Connect your first MCP server

Open MCPOrbit and press Add Connection at the bottom of the sidebar, then pick a Type: STDIO for a server that runs on your own machine, HTTP or SSE for a remote one.

A local server has two fields for the command line, not one. Command takes the program on its own, and Arguments (space-separated) takes everything after it. So a README line like npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem ~/Documents goes in as npx in Command, and -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem ~/Documents in Arguments. Splitting the line is the one bit of work this form asks of you.

Arguments is split on spaces, and quotes are not honoured, so a folder with a space in its name cannot be passed here yet. Pick a path without one for your first server.

If the server needs secrets, put them in Environment Variables, which takes a JSON object: {"API_KEY": "abc123"}. Type a Name yourself; the field does not fill itself in, and the save button stays off until it has something in it.

For a remote server, choose HTTP or SSE and paste the URL instead. Press Add Connection to save.

Saving does not start the server. Select the new connection in the sidebar and press Connect; its tools load once the connection is up.