# Lobsite MCP server

Two MCP servers that put sites online: a local one for coding agents (npx lobsite mcp) and a remote one for ChatGPT and Claude. Set-up for each client.

On the web at https://lobsite.com/mcp

```sh
claude mcp add lobsite -- npx -y lobsite@latest mcp
```

The local server, added to Claude Code. Other clients are below.

Lobsite has two MCP servers that put websites online. The **local** one runs next to a coding agent and deploys a project folder: `npx lobsite mcp`. The **remote** one is for chat assistants that have no folder to deploy, such as ChatGPT and Claude.ai: `https://lobsite.com/api/mcp`. Both work without a Lobsite account; the answer always carries the link that keeps the site.

## How it works

1. **Add the server to your client**: the local one for a coding agent, the remote one for a chat assistant. Set-up for each client is below.
2. **Ask for a deploy** in plain words: "put this site online", "publish this page".
3. **The tool answers with a line for you**: the address, when a temporary site expires, and the claim link. Open the link and sign in to keep the site.

## The two servers

| Server | Runs | Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Local: `npx -y lobsite@latest mcp` | On your machine, over stdin and stdout | `deploy`, `list_sites`, `list_deploys`, `rollback`, `promote`, `whoami` |
| Remote: `https://lobsite.com/api/mcp` | On lobsite.com, over Streamable HTTP | `deploy_files` |

The local tools run the CLI's commands with `--json --yes` and take `path`, the project folder (by default, the folder the server started in), so they deploy only the files that changed and remember the site in `lobsite.toml`. The remote tool takes the files' contents in the call itself, up to 25 MB, and makes a temporary site, or updates one it made before.

Logging in and deleting sites aren't tools, on purpose: one needs a person in a browser, the other can't be undone.

## Set-up for each client

**Claude Code**

```sh
claude mcp add lobsite -- npx -y lobsite@latest mcp
```

**Cursor**, in `.cursor/mcp.json`:

```json
{ "mcpServers": { "lobsite": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "lobsite@latest", "mcp"] } } }
```

**Codex CLI**, in `~/.codex/config.toml`:

```toml
[mcp_servers.lobsite]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "lobsite@latest", "mcp"]
```

**Any other client that starts stdio servers** (Windsurf, VS Code, Gemini CLI, Goose and others): the command is `npx` with the arguments `-y lobsite@latest mcp`.

**ChatGPT and Claude.ai**: add a custom connector with the URL `https://lobsite.com/api/mcp`. In ChatGPT that's under developer mode in the settings; in Claude, under connectors. No key or sign-in is needed. Step-by-step pages: [ChatGPT](https://lobsite.com/hosting/chatgpt) and [Claude](https://lobsite.com/hosting/claude).

## What a deploy answers

The local `deploy` tool starts with the line written for the assistant to pass on, then gives the full result as JSON (the site, the deploy id, its preview URL, how many files uploaded):

```text
Tell the user: the site is live at https://quiet-fox-4821.lobsite.app. It's temporary and is removed in 6h. To keep it, open https://lobsite.com/claim/quiet-fox-4821#lob_claim_… and sign in (free).
```

The remote `deploy_files` tool answers with the live URL, how long the temporary site lasts, a "Tell the user:" line with the claim link, and how to update the same site: call the tool again with the site's name and its claim token. Text files go in as they are; images and other binary files as base64.

A failure is an error with a code that never changes, what happened, why, and the fix. See [Errors](https://lobsite.com/docs/errors).

## MCP server, CLI or curl

| | MCP server | CLI (`npx -y lobsite --yes`) | curl |
|---|---|---|---|
| For | Agents that call tools | Agents with a terminal | Sandboxes without Node |
| Rollback and deploy history | Yes, as tools (local) | Yes, as commands | No |
| Chat assistants without a filesystem | Yes (remote) | No | No |
| Only changed files upload | Yes (local) | Yes | No: the whole upload each time |
| Approval prompts in the client | Per tool | Per command | Per command |

The MCP servers don't do anything the CLI can't: pick whichever your client handles best. For agents with a terminal, [AI agents](https://lobsite.com/docs/agents) shows the command-line set-up.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Lobsite MCP server free?

Yes. Both servers are free, and deploying without an account is free for 6 hours. A free account keeps one site; the paid plan, with more sites and custom domains, is coming soon.

### Does the remote server need an API key?

No. It makes temporary sites without an account, and the answer includes the claim link that moves the site into an account. That keeps keys out of chat settings.

### Can the local server deploy into my account?

Yes. Run `npx lobsite login` once in a terminal; the server uses the same login as the CLI, and `whoami` tells the agent which account it's using.

### Which MCP transport does each server use?

The local server speaks stdio: the client starts `npx -y lobsite@latest mcp` and talks over stdin and stdout. The remote server speaks Streamable HTTP at `https://lobsite.com/api/mcp`.

### Why can't the agent delete a site?

Deleting can't be undone, so it stays with a person: `npx lobsite rm` in a terminal, or the dashboard.