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2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion .warp/references/settings-schema.json
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Expand Up @@ -1462,7 +1462,7 @@
"properties": {
"file_based_mcp_enabled": {
"default": false,
"description": "Whether third-party file-based MCP servers are automatically detected.",
"description": "Whether global file-based MCP servers from third-party agents are automatically spawned. Warp-managed global MCP servers auto-spawn regardless of this setting, and project-scoped servers must be started manually.",
"type": "boolean"
}
},
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54 changes: 45 additions & 9 deletions src/content/docs/agent-platform/capabilities/mcp.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ description: >-
custom tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
---
import { Tabs, TabItem } from '@astrojs/starlight/components';
import DemoVideo from '@components/DemoVideo.astro';

MCP servers extend Warp's [local agents](/agent-platform/local-agents/interacting-with-agents/) in a modular, flexible way by exposing custom tools or data sources through a standardized interface — essentially acting as plugins for Warp. Warp supports a variety of connection protocols, including Streamable HTTPS and SSE, along with custom headers and environment variables.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -95,21 +96,56 @@ To add a multiple MCP servers, you can click the **+ Add** button then paste in

### File-based MCP servers

Warp detects MCP server configurations managed by supported third-party agents and can automatically spawn them alongside your manually configured servers.
Compared to manually adding a server in the Warp settings, file-based servers are defined in config files that Warp detects and can spawn automatically. They offer a few additional benefits:

To enable, go to **Settings** > **Agents** > **MCP servers** and toggle **File-based MCP Servers** on.
* **Configurable directly with an agent** - Use the [bundled skill](#using-agent-add-mcp) `/agent-add-mcp` so Warp's agent can add or update an MCP server without leaving the conversation.
* **Inherited across providers and repos** - Warp reads `.warp/.mcp.json` files and also picks up config from third-party agent providers (Claude Code, Codex, and others). The same server definition follows you across tools and repos.

![File-based MCP Servers toggle](/assets/agent-platform/file-based-mcp-toggle.gif)
#### Supported providers

When enabled:
Warp reads MCP server definitions from the following providers:

* **Global/user-scoped servers** - spawned on Warp startup and available in any session.
* **Project-scoped servers** - spawned when you enter a repo containing a supported config file, and available within that project only.
| Provider | Global config | Project-scoped config | Auto-spawn |
| -------- | ------------- | --------------------- | ---------- |
| Warp | `~/.warp/.mcp.json` | `.warp/.mcp.json` at project root | On by default |
| Claude Code | `~/.claude.json` | `.mcp.json` at project root | Requires toggle |
| Codex | `~/.codex/config.toml` | `.codex/config.toml` at project root | Requires toggle |
| Other agents | `~/.agents/.mcp.json` | `.agents/.mcp.json` at project root | Requires toggle |

Supported providers:
Global Warp servers auto-spawn by default. Global servers from all other providers auto-spawn only when **Auto-spawn servers from third-party agents** is enabled. Project-scoped servers from any provider require explicit approval.

* **Claude Code** - reads user-scoped config (`~/.claude.json`) and project-scoped config (`.mcp.json` at project root). See [user scope](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/mcp#user-scope) and [project scope](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/mcp#project-scope) in the Claude Code docs.
* **Codex** - reads global config (`~/.codex/config.toml`) and project-scoped config (`.codex/config.toml` at project root). See [Codex MCP docs](https://developers.openai.com/codex/mcp/#connect-codex-to-an-mcp-server).
For provider-specific setup, see the [Claude Code MCP docs](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/mcp#user-scope) and [Codex MCP docs](https://developers.openai.com/codex/mcp/#connect-codex-to-an-mcp-server).

#### Auto-spawn behavior

Global Warp servers auto-spawn by default. Third-party agent servers require you to enable auto-spawn first.

To auto-spawn global servers from third-party agents:

1. In the Warp app, go to **Settings** > **Agents** > **MCP servers**.
2. Toggle **Auto-spawn servers from third-party agents** on.

![Toggle to auto-spawn global file-based MCP servers](/assets/agent-platform/file-based-mcp-setting.png)

Project-scoped servers from any provider must be toggled on individually from the MCP servers page. These are session-scoped — after restarting Warp, toggle them on again if you still trust the repo.

#### Using `/agent-add-mcp`

The built-in `/agent-add-mcp` skill lets Warp's agent create or update file-based MCP server definitions. Choose whether to save globally or in the current project — the skill writes the server definition to the matching file:

* **Global:** `~/.warp/.mcp.json`
* **Project-scoped:** `{repo_root}/.warp/.mcp.json`

<DemoVideo src="/assets/agent-platform/file-based-mcp-demo.mp4" label="Using the agent-add-mcp skill to create a file-based MCP server configuration" />

The demo shows how to use `/agent-add-mcp` to add an MCP server, choose where Warp saves the file-based configuration, and review the generated `.warp/.mcp.json` file before using the server.

#### Security mitigations

MCP config files can start local commands and send data to external tools. Warp adds approval gates around file-based MCP servers to reduce the risk of untrusted config changes:

* **Config edits require approval** - Warp prevents edits to MCP config files unless you explicitly approve the change. This keeps an agent or automation from silently adding a server that can run commands or access data.
* **Project-scoped servers never auto-spawn** - Warp detects project-scoped MCP config files in cloned repos, but requires you to start each server manually. This prevents a cloned repo from automatically starting an MCP server that runs arbitrary local commands.

:::note
File-based servers that require OAuth show an authentication modal on their first spawn. Credentials are saved for future spawns, the same as manually configured MCP servers.
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2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion src/content/docs/terminal/settings/all-settings.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ Settings for Warp's agents, including model behavior, permissions, knowledge, MC

**Section**: `[agents.mcp_servers]`

* `file_based_mcp_enabled` — Whether third-party file-based MCP servers are automatically detected. Type: boolean. Default: `false`.
* `file_based_mcp_enabled` — Whether global file-based MCP servers from third-party agents are automatically spawned. Warp-managed global MCP servers auto-spawn regardless of this setting, and project-scoped servers must be started manually. Type: boolean. Default: `false`.

### Profiles (permissions)

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