How to add Cyclops MCP to Claude Desktop

Let AI agents safely create and update Kubernetes applications via Cyclops Modules and templates. Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 14, 2026 · 30★ · stdio · no auth

Claude Desktop config for Cyclops MCP

GOBIN="$HOME/go/bin" go install github.com/cyclops-ui/mcp-cyclops/cmd/mcp-cyclops@latest

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cyclops-mcp": {
      "command": "mcp-cyclops",
      "args": [],
      "env": {
        "KUBECONFIG": "/path/to/your/kubeconfig"
      }
    }
  }
}

Setup steps

1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
2Paste the Cyclops MCP config below under the top-level "mcpServers" key.
3Fill in any placeholder secrets (API keys, paths) in the snippet.
4Save the file, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.
5Open a chat and confirm Cyclops MCP's tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.

Before you start

A Kubernetes cluster with Cyclops and its CRDs installed
Cyclops v0.20.1 or greater (for UI-based MCP install)
A kubeconfig (defaults to in-cluster config or $HOME/.kube/config) for the stdio binary
Go toolchain (to install the mcp-cyclops binary via 'go install')

What Cyclops MCP can do in Claude Desktop

create_module

Create a new Module. Call get_template_schema first to validate values for the given template.

get_module

Fetch a Module by name.

list_modules

List all Cyclops Modules.

update_module

Update a Module by name. Call get_template_schema first to validate values for the given template.

get_template_schema

Return the JSON schema for the given template. Must be checked before calling create_module.

get_template_store

Fetch a Template Store by name.

list_template_store

List Template Stores from the cluster.

Security

By default the server uses your local .kube/config (or in-cluster config) to connect to your Kubernetes cluster, so it operates with whatever permissions that kubeconfig/context grants. It can create and update workloads in your cluster — scope the credentials and target namespaces appropriately. The SSE deployment exposes the server on a cluster service (port 8000) with no built-in authentication, so restrict network access when exposing it.

Cyclops MCP + Claude Desktop FAQ

Where is the Claude Desktop config file?

Claude Desktop reads MCP servers from ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Paste the Cyclops MCP config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is Cyclops MCP safe to use with Claude Desktop?

How do I install it?

The recommended way is through the Cyclops UI under Addon > MCP server (requires Cyclops v0.20.1+). You can also install a local stdio binary with 'go install github.com/cyclops-ui/mcp-cyclops/cmd/mcp-cyclops@latest', or deploy it into your cluster with SSE transport via the provided install/mcp-server.yaml manifest.

What transports are supported?

The local binary runs over stdio using your kubeconfig. When installed into a cluster (via the UI or manifest), it runs with SSE transport and is reachable at an http URL such as http://localhost:8000/sse after port-forwarding the cyclops-mcp service.

How does it connect to my cluster?

By default it uses the in-cluster config or your $HOME/.kube/config. You can override this with the KUBECONFIG environment variable and choose a context with CYCLOPS_KUBE_CONTEXT. Namespaces for modules and Helm releases are configurable via CYCLOPS_MODULE_NAMESPACE, CYCLOPS_HELM_RELEASE_NAMESPACE, and CYCLOPS_MODULE_TARGET_NAMESPACE.

View repo Full Cyclops MCP page