MCP TypeScript Template

A TypeScript template for building remote Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers with modern tooling and best practices while leveraging the MCP TypeScript SDK.

Features

This template provides:

TypeScript - Full TypeScript support with strict configuration
Vite - Fast build system with ES modules output
Express - Fast, unopinionated web framework for HTTP server
ESLint + Prettier - Code quality and formatting
Docker - Containerization support
Example Tool - Simple echo tool to demonstrate MCP tool implementation

Getting Started

The easiest way to get started is using degit:

Create a new project from this template

npx degit nickytonline/mcp-typescript-template my-mcp-server
cd my-mcp-server

Install dependencies
```
npm install
```
Build the project
```
npm run build
```
Start the server
```
npm start
```

The server will be available at http://localhost:3000 for MCP connections.

Alternative: Using GitHub Template

You can also click the "Use this template" button on GitHub to create a new repository, then clone it:

git clone <your-repo-url>
cd my-mcp-server
npm install

Development

Watch mode for development (with hot reloading)

npm run dev

Build the project

npm run build

Linting

Lint the project

npm run lint

Fix all auto-fixable lint errors

npm run lint:fix

Formatting

Format files in the project

npm run format

Check formatting

npm run format:check

Testing Your MCP Server

You can test your MCP server using the MCP Inspector:

npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector

This will launch a web interface that allows you to:

Connect to your MCP server
Test your tools interactively
View request/response messages
Debug your MCP implementation

Make sure your server is running (using npm start or npm run dev) before connecting with the inspector.

Available Tools

The template includes one example tool:

echo

Echoes back the provided message - a simple example to demonstrate MCP tool implementation.

Parameters:

message (string) - The message to echo back

Customizing Your MCP Server

Update package.json - Change name, description, and keywords
Modify src/index.ts - Replace the echo tool with your custom tools
Add your logic - Create additional TypeScript files for your business logic
Update README - Document your specific MCP server functionality

Docker

Build and run using Docker:

Build the Docker image

docker build -t my-mcp-server .

Run the container

docker run -p 3000:3000 my-mcp-server

Docker Compose

# docker-compose.yml
version: "3.8"
services:
  mcp-server:
    build: .
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      - PORT=3000

docker-compose up --build

Project Structure

mcp-typescript-template/
├── src/
│   └── index.ts          # Main MCP server entry point
├── dist/                 # Built output (generated)
├── .eslintrc.js         # ESLint configuration
├── .prettierrc          # Prettier configuration
├── tsconfig.json        # TypeScript configuration
├── vite.config.ts       # Vite build configuration
├── Dockerfile           # Docker configuration
└── package.json         # Dependencies and scripts

Architecture

This template follows a simple architecture:

HTTP Transport - Uses Express with StreamableHTTPServerTransport for remote MCP connections
Tool Registration - Tools are registered with JSON schemas for input validation
Error Handling - Proper MCP-formatted error responses
Session Management - Handles MCP session initialization and management

Example: Adding a New Tool

import { createTextResult } from "./lib/utils.js";

server.registerTool(
  "my_tool",
  {
    title: "My Custom Tool",
    description: "Description of what this tool does",
    inputSchema: {
      param1: z.string().describe("Description of param1"),
      param2: z.number().optional().describe("Optional parameter"),
    },
  },
  async (args) => {
    // Your tool logic here
    const result = await myCustomLogic(args.param1, args.param2);

    return createTextResult(result);
  },
);

Why Express?

This template uses Express for the HTTP server, which provides:

MCP SDK Compatibility - Full compatibility with the MCP TypeScript SDK's StreamableHTTPServerTransport
Mature & Stable - Battle-tested HTTP server with extensive ecosystem
TypeScript Support - Excellent TypeScript support with comprehensive type definitions
Middleware Ecosystem - Rich ecosystem of middleware for common tasks
Documentation - Comprehensive documentation and community support
Reliability - Proven reliability for production applications

Repository Guidelines

Contributors should review AGENTS.md for project structure, coding standards, and pull request expectations before opening changes.