# How to Set Up the OmniRoute MCP Server with Claude Desktop or Cursor

> Easily set up the OmniRoute MCP server for Claude Desktop or Cursor integration. Connect powerful tools via stdio transport and enhance your workflow with omniroute --mcp.

- Repository: [Diego Rodrigues de Sa e Souza/OmniRoute](https://github.com/diegosouzapw/OmniRoute)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-07-27

---

**OmniRoute exposes 104 tools through a built-in MCP server that Claude Desktop and Cursor connect to via stdio transport using the `omniroute --mcp` command.**

The OmniRoute platform ships with a native **MCP (Multi-Client Protocol) server** that acts as the bridge between AI coding assistants and the framework’s routing, caching, compression, and skill subsystems. When you set up the MCP server with Claude Desktop or Cursor, you unlock direct tool-calling capabilities for health checks, request routing, and combo management without leaving your IDE. This integration requires no additional networking configuration—just a simple executable path and flag.

## Understanding the OmniRoute MCP Server Architecture

The MCP server implementation resides in [`open-sse/mcp-server/server.ts`](https://github.com/diegosouzapw/OmniRoute/blob/main/open-sse/mcp-server/server.ts) and serves as the central registry for OmniRoute’s tool suite. It supports three transport mechanisms to accommodate different deployment scenarios.

### Core Implementation Details

In [`open-sse/mcp-server/server.ts`](https://github.com/diegosouzapw/OmniRoute/blob/main/open-sse/mcp-server/server.ts), the server initializes the MCP protocol, registers 104 distinct tools, and wires the transport layer. The implementation enforces fine-grained scopes for multi-tenant environments, ensuring that API keys and permissions are validated before executing sensitive operations like `route_request` or `list_combos`.

### Transport Options

The server supports three transports:

- **stdio** – Default for Claude Desktop and Cursor; the client spawns the OmniRoute process and communicates over standard input/output
- **SSE** – Server-Sent Events for persistent HTTP connections
- **HTTP** – Standard request/response for remote integrations

For local AI assistants like Claude Desktop and Cursor, **stdio** is the recommended transport because it requires no port configuration or network exposure.

## Prerequisites and Installation

Before configuring your AI client, ensure OmniRoute is installed globally on your system:

```bash
npm i -g omniroute

```

Verify the installation by checking the version:

```bash
omniroute --version

```

## Starting the MCP Server

Launch the MCP server in stdio mode—the transport expected by Claude Desktop and Cursor—using the `--mcp` flag:

```bash
omniroute --mcp

```

The process will log "MCP server listening on stdio" and enter a waiting state for client connections. Keep this process running; Claude Desktop or Cursor will manage its lifecycle automatically when configured correctly.

## Configuring Claude Desktop and Cursor

Both Claude Desktop and Cursor expose a "MCP client configuration" interface in their settings panels. You must point the client to the OmniRoute executable and pass the required flag.

### Claude Desktop Configuration

In Claude Desktop’s settings:

1. Navigate to the **Developer** or **Extensions** section
2. Add a new MCP server entry
3. Set the **command** to the full path of your OmniRoute binary (e.g., `/usr/local/bin/omniroute`)
4. Set the **arguments** to `--mcp`
5. Optionally specify a **scope** (such as `default` or a custom tenant scope defined in OmniRoute’s `.env` file)

### Cursor Configuration

In Cursor’s MCP settings:

1. Open **Settings** > **Features** > **MCP**
2. Add a new server with the command: `omniroute --mcp`
3. Ensure the working directory matches your OmniRoute installation path if using relative configurations

The client spawns the OmniRoute process and maintains a stdio connection. No HTTP endpoints or port mappings are required for local usage.

## How the Integration Works

When Claude Desktop or Cursor sends a tool call, the flow follows this pattern:

```

Claude Desktop / Cursor   →   stdio transport   →   OmniRoute MCP server   →   Core services

```

The MCP server in [`open-sse/mcp-server/server.ts`](https://github.com/diegosouzapw/OmniRoute/blob/main/open-sse/mcp-server/server.ts) receives the request, validates the scope, and dispatches to the appropriate handler. Common tool calls include:

- **`get_health`** – Returns the system status and cache statistics
- **`list_combos`** – Enumerates available routing combinations
- **`route_request`** – Executes the core routing logic defined in `src/app/api/v1/*`

Responses stream back through the same stdio connection, appearing natively in your AI assistant’s interface.

## Summary

- OmniRoute provides a built-in MCP server in [`open-sse/mcp-server/server.ts`](https://github.com/diegosouzapw/OmniRoute/blob/main/open-sse/mcp-server/server.ts) that exposes 104 tools over stdio, SSE, or HTTP transports.
- Start the server with `omniroute --mcp` to enable stdio communication for Claude Desktop and Cursor.
- Configure your AI client to execute the OmniRoute binary with the `--mcp` flag; no network ports or additional middleware are required.
- The integration supports scoped, multi-tenant access and provides direct access to routing, caching, and health monitoring tools.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What transports does the OmniRoute MCP server support?

OmniRoute supports three transports: **stdio** (for local IDE integration with Claude Desktop and Cursor), **SSE** (Server-Sent Events for persistent connections), and **HTTP** (for remote API-style access). According to the source code in [`open-sse/mcp-server/server.ts`](https://github.com/diegosouzapw/OmniRoute/blob/main/open-sse/mcp-server/server.ts), all three transports are registered during server initialization, though stdio is the default and recommended method for desktop AI clients.

### Where is the MCP server implementation located in the codebase?

The core implementation lives in [`open-sse/mcp-server/server.ts`](https://github.com/diegosouzapw/OmniRoute/blob/main/open-sse/mcp-server/server.ts), which handles tool registration, transport wiring, and scope enforcement. Documentation for the server’s architecture and transport specifications can be found in [`docs/frameworks/MCP-SERVER.md`](https://github.com/diegosouzapw/OmniRoute/blob/main/docs/frameworks/MCP-SERVER.md), while step-by-step client configuration instructions are detailed in [`docs/guides/USER_GUIDE.md`](https://github.com/diegosouzapw/OmniRoute/blob/main/docs/guides/USER_GUIDE.md) under the "Connect Claude Desktop" section.

### How do I configure scopes for multi-tenant usage?

When starting the server with `omniroute --mcp`, you can define scopes in your OmniRoute `.env` configuration file or pass them through the client’s scope field. The server implementation validates these scopes before executing protected tools like `route_request`, ensuring isolated access for different API keys or user contexts.

### Can I run the MCP server over HTTP instead of stdio?

Yes. While stdio is the standard for Claude Desktop and Cursor, you can configure the server to listen on HTTP or SSE transports by modifying the transport configuration in [`open-sse/mcp-server/server.ts`](https://github.com/diegosouzapw/OmniRoute/blob/main/open-sse/mcp-server/server.ts) or using environment variables defined in the framework documentation. This is useful for remote deployments where the AI client connects to a hosted OmniRoute instance rather than a local process.