhq/leanly-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

👉 For more details, check the official VS Code MCP docs.

Cursor​

Use the one-click install link:

Install MCP Server

Or configure manually by creating <your-repo>/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "leanly": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@leanlyhq/leanly-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

👉 For more details, check the official Cursor MCP docs.

2. Authenticate MCP Server​

Prior to using the MCP server, run the interactive SSO helper which performs a short, one-time login and stores the resulting session locally so the MCP server can authenticate to Leanly.

npx leanly@latest sso login

What is npx? npx runs a package from the npm registry temporarily without installing it globally - it downloads and executes the package for you.

By default, your session expires 24 hours after you've logged in. Simply run the command again to re-authenticate.

npx not available? Or prefer oauth client authentication?

  1. Already have an OAuth client? Skip ahead to step 2. Need to create one? Go to Tenant Settings > OAuth Clients > Add in Leanly.

    • No additional scopes are required — defaults are fine.
    • Copy the client ID and secret and store them securely.

  2. Next, create a .env file in your repository root:

    LEANLY_MCP_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID=<your OAuth client id>
    LEANLY_MCP_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET=<your OAuth client secret>
    warning

    Your .env file contains secrets. Never commit it to version control (e.g., GitHub). ::: -->

  3. Tell MCP server to use OAuth creds by adding the path to your envFile. For example, your Cursor config becomes:

    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "leanly": {
          "command": "npx",
          "args": ["-y", "@leanlyhq/leanly-mcp@latest"],
          "envFile": "${workspaceFolder}/.env"
        }
      }
    }