How we pick and check servers

MCP Shelf is deliberately small: 30 servers today. A server earns a page when people actually use it and we can add something its README does not already say.

What gets on the shelf

• It is in real use: stars, weekly downloads, or a company that maintains it.
• It is maintained: recent commits and an active issue tracker.
• It does a job worth doing from a chat or an agent, not a demo.

What we check

The package. We confirm that the package name in each config is published from the project's own repository (the npm repository field or the PyPI project links). While putting the first shelf together, several popular servers turned out to be listed elsewhere with npm names that belong to unrelated authors. Those configs are corrected here, and each page says what we found.

The start-up test. For servers that need no key, our checker runs the config, sends the MCP initialize request and asks for the tool list. A pass means it started and answered. It does not mean every tool works, and it is not a security review. Servers that need an API key or local setup are marked as such instead.

The numbers. Stars, downloads and last-commit dates come from GitHub and the package registries and refresh daily.

Who writes it

MCP Shelf is run by Sophie Filer, who picks every server and writes every page by hand. Suggestions and corrections are welcome at mcpshelf@gmail.com. We do not sell placements or links.

Start with the full shelf or the checklist for vetting a server.