Curl

You run a dedicated MCP server that lets you perform secure curl operations through an MCP client. It supports GET and POST requests, custom curl commands with safeguards, file downloads, and configurable timeouts, all while preventing unsafe actions.

How to use

You can interact with this MCP server from an MCP client to perform common web actions and file operations. Use curl_get for simple or header-enriched GET requests, curl_post for sending data with a chosen content type, curl_custom for full curl command control within safety limits, and curl_download to fetch files and retrieve metadata. Each operation is designed to respect output size limits and timeouts to keep your system responsive.

Practical usage patterns you can follow: fit your needs with GET or POST requests, attach headers (such as Authorization tokens), and optionally set timeouts up to the defined maximum. When you need to perform a specialized request or a multi-flag operation, curl_custom lets you pass a full array of curl arguments while enforced safety restrictions apply. To download a file, use curl_download and optionally specify an output path for the downloaded content.

For production integration, configure your MCP client to reference the available servers and their commands. The server is designed to limit the risk of dangerous operations by filtering arguments, imposing output limits, and enforcing timeouts so you can automate tasks with confidence.

How to install

Prerequisites you need before installing: Node.js 18 or newer, a working curl executable in your PATH, and the TypeScript compiler.

# Create project directory
mkdir curl-mcp-server
cd curl-mcp-server

# Install MCP SDK and development tools
npm install @modelcontextprotocol/sdk
npm install -D typescript @types/node tsx

# Set up source structure
mkdir src
# Add your server code to src/index.ts (implementation not shown here)

# Build the project
npm run build

Integration notes and running the server

To run in development mode, use the project’s development flow and then start the built server for production. The recommended production start uses the compiled JavaScript entry to serve requests.

# Development mode
npm run dev

# Production build and start
npm run build
npm start

Claude Desktop integration

Configure Claude Desktop to access this MCP server by adding a stdio-based MCP entry that launches the local build of the server.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "curl": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/curl-mcp-server/build/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Available tools

curl_get

Executes HTTP GET requests with optional headers and configurable timeout, following redirects by default.

curl_post

Sends HTTP POST requests with data and a specified content type, plus optional headers and timeout.

curl_custom

Runs a fully custom curl command with an array of arguments under safety restrictions.

curl_download

Downloads a file from a URL and provides optional output path and metadata.