Log Reader

Log Reader Mcp exposes your application's logs to an MCP client or editor, enabling on-demand access, filtering, and analysis by AI assistants or editors. It speeds debugging, incident response, and onboarding by letting you query logs directly from your development environment without manual log hunting.

How to use

You connect a compatible MCP client (such as Cursor or another MCP-enabled editor) to the Log Reader MCP server to access your logs. Use the client to fetch logs by time range, line count, or log level, and to request summaries or findings from the AI. The server reads logs from a fixed location, filters by your specified criteria, and presents the results to your editor for review.

Practical usage patterns include retrieving the last N lines for quick error checks, pulling logs within a specific ISO time window for incident analysis, or asking the AI to summarize recent issues. You can combine filters, time ranges, and keywords in your prompts to get focused insights without manually scanning files.

How to install

Prerequisites: you need Node.js installed on your machine. Ensure you have a modern Node.js version available in your terminal or shell.

Automatic (recommended) install and setup includes creating the MCP configuration and workflow automatically within your project. Run this in your terminal:

npx log-reader-mcp init

If you prefer manual setup, install the package and create the MCP configuration file yourself.

npm install --save-dev log-reader-mcp

Then create the MCP configuration at .cursor/mcp.json with a stdio server that the editor can launch. Use the following structure to configure the server to run via npx and the log-reader-mcp package.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "log-reader-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "log-reader-mcp"]
    }
  },
  "mcp.enabled": true,
  "mcp.autoStart": true,
  "mcp.showStatusBar": true,
  "mcp.logLevel": "info"
}

MCP Configuration

The MCP configuration enables your editor to launch the log reader server and connect to it automatically. A typical setup uses a local stdio server that runs via npx and the log-reader-mcp package.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "log-reader-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "log-reader-mcp"]
    }
  },
  "mcp.enabled": true,
  "mcp.autoStart": true,
  "mcp.showStatusBar": true,
  "mcp.logLevel": "info"
}

CLI Usage

Use the MCP CLI to initialize, start, or inspect the log reader server. Common commands let you initialize the workflow, view help, or start the server in the default mode.

npx log-reader-mcp init
npx log-reader-mcp -h
npx log-reader-mcp

Log Format (JSON per line)

The log file is read as one JSON object per line. Each entry includes level, timestamp, message, and optional fields for context and metadata.

Developer Guide

Log Reader MCP is designed to be zero-config and developer-friendly. It automatically detects the log file and provides a simple interface for time-based and line-based queries. It is built to be safe, isolated, and easy to integrate with editors and AI assistants.

Key Advantages

Zero config and non-intrusive: the server does not modify your logs. Fast setup with automatic log discovery. AI-ready with structured logs that are easy to analyze. Plug-and-play with MCP editors and assistants.