MCP Directory

How to add Grafana Tempo MCP Server to Claude Desktop

Query distributed traces in Grafana Tempo with TraceQL (archived; Tempo now has embedded MCP). Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 15, 2026 · 90★ · stdio · no auth

Claude Desktop config for Grafana Tempo MCP Server

docker run -i --rm -e TEMPO_URL grafana/tempo-mcp-server
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "grafana-tempo-mcp-server": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-e",
        "TEMPO_URL",
        "grafana/tempo-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "TEMPO_URL": "<your-tempo-query-endpoint>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Requires Docker to be installed and running.

Setup steps

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

Before you start

  • A running Grafana Tempo instance reachable at TEMPO_URL (defaults to http://localhost:3200)
  • Go 1.21+ to build from source, or Docker / Docker Compose to run it
  • No credential required by the server itself; optional basic-auth or bearer token if your Tempo endpoint is protected
  • An MCP client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.) configured to launch the server over stdio

What Grafana Tempo MCP Server can do in Claude Desktop

tempo_query

Query Tempo for distributed traces using a TraceQL expression

Security

This repo is archived and superseded by Tempo's embedded MCP server, so prefer that for new work. Trace data can contain sensitive request attributes and IDs, so restrict the Tempo endpoint to trusted networks and add auth credentials when querying Grafana Cloud Tempo.

Grafana Tempo MCP Server + 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 Grafana Tempo MCP Server config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is Grafana Tempo MCP Server safe to use with Claude Desktop?

This repo is archived and superseded by Tempo's embedded MCP server, so prefer that for new work. Trace data can contain sensitive request attributes and IDs, so restrict the Tempo endpoint to trusted networks and add auth credentials when querying Grafana Cloud Tempo.

Is this an official Grafana project?

No. It lives under a cold-storage org and is archived; Tempo's native/embedded MCP server in the main grafana/tempo repo is the official path.

Should I still use this server?

For new setups, prefer Tempo's embedded MCP server. This standalone server still works but is no longer maintained.

Does it need authentication?

The server itself requires no auth. It connects to Tempo via TEMPO_URL and optionally supports basic-auth or a bearer token for a protected Tempo endpoint.

View repo Full Grafana Tempo MCP Server page