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Deep Code CLI MCP Configuration Guide

Deep Code CLI supports MCP (Model Context Protocol), enabling AI assistants to connect with external tools and services such as GitHub, browsers, databases, and more.

Overview

Once MCP is configured, Deep Code can:

  • Operate on GitHub repositories (view issues, create PRs, search code, etc.)
  • Control browsers (screenshots, clicks, form filling, etc.)
  • Access the file system
  • Connect to databases and APIs
  • ...and any external service compatible with the MCP protocol

MCP tools are named in Deep Code using the format mcp__<service_name>__<tool_name>, for example mcp__github__search_code.

Configuring MCP Servers

Edit ~/.deepcode/settings.json and add the mcpServers field:

{
  "env": {
    "MODEL": "deepseek-v4-pro",
    "BASE_URL": "https://api.deepseek.com",
    "API_KEY": "sk-..."
  },
  "thinkingEnabled": true,
  "reasoningEffort": "max",
  "mcpServers": {
    "<service_name>": {
      "command": "<executable>",
      "args": ["<arg1>", "<arg2>"],
      "env": {
        "<env_var>": "<value>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration Fields

Field Type Required Description
command string Yes Path or command of the MCP server executable (e.g., npx, node, python). When the command is npx, Deep Code automatically prepends -y to the arguments.
args string[] No List of arguments to pass to the command
env object No Environment variables (e.g., API keys) to pass to the MCP server process

Common MCP Examples

GitHub MCP

Allows Deep Code to directly operate on GitHub repositories (search code, manage issues/PRs, read/write files, etc.):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxx"
      }
    }
  }
}

Generate a GitHub Personal Access Token at GitHub Settings > Developer settings > Personal access tokens.

Browser Control (Playwright)

Lets Deep Code control a browser for screenshots, page interactions, etc.:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@playwright/mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

File System

Enables Deep Code to read and write files within a specified directory:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/path/to/allowed/dir"]
    }
  }
}

Custom Python MCP

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "my-tool": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "my_mcp_server"],
      "env": {
        "API_KEY": "xxx"
      }
    }
  }
}

Full Configuration Example

Below is a complete ~/.deepcode/settings.json with both GitHub and Playwright MCP servers configured:

{
  "env": {
    "MODEL": "deepseek-v4-pro",
    "BASE_URL": "https://api.deepseek.com",
    "API_KEY": "sk-xxxxxxxxxxxx"
  },
  "thinkingEnabled": true,
  "reasoningEffort": "max",
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxx"
      }
    },
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@playwright/mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Using MCP

After configuration, start deepcode and use the /mcp command to manage MCP connections:

  • /mcp — View the status of configured MCP servers
  • /mcp add — Add a new MCP server
  • /mcp remove — Remove an MCP server
  • /mcp list — List all connected MCP servers and their tools

Simply use the MCP tool name in your conversation to invoke it, for example:

Help me search for issues in the deepcode-cli repository on GitHub

The AI will automatically invoke the mcp__github__search_issues tool to complete the action.

Tool Naming Convention

An MCP tool name consists of three parts: mcp__<service_name>__<tool_name>

Service Tool Name Full Invocation Name
github search_code mcp__github__search_code
github create_pull_request mcp__github__create_pull_request
playwright browser_navigate mcp__playwright__browser_navigate
playwright browser_take_screenshot mcp__playwright__browser_take_screenshot

You can view the list of tools provided by each server using /mcp list.

Troubleshooting

Startup Failure

If an MCP server fails to start, check:

  1. Whether command is installed (e.g., npx requires Node.js)
  2. Whether environment variables in env are correct (e.g., GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN)
  3. Whether the terminal running deepcode has network access

Tools Not Showing Up

  1. Verify that the mcpServers field in settings.json is correctly formatted
  2. After starting deepcode, use /mcp to check server status
  3. If the server status shows an error, debug based on the error message

Windows Users

On Windows, Deep Code CLI automatically adds shell support for .cmd commands. If your MCP command is a batch script, ensure the filename ends with .cmd.

Writing Your Own MCP Server

MCP servers follow the Model Context Protocol specification and communicate using JSON‑RPC 2.0. You can write an MCP server in any language as long as it implements the following methods:

  1. initialize — Handshake and protocol negotiation
  2. tools/list — Return the list of available tools
  3. tools/call — Execute a tool call

For more information, see the official MCP documentation.