How to add MCP ADR Analysis Server to Claude Desktop

AI-powered architectural decision analysis and ADR management for AI coding assistants. Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 14, 2026 · 30★ · stdio · apikey

Claude Desktop config for MCP ADR Analysis Server

npm install -g mcp-adr-analysis-server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-adr-analysis-server": {
      "command": "mcp-adr-analysis-server",
      "args": [],
      "env": {
        "PROJECT_PATH": "/path/to/your/project",
        "OPENROUTER_API_KEY": "your_key_here",
        "EXECUTION_MODE": "full"
      }
    }
  }
}

Setup steps

1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
2Paste the MCP ADR Analysis Server 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 MCP ADR Analysis Server's tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.

Before you start

Node.js 20.0.0 or higher
npm 9.0.0 or higher
An MCP-compatible client (Claude Desktop, Cline, Cursor, or Windsurf)
Internet access during npm install for native tree-sitter module compilation
Optional: OpenRouter API key for full AI analysis mode (otherwise prompt-only mode)

What MCP ADR Analysis Server can do in Claude Desktop

analyze_project_ecosystem

Analyze a project's architecture, technology stack, and patterns (comprehensive analysis).

suggest_adrs

Suggest ADRs for implicit architectural decisions found in the codebase.

generate_adr_from_decision

Generate an ADR file from a structured architectural decision.

generate_adrs_from_prd

Generate ADRs from a PRD/requirements document into an output directory.

find_related_code

Smart Code Linking: discover code files related to an ADR using AI keyword extraction and ripgrep search.

perform_research

Perform web research for architectural analysis using external sources (requires Firecrawl).

sync_to_aggregator

Push local ADRs to the ADR Aggregator platform (requires ADR Aggregator API key).

get_adr_context

Pull ADR context from the ADR Aggregator platform.

Security

Requires an OpenRouter API key (OPENROUTER_API_KEY) for full AI analysis mode; without it the server runs in prompt-only mode with no key required. Optional FIRECRAWL_API_KEY enables web research and optional ADR_AGGREGATOR_API_KEY enables cross-team ADR sync. Includes automatic secret detection and content masking; processing is local by default.

MCP ADR Analysis 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 MCP ADR Analysis Server config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is MCP ADR Analysis Server safe to use with Claude Desktop?

Do I need an API key to use it?

No. The server defaults to prompt-only mode (EXECUTION_MODE=prompt-only), which works without a key and returns prompts plus local file operations and ADR discovery. Set OPENROUTER_API_KEY and EXECUTION_MODE=full to get actual AI analysis results with confidence scoring.

How many tools does it expose?

73 MCP tools for architectural analysis in full mode. Some advanced features (Smart Code Linking, Knowledge Graph, web research) require full mode with an API key.

Is Firecrawl or ADR Aggregator required?

No, both are optional. Firecrawl (FIRECRAWL_API_KEY) adds web research; ADR Aggregator (ADR_AGGREGATOR_API_KEY) adds cross-team ADR sync and governance. All core analysis features work without them.

View repo Full MCP ADR Analysis Server page