MCP Uplink 🚀
The official CLI for MCP Uplink - Cloud MCP Hosting for AI Agents
Your AI Agents: Faster, Cheaper, Safer
Connect Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf and any MCP-compatible AI client to the MCP Uplink cloud platform.
⚡ Why MCP Uplink?
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| 🔥 Too many tokens | Only load the tools you need. Reduce context by 60%. |
| 💸 High API costs | Fewer tokens = lower costs. Calculate savings at mcp-calculator |
| 🤖 LLM hallucinations | Less noise = more accurate responses. Specialized agents perform better. |
| 🔐 Security concerns | Zero Trust: Your credentials NEVER leave your machine. |
| ⚙️ Infrastructure headaches | We manage MCP servers. You focus on building. |
🎯 3 Pillars for Optimal AI Agents
1. 🧠 Intelligent Tool Filtering
Reduce your context window by only exposing the tools your agent actually needs.
❌ Native MCP: Sends ALL 50+ tool definitions → Heavy load, confused LLM
✅ MCP Uplink: Only sends 5 tools you need → Fast, focused, accurate
Result: 60% less tokens, fewer hallucinations, better responses.
2. 🔐 Dual-Layer Security
Layer 1: Zero Trust Architecture
- Your API keys and tokens stay in YOUR local
.envfile - Secrets are transmitted in-memory via encrypted HTTPS headers
- We NEVER store your credentials - we're just a secure proxy
Layer 2: Tool Blocking
- Block dangerous tools like
delete,drop,modify - Prevent catastrophic accidents where an agent deletes your database
3. 💰 Maximum Performance, Minimum Cost
- Less noise = faster and more accurate LLM responses
- Agents respond instantly with higher quality answers
- Managed infrastructure = no DevOps overhead for you
📦 Installation
No installation required! Just use npx:
npx mcp-uplink connect --url https://mcp-uplink.com/api/mcp/slack
Or install globally for faster startup:
npm install -g mcp-uplink
🚀 Quick Start
Claude Desktop Configuration
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json:
| OS | Path |
|---|---|
| Mac | ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json |
| Windows | %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json |
| Linux | ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json |
{
"mcpServers": {
"slack": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"mcp-uplink",
"connect",
"--url", "https://mcp-uplink.com/api/mcp/slack"
],
"env": {
"MCP_API_KEY": "your-mcp-uplink-api-key",
"MCP_ENABLED_TOOLS": "send_message,list_channels",
"SLACK_BOT_TOKEN": "xoxb-your-slack-token",
"SLACK_TEAM_ID": "T0123456789"
}
}
}
}
Cursor / VS Code / Windsurf
Same configuration format - just add to your MCP settings.
⚙️ CLI Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-u, --url <url> | Required. MCP Uplink endpoint URL |
-k, --api-key <key> | Platform API key (or set MCP_API_KEY env var) |
--enabled-tools <list> | Comma-separated list of tools to enable |
--no-forward-env | Disable environment variable forwarding |
--env-prefix <prefix> | Only forward env vars with this prefix |
Environment Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
MCP_API_KEY | Your MCP Uplink API key |
MCP_ENABLED_TOOLS | Tools to enable (e.g., send_message,list_users) |
MCP_SERVER_URL | Default server URL |
MCP_ENV_PREFIX | Prefix filter for env vars |
🔒 Security Architecture
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ YOUR MACHINE (Secure) │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ .env file │ │
│ │ SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-xxx (never leaves here) │ │
│ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ▼ │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ mcp-uplink CLI (local process) │ │
│ │ - Captures env vars in-memory │ │
│ │ - Encrypts via HTTPS header (X-Mcp-Env) │ │
│ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼ HTTPS (encrypted)
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MCP UPLINK CLOUD │
│ - Receives request │
│ - Decrypts env vars IN-MEMORY ONLY │
│ - Executes MCP tool │
│ - Immediately forgets credentials (no storage) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Key Security Features:
- ✅ Ephemeral Secrets: Never stored, only used in-memory
- ✅ HTTPS Transport: All data encrypted in transit
- ✅ Blacklist Filtering: System vars (PATH, SHELL) are never forwarded
- ✅ Tool Blocking: Prevent dangerous operations
📊 How It Works
sequenceDiagram
participant Claude as Claude Desktop
participant Bridge as mcp-uplink (local)
participant Cloud as MCP Uplink Cloud
participant MCP as MCP Server
Claude->>Bridge: tools/list
Bridge->>Cloud: POST /api/mcp/slack (+ X-Mcp-Env header)
Cloud->>MCP: Execute with filtered tools
MCP-->>Cloud: Tool definitions
Cloud-->>Bridge: Filtered response
Bridge-->>Claude: Only enabled tools
🔗 Links
- Website: https://mcp-uplink.com
- Cost Calculator: https://mcp-uplink.com/mcp-calculator
- MCP Marketplace: https://mcp-uplink.com/marketplace
- Documentation: https://mcp-uplink.com/docs
- GitHub: https://github.com/idbouche/mcp-uplink
📄 License
MIT © MCP Uplink