GraphQL MCP Server (graphql-mcp-server)

GraphQL MCP Server

A dynamic Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that automatically discovers and generates tools from any GraphQL API schema. Point it at any GraphQL endpoint and it instantly exposes every query and mutation as an MCP tool — zero manual configuration.

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Documentation

For full documentation, guides, and examples, visit:

https://nife.io/mcp_opensource

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Installation

pip install graphql-mcp-server

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Configuration

There are four ways to configure the server. They are applied in priority order — higher entries win:

Priority	Method	Best for
1	CLI arguments	One-off runs, testing
2	Environment variables	Docker, CI/CD, shell scripts
3	.env file	Local development
4	Defaults	Nothing required by default

Method 1 — CLI Arguments

graphql-mcp-server --endpoint https://api.example.com/graphql --token mytoken

All available flags:

--endpoint URL       GraphQL API endpoint (required if not set via env)
--token TOKEN        API access token for authentication
--mode stdio|http    Server mode (default: stdio)
--port PORT          HTTP port, only used in http mode (default: 8080)
--host HOST          HTTP host, only used in http mode (default: 0.0.0.0)
--log-level LEVEL    Logging level: DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR (default: INFO)
--env-file PATH      Path to a custom .env file
--version            Show version and exit

Method 2 — Environment Variables

export GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT=https://api.example.com/graphql
export API_ACCESS_TOKEN=your_token_here
export MCP_MODE=stdio

graphql-mcp-server

Method 3 — .env File

Create a .env file in your working directory:

GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT=https://api.example.com/graphql
API_ACCESS_TOKEN=your_token_here
MCP_MODE=stdio
LOG_LEVEL=INFO

Then just run:

graphql-mcp-server

Method 4 — Claude Desktop Config (most common for MCP use)

No .env file needed. Pass everything via the env block in claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "graphql": {
      "command": "graphql-mcp-server",
      "env": {
        "GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT": "https://api.example.com/graphql",
        "API_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_token_here",
        "MCP_MODE": "stdio",
        "ENABLE_HTTP_ENDPOINT": "false"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop injects the env block values directly into the process — this is the standard MCP pattern.

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Environment Variable Reference

Variable	Required	Default	Description
GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT	Yes	—	GraphQL API URL
API_ACCESS_TOKEN	No	—	Bearer token for auth
MCP_MODE	No	stdio	stdio or http
ENABLE_HTTP_ENDPOINT	No	true	Enable HTTP health/metrics endpoints
MCP_SERVER_PORT	No	8080	HTTP server port
MCP_SERVER_HOST	No	0.0.0.0	HTTP server host
LOG_LEVEL	No	INFO	Logging verbosity
QUERY_TIMEOUT	No	30	Request timeout in seconds
SCHEMA_CACHE_TTL	No	3600	Schema cache TTL in seconds

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Operating Modes

MCP Mode (stdio) — for Claude Desktop, Cursor, MCP clients

graphql-mcp-server --endpoint https://api.example.com/graphql --mode stdio

Communicates via stdin/stdout. No HTTP server is started. This is the default.

HTTP Mode — for Docker, Kubernetes, server deployments

graphql-mcp-server --endpoint https://api.example.com/graphql --mode http --port 8080

Starts an HTTP server with health and metrics endpoints:

• GET /health — health check
• GET /metrics — server metrics
• GET /schema — schema summary
• GET /tools — all generated tools

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Docker

docker build -t graphql-mcp-server .

docker run -p 8080:8080 \
  -e GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT=https://api.example.com/graphql \
  -e API_ACCESS_TOKEN=your_token \
  -e MCP_MODE=http \
  graphql-mcp-server

Or with Docker Compose:

cp .env.example .env   # fill in your values
docker-compose up

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Key Features

• Zero config queries — auto-introspects any GraphQL schema and generates MCP tools
• Dual mode — stdio for MCP clients, HTTP for server deployments
• Flexible config — CLI args, env vars, .env file, or Claude Desktop env block
• Production ready — Docker, Kubernetes, AWS ECS, Google Cloud Run compatible
• Self-documenting — list_available_queries, get_schema_info, get_query_signature tools built in
• Documentation — https://nife.io/mcp_opensource

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Troubleshooting

[ERROR] GraphQL endpoint not configured

Set GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT via any method above. The most common fix:

graphql-mcp-server --endpoint https://your-api.com/graphql

Port already in use

Change the port:

graphql-mcp-server --mode http --port 9090

Docker container exits immediately

Make sure you're using HTTP mode:

docker run -e MCP_MODE=http -e GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT=... graphql-mcp-server

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