shadcn MCP Server for Claude Code and Cursor

Q: Does the shadcn MCP server work with third-party registries?

Yes. It reads the registries field in components.json, including private registries with auth headers.

shadcn/ui ships an official MCP server inside its CLI. Run npx shadcn@latest mcp init --client claude for Claude Code or --client cursor for Cursor, and your agent can browse, search, and install components from the registries in your components.json.

Set it up

The server runs locally through the CLI (npx shadcn@latest mcp), so there is no URL or API key. Restart your editor after running the command.

Editor	Command	Writes
Claude Code	`npx shadcn@latest mcp init --client claude`	`.mcp.json`
Cursor	`npx shadcn@latest mcp init --client cursor`	`.cursor/mcp.json`
VS Code	`npx shadcn@latest mcp init --client vscode`	`.vscode/mcp.json`

Give it more components to work with

The shadcn MCP server searches whatever registries your project has configured. Add Watermelon to components.json so your agent can find its blocks, dashboards, and animated components too:

"registries": { "@watermelon": "https://registry.watermelon.sh/r/{name}.json" }

Then ask your agent for something like "add a pricing section from @watermelon". More on this in the shadcn registry guide.

shadcn MCP vs Watermelon MCP

They work well together: use Watermelon MCP to find the right block, and the shadcn MCP server or CLI to install it.

	shadcn MCP	Watermelon MCP
Runs	Locally, through the shadcn CLI	Hosted at `https://mcp.watermelon.sh/mcp`
Catalog	Registries in your components.json	The full Watermelon catalog, no setup
Good at	Installing from any registry you configure	Searching and comparing options, composing multi-section pages
Cost	Free	Free, no API key

Add Watermelon MCP to Claude Code or Cursor

Full details are in the React component MCP server guide.

Claude Code: claude mcp add --transport http watermelon https://mcp.watermelon.sh/mcp (add --scope project to share it through .mcp.json).
Cursor: add "watermelon": { "url": "https://mcp.watermelon.sh/mcp" } under mcpServers in .cursor/mcp.json.

Frequently asked questions

Is the shadcn MCP server free?

Yes. It is part of the MIT licensed shadcn CLI and runs on your machine.

Does the shadcn MCP server work with third-party registries?

Yes. It reads the registries field in components.json, including private registries with auth headers.