To use Docker Desktop’s MCP server tools, enable the beta Docker MCP Toolkit, add servers to a profile, and connect an AI client to that profile. The Toolkit’s Gateway routes client requests to the selected servers. The documented interface and CLI workflow require Docker Desktop 4.62 or later; the feature is marked beta, so labels and supported clients may change.
What Docker Desktop’s MCP Toolkit does
Docker’s current name for this feature is the Docker MCP Toolkit. It is a management interface integrated into Docker Desktop for setting up MCP servers in profiles and connecting those servers to AI applications. It is not one MCP server that provides every tool: you choose the servers you want, and the Gateway makes the selected profile’s tools available to a client.
- MCP client: The AI application that requests information or actions, such as a supported coding assistant.
- MCP server: Software that exposes tools or other MCP capabilities. Catalog entries can run locally in containers or be remote services.
- Profile: A named collection of configured servers. It determines which server set is available through the Gateway.
- Gateway: The intermediary that routes requests from a client to the appropriate server and starts a local server container when needed.
This setup is useful when you want to give an AI application access to selected MCP tools without configuring each server connection independently in the client. A profile also lets you group servers around a project or workflow rather than exposing every configured server to every client.
Before you start
- Install or update Docker Desktop to version 4.62 or later for the documented Toolkit interface and commands.
- Confirm that the MCP Toolkit beta feature is available in your installed release.
- Choose an AI client supported by the current Docker Desktop client list, or check that your unlisted client can launch a command over stdio.
- Have the credentials required by the specific servers you plan to add. Authentication is server-specific; do not assume every server uses OAuth.
Docker’s documentation marks the Toolkit as beta. Its client integrations, catalog, commands and UI can change, so use the labels and supported-client list shown by your installed release if they differ from the steps below.
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Set it up in Docker Desktop
- Enable the Toolkit. Open Docker Desktop, go to Settings > Beta features, turn on Docker MCP Toolkit, and select Apply.
- Create or select a profile. Open MCP Toolkit > Profiles. Create a profile for your project, or use the existing
defaultprofile. Profiles organize the server collections that clients can access through the Gateway. - Add servers. Open Catalog, choose the servers you need, and add each to the intended profile. If an entry shows Configuration Required, open its configuration and supply the required values before trying to use it.
- Connect your client. Go to Clients, find your AI application, and select Connect. Follow any client-specific instructions that Docker Desktop displays.
- Verify both parts of the connection. Use the client’s instructions to confirm it can reach the Gateway, then invoke a tool from a server in the profile. A connected client alone does not establish that a particular server is configured, running, or exposing the tool you expect.
Docker’s setup guide gives examples of checking a connection with claude mcp list or invoking a tool in a test prompt. Treat those as examples rather than universal commands: verification depends on the client you connected.
Choose local or remote catalog servers
The Catalog includes different execution models, and the distinction affects privacy, availability and setup:
| Type | Where it runs | Practical consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Local server | In a Docker container on your machine | Docker says local catalog servers work offline after download. They still need any external service or credentials required by that particular server. |
| Remote service | On the provider’s infrastructure | It depends on the provider’s service and network availability; some remote services may use OAuth. |
Docker says it builds and signs local catalog servers. That statement describes Docker’s local catalog entries; it should not be treated as a guarantee about every third-party server or service you configure. Review the selected server’s permissions, external connections and configuration before enabling it.
Configure authentication and access carefully
Some servers need authorization to reach services such as GitHub, Notion or Linear. For servers that support the documented browser OAuth flow, add the server, open its configuration, select OAuth, complete authorization in the browser, and return to Docker Desktop. Authorized services appear under the OAuth tab, where you can revoke access.
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Other servers can require different credentials. For example, Docker’s Docker Hub MCP Server instructions use a username and personal access token. Follow the configuration instructions for the specific server you add; OAuth is not a universal Toolkit setting.
Docker documents Toolkit container controls of 1 CPU and 2 GB memory for MCP tools, no host filesystem access by default, and explicit selection for mounts. It also documents blocking requests to or from tools that contain sensitive information such as secrets. These controls are useful boundaries, not a replacement for reviewing the server itself: a server may still access an external service, use credentials you provide, or receive files from mounts you explicitly select.
Use the CLI to create a profile and add servers
The documented docker mcp commands are available with Docker Desktop 4.62 and later. Replace the example placeholders with a profile ID and the catalog reference and server ID for the entry you selected. Run each command in a terminal where the Docker CLI is available.
- Create a profile:
docker mcp profile create --name my-project - Add a catalog server to it:
docker mcp profile server add my-project --server catalog://<catalog-ref>/<server-id> - List the servers currently in the profile:
docker mcp profile server ls - Run the Gateway for that profile:
docker mcp gateway run --profile my-project
Use the actual catalog reference and server ID for your chosen server; the angle-bracketed text above is a placeholder, not a literal server address. If you omit --profile from the documented Gateway command, Docker uses the default profile.
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Connect an unlisted client over stdio
If your client is not listed in Docker Desktop, it may still work if it can start a local command as an MCP server over stdio. Configure that client to launch docker with the arguments mcp gateway run --profile my-project. The precise JSON keys and configuration-file location vary by client; use that application’s required schema rather than copying a generic JSON structure into it unchanged.
For example, a client configuration that accepts a command and argument list needs to express these values:
- Command:
docker - Arguments:
mcp,gateway,run,--profile,my-project
Some clients support a project-specific configuration, while others require a user-level or system-wide configuration. Follow the client’s own instructions to choose scope and validate its JSON. After saving, restart or reload the client if its integration requires it, then check that the Gateway and the intended server tools appear.
Connect a named supported client with the CLI
For client names supported by your installed release, the CLI reference documents this form:
docker mcp client connect <client> --profile my-project
Substitute the client name accepted by the installed Docker Desktop version. The supported names and flags can change, so check the command reference for that release if the command rejects a client name or option. The --global flag changes system-wide client configuration rather than configuration for the current repository setup. Use it only when that broader scope is what you want.
UI setup versus CLI setup
| Consideration | Docker Desktop UI | CLI or manual configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Initial setup and interactive selection of profiles, catalog entries and listed clients | Repeatable commands, scripting, or connecting a client not listed in Docker Desktop |
| Client support | Connect from the Clients view when the application is listed | Use the documented named-client command or configure a client that can launch the Gateway over stdio |
| Configuration scope | Managed through Docker Desktop’s interface | Client-specific; --global applies system-wide rather than to the current repository setup |
| Version dependency | Documented interface targets Docker Desktop 4.62 and later | Documented commands target Docker Desktop 4.62 and later |
Troubleshoot common connection problems
- The MCP Toolkit setting is missing. Check that Docker Desktop is updated to 4.62 or later and inspect Settings > Beta features. The feature is documented as beta, and earlier releases have a different interface.
- The client connects but no tools appear. Confirm that the intended servers were added to the profile used by that client. Then list the profile’s servers with
docker mcp profile server lsand verify the selected server’s configuration. - The server is present but a tool call fails. Check for a Configuration Required badge or missing credentials. Verify the server-specific authorization flow and that the requested service is reachable.
- OAuth authorization does not complete. Reopen that server’s configuration and follow its OAuth flow, including returning to Docker Desktop after browser authorization. If it does not offer OAuth, consult its instructions for the required credential type.
- A CLI command or flag is rejected. Confirm the Docker Desktop version and compare the command and accepted options with the CLI reference for that installed release. Ensure placeholders such as
<server-id>have been replaced with real catalog values. - An unlisted client cannot start the Gateway. Check that the client supports an MCP server launched over stdio, that its configuration uses the client’s exact command/argument schema, and that the selected profile ID exists. Review the client’s own startup logs for JSON or executable-path errors.
- A local server cannot access a file. Host filesystem access is not enabled by default. Review whether the server needs a mount and select only the specific paths required.
Or skip the browser setup
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp
See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. Cookie banners and consent overlays, newsletter popups and chat widgets are removed before capture; each step can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits are not billed, and responses identify the page verdict and billing status in headers. Its MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients. The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. ScreenshotNeo is an alternative to try first when your MCP use case is web-page capture rather than Docker server management.
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Keep the profile and its permissions intentional
Profiles are the practical boundary for deciding which server set a connected client can reach. Keep unrelated or higher-risk servers out of a profile used by a client that does not need them. Before enabling a server, inspect what service it contacts, which credentials it receives, and whether any explicit filesystem mount is necessary. Revisit the profile when a project changes, rather than treating an old server selection as permanently appropriate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Docker Desktop MCP Toolkit use a server that is not in its catalog?
The documented catalog workflow covers catalog entries. The supplied Docker instructions establish manual Gateway connection for an unlisted client, but do not establish a general procedure for adding arbitrary third-party servers to the catalog. Check the current Docker documentation for the installed release and the server’s own integration guidance.
Does connecting an AI client mean every server is running?
No. The Gateway routes requests and can start a local server container when needed; verify the specific server and tool you intend to use.
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