Getting Started

Install and configure snippets-mcp in minutes.

Get snippets-mcp running with your AI assistant in just a few steps.

Prerequisites

  • MCP-compatible AI assistant (Claude, VS Code with GitHub Copilot, Cursor, etc.)
  • GitHub account with a Personal Access Token
  • macOS, Linux, or Windows

1. Download

Download the latest release from the Downloads page for your platform.

2. Install

Extract and move to your PATH:

# macOS / Linux
tar -xzf snippets-mcp-*.tar.gz
sudo mv snippets-mcp /usr/local/bin/

# Windows
# Extract the zip and add to your PATH

Verify installation:

snippets-mcp --version

3. Create a GitHub Token

  1. Go to GitHub Token Settings
  2. Select the gist scope
  3. Click Generate token
  4. Copy the token (starts with ghp_)

4. Store Your Token

Option A: System Keychain (recommended)

snippets-mcp --set-credential

Enter your token when prompted. It will be validated and stored securely in your system keychain.

Option B: Environment Variable

export GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_your_token_here

Add to your shell profile (~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc) to persist.

5. Configure Your AI Client

Add snippets-mcp to your AI client’s MCP configuration. See Configuration for client-specific setup.

Example for Claude Desktop:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "snippets": {
      "command": "/usr/local/bin/snippets-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Restart your AI client to load the server.

6. Verify It Works

Ask your AI assistant:

“List my snippets”

If configured correctly, your AI assistant will use the list_snippets tool to show your gists.

Next Steps