Adobe Express

You can run a focused MCP server that provides Adobe Express add-on development tooling, including scaffolding projects, code examples, and feature implementation guidance. This server connects with your editor and tooling to give you quick access to expert guidance and ready-to-use snippets for building Express add-ons.

How to use

Use an MCP client or editor integration to connect to the Adobe Express MCP Server. You can browse and invoke the available developer tools to scaffold new add-ons, fetch code examples, or get implementation guidance for adding features. You can also switch between knowledge sources to tailor the guidance to GitHub-hosted samples or local documentation. When connected, you’ll see tool options that let you request scaffolds, code samples, and feature implementations, with results delivered as actionable steps and example code.

How to install

Prerequisites: ensure you have Node.js installed (LTS version recommended) and npm available on your system.

1. Install the MCP server globally using npm.

# Install globally
npm install -g community-express-dev-mcp

# Run the VS Code installation script
express-mcp-install

2. Alternatively install from GitHub and set up locally.

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/EnventDigital/community-express-dev-mcp.git
cd community-express-dev-mcp

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

# Run the VS Code installation script
npm run install-in-vscode

3. Install in a specific VS Code workspace if you prefer a workspace-scoped setup.

# If installed globally from NPM:
cd /path/to/your/project
express-mcp-workspace

# If installed from GitHub:
cd /path/to/your/project
/path/to/community-express-dev-mcp/scripts/install-to-workspace.js

Additional setup and usage notes

Development commands to build and run the server are commonly used during setup and iteration. Build the project, start in development mode, or run the production server as needed.

# Build the project
npm run build

# Start the server in development mode
npm run dev

# Start the server
npm start

# Parse documentation repositories for local mode
npm run parse-docs

Usage with Claude for Desktop

If you want to use the MCP server with Claude for Desktop, you can configure Claude to run the local MCP server and access developer tools directly from Claude.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "adobe-express": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/community-express-dev-mcp/dist/index.js"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting

If you encounter common issues, ensure you’re using the latest MCP server build, and restart your editor or Claude configuration after changes.

Common checks include validating the knowledge source mode and ensuring the local knowledge base has been parsed when using local mode.

Examples of what you can do with the MCP server

• Scaffold a new Adobe Express add-on project from templates.

• Retrieve code examples for common add-on features like image handling or API usage.

• Get implementation guidance for specific features you want to support in your add-on.

Notes on environment and setup details

The server can be run in two modes: GitHub mode, which uses a GitHub Personal Access Token to fetch documentation, and Local mode, which uses pre-parsed knowledge stored locally.

In GitHub mode, set MCP_GITHUB_PAT in your environment to authorize API access.

In Local mode, you generate a knowledge base by cloning documentation repositories and running the parser.

Available tools

scaffoldAddon

Create a new Adobe Express add-on project based on sample templates.

getCodeExamples

Retrieve code examples for common add-on features, dynamically fetched from GitHub when in GitHub mode.

implementFeature

Provide implementation guidance for adding specific features to an Express add-on.

getAssistantCapabilities

Return information about the assistant's capabilities.

setKnowledgeSource

Switch between GitHub API and local documentation modes.

queryDocumentation

Search Adobe Express SDK and Spectrum Web Components documentation.