Sovr MCP Proxy

You are using sovr-mcp-proxy to transparently gate and audit agent-to-tool calls as they flow from an AI agent to downstream MCP servers. This proxy extends the MCP server experience by intercepting, evaluating, and recording every call against defined policies, ensuring you control actions, maintain an audit trail, and prevent unsafe operations while keeping integrations smooth.

How to use

Set up sovr-mcp-proxy to act as the gatekeeper between your AI agents and downstream MCP servers. You spawn the proxy, configure downstream MCP servers, and rely on the built-in gate-check layer to permit, deny, or escalate tool calls based on policy. Ensure HTTPS everywhere except local traffic, and choose a degradation mode that fits your operations.

How to install

Prerequisites: you need Node.js and npm installed on your system.

npm --version
node --version

Install the proxy globally so you can run it from anywhere.

npm install -g sovr-mcp-proxy

Configure the proxy to run with your downstream MCP servers and your API key. Create a Claude Desktop configuration that points to the proxy and its downstream servers.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sovr-proxy": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["sovr-mcp-proxy"],
      "env": {
        "SOVR_API_KEY": "sovr_sk_...",
        "SOVR_PROXY_CONFIG": "/path/to/proxy.json"
      }
    }
  }
}

Additional configuration and usage notes

You can define downstream MCP servers that the proxy will spawn, discover tools from, and forward calls to, all while applying gate-check policies.

{
  "downstream": {
    "stripe": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@stripe/agent-toolkit"],
      "env": {"STRIPE_SECRET_KEY": "sk_test_..."}
    },
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {"GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_..."}
    }
  }
}

Security and governance features

HTTPS enforcement ensures non-local connections use TLS. If the proxy cannot reach SOVR Cloud, gated operations fail closed by default, or you can opt into fail-local behavior to use local rules.

Three-state degradation provides strict, record-only, or propose-only modes to match production, emergency, or testing needs.

Anti-loop protection prevents infinite proxy chains, and a hop counter tracks proxy depth. A re-entry guard helps detect circular tool call patterns.

Logs and audit entries redact sensitive fields like passwords, tokens, keys, and cookies to protect data in transit and storage.

Built-in rules (free tier)

Rules automatically apply to dangerous or sensitive operations, such as destructive commands, DDL operations, privilege escalation, and sensitive API usage. Calls that require approval are escalated for review.

Environment variables

Configure how the proxy runs and what tools or downstream services to use with environment variables. Common options include API keys, proxy configuration paths, and mode selectors.

Tier and plan notes

Different tiers provide varying levels of tools, built-in rules, custom rules, and downstream server capacity. The Free tier operates offline with zero configuration; higher tiers unlock more features and scale.

Notes on usage patterns

Spawn all downstream MCP servers on startup, enumerate their tools, intercept agent calls, apply gate-check decisions, and forward approved calls to the appropriate downstream server.

Available tools

stripe

Interacts with the Stripe downstream tool, gated by policy before execution.

github

Interacts with the GitHub downstream tool, gated by policy before execution.