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How to Make a Local MCP Server with TypeScript

Build a first MCP server using the official TypeScript SDK v2: set up Node.js, register a tool, run over stdio, and check it with MCP Inspector.
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An MCP server makes tools, resources, or prompts available to an MCP host. The quickest documented first build is a local TypeScript server that runs as a process over standard input and output (stdio). You need Node.js 20 or later; the steps below follow the official TypeScript SDK v2 tutorial and its weather-alert tool example.

What an MCP server does

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard connecting AI applications with systems that hold data and tools. An MCP server exposes capabilities for an MCP host to use: tools are callable actions, resources provide data, and prompts provide reusable prompt content. This tutorial builds one tool; it does not create a hosted web service. The TypeScript SDK v2 overview describes the protocol and SDK.

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Create a local MCP server with TypeScript

1. Set up the project

Install Node.js 20 or later, then create a project and add the packages used by the official tutorial:

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mkdir weather-mcp-server
cd weather-mcp-server
npm init -y
npm install @modelcontextprotocol/server zod
npm install -D tsx

In package.json, set the package type to ES modules and add a script for running the server:

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{
  "type": "module",
  "scripts": {
    "start": "tsx server.ts"
  }
}

The SDK packages are ES modules, so "type": "module" is important. The tsx runner executes TypeScript directly without a separate build step. Consult the official first-server tutorial for the current setup and package guidance.

2. Register a tool and serve over stdio

Create server.ts. The example below follows the tutorial’s structure: define an McpServer, register a tool with a Zod input schema and asynchronous handler, then pass the server factory to serveStdio. The example tool returns a sample weather alert; replace its handler with the real data source and behavior your application needs.

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import { McpServer } from "@modelcontextprotocol/server";
import { serveStdio } from "@modelcontextprotocol/server/stdio";
import { z } from "zod";

function createServer() {
  const server = new McpServer({
    name: "weather-alerts",
    version: "1.0.0",
  });

  server.registerTool(
    "get-weather-alerts",
    {
      title: "Get weather alerts",
      description: "Get active weather alerts for a US state.",
      inputSchema: {
        state: z.string().length(2).describe("Two-letter US state code"),
      },
    },
    async ({ state }) => ({
      content: [
        {
          type: "text",
          text: `No active weather alerts found for ${state}.`,
        },
      ],
    }),
  );

  return server;
}

serveStdio(createServer);

The input schema checks the tool arguments before its handler runs. The handler returns content blocks—in this case, one text block. In a real service, validate and handle upstream data and errors rather than returning a fixed example response.

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3. Keep protocol output clean

Run the server with npm start. It waits for a host or client to communicate through stdin. In this stdio arrangement, stdout is the protocol channel: diagnostic output on stdout can corrupt JSON-RPC messages. Avoid console.log for server logs; send diagnostics to stderr instead.

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How to test an MCP server

The official tutorial documents using MCP Inspector to launch and exercise the local stdio server. Follow its Inspector instructions, select the stdio transport, and provide the command and arguments that start your project—here, npx tsx server.ts from the project directory.

  1. Start MCP Inspector using the command and setup described in the official tutorial.
  2. Configure a stdio connection for the server, using npx as the command and tsx server.ts as its arguments.
  3. Connect, open the Tools view, and confirm that get-weather-alerts appears.
  4. Invoke the tool with a two-letter state code, such as CA, and inspect the returned text content.

This checks that the host can start the process, discover its tool, and send a schema-valid call. It does not establish that a real weather API, production authentication, or deployment is working.

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Should you use stdio or HTTP?

Transport Best fit What to plan for
stdio A local integration where the host launches the server process and manages its lifetime. The host must be able to start the process. Keep stdout reserved for protocol messages.
Streamable HTTP A remote server or a shared endpoint serving multiple clients. You must operate an HTTP service and choose a deployment architecture suited to your clients. The SDK overview recommends Streamable HTTP for remote servers.

The official TypeScript SDK v2 overview distinguishes local stdio integrations from remote HTTP servers and says HTTP can serve multiple clients from one endpoint. The v1 server reference describes HTTP+SSE as a backwards-compatibility option, but that is v1-specific guidance, not an instruction to apply unchanged to v2. For localhost HTTP, the v1 server reference discusses DNS rebinding protection and createMcpExpressApp(); check the selected SDK version and framework before using that guidance.

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Which SDK should you use?

Choose the official SDK that matches the language and runtime your application already supports. The TypeScript path above is a concrete Node.js tutorial, not a generic recipe to translate line by line into other languages.

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  • TypeScript: Use the official TypeScript SDK v2 first-server tutorial for the Node.js 20+ stdio example. Its documentation labels v2 as a stable line implementing the 2026-07-28 specification; SDK and package details can change, so consult the linked current tutorial when starting a project.
  • Python: The official Python SDK guide requires Python 3.10 or later and describes testing with MCP Inspector or an in-memory client.
  • Go: The official Go quick start walks through creating a server, adding features, and running it over a transport, including stdin/stdout.

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