Kernel MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides AI assistants with secure access to Kernel platform tools and browser automation capabilities.

🌐 Use instantly at https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp — no installation required!

What is this?

The Kernel MCP Server bridges AI assistants (like Claude, Cursor, or other MCP-compatible tools) with the Kernel platform, enabling them to:

• 🚀 Deploy and manage applications in the cloud
• 🌐 Launch and control headless Chromium sessions for web automation
• 📊 Monitor deployments and track invocations
• 🔍 Search Kernel documentation and inject context
• 💻 Evaluate JavaScript and stream DOM snapshots

Open-source & fully-managed — the complete codebase is available here, and we run the production instance so you don't need to deploy anything.

The server uses OAuth 2.0 authentication via Clerk to ensure secure access to your Kernel resources.

📋 Prerequisites

• Kernel Account: Sign up at onkernel.com

🚀 Quick Start

The easiest way to get started is using our hosted service at https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp. No installation or deployment required!

Claude

Team & Enterprise (Claude.ai)

1. Navigate to Settings in the sidebar (web or desktop).
2. Scroll to Integrations and click Add more.
3. Fill in:
   • Integration name: Kernel
   • Integration URL: https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp
4. Start a chat, enable Tools, and finish auth.

Free & Pro (Claude desktop)

Open ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and add:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kernel": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Restart the Claude desktop app.

Claude Code CLI

claude mcp add --transport http kernel https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp
# then, inside the REPL:
/mcp   # to run through auth

Cursor

Add to Cursor

Manual Setup

1. Press ⌘/Ctrl Shift J to open settings.
2. Click Tools & Integrations.
3. Click New MCP server.
4. Add the following configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kernel": {
      "url": "https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

5. Save and the server will be available.

Goose

Add to Goose

Goose Desktop

1. Click ... in the top right corner of the Goose Desktop.
2. Select Advanced Settings from the menu.
3. Under Extensions, click Add custom extension.
4. On the Add custom extension modal, enter:
   • Type: Streaming HTTP
   • ID: kernel
   • Name: Kernel
   • Description: Access Kernel's cloud-based browsers via MCP
   • URL: https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp
   • Timeout: 300
5. Click Add button.

Goose CLI

1. Run the following command:

   goose configure

2. Select Add Extension from the menu.
3. Choose Remote Extension (Streaming HTTP).
4. Follow the prompts:
   • Extension name: Kernel
   • URL: https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp
   • Timeout: 300

Visual Studio Code

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kernel": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

1. Press ⌘/Ctrl P → search MCP: Add Server.
2. Select Command (stdio).
3. Enter:

   npx -y mcp-remote https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp

4. Name the server Kernel and press Enter.
5. Activate via MCP: List Servers → Kernel → Start Server.

Windsurf

1. Press ⌘/Ctrl , to open settings.
2. Navigate Cascade → MCP servers → Add custom server.
3. Paste:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kernel": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Zed

Open settings.json and add:

{
  "context_servers": {
    "kernel": {
      "command": {
        "path": "npx",
        "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp"],
        "env": {}
      },
      "settings": {}
    }
  }
}

Others

Many other MCP-capable tools accept:

• Command: npx
• Arguments: -y mcp-remote https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp
• Environment: (none)

Configure these values wherever the tool expects MCP server settings.

🛠️ Available MCP Tools

The server provides these tools for AI assistants:

Application Management

• list_apps - List applications in your Kernel workspace
• invoke_action - Execute actions in Kernel applications
• get_deployment - Get deployment status and logs
• list_deployments - List all deployments
• get_invocation - Get action invocation details

Browser Automation

• create_browser - Launch a new browser session
• get_browser - Get browser session information
• delete_browser - Terminate a browser session
• list_browsers - List active browser sessions

Documentation & Search

• search_docs - Search Kernel platform documentation and guides

📚 Usage Examples

Basic App Management

Human: List my Kernel applications
Assistant: I'll check your Kernel applications for you.
[Uses list_apps tool]

Browser Automation

Human: Create a browser session and navigate to example.com
Assistant: I'll create a browser session for you and navigate to example.com.
[Uses create_browser and browser automation tools]

Deployment Monitoring

Human: Check the status of my latest deployment
Assistant: Let me check your recent deployments and their status.
[Uses list_deployments and get_deployment tools]

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Is the server open source? Yes — the code lives at github.com/onkernel/kernel-mcp-server. You're welcome to browse the code and contribute. We provide a hosted instance at https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp for convenience.

Does Kernel store my data? Only encrypted refresh tokens and minimal metadata required for auth; browser state lives in your Kernel workspace and never leaves your tenancy.

What scopes are requested? browser.session, dom.read, and js.eval by default. You can narrow scopes in your client during OAuth.

What if the handshake fails? Restart your MCP client or disable/re-enable the Kernel server before opening a support ticket. Most connection issues resolve with a simple restart.

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our contributing guidelines:

1. Fork the repository and create your feature branch
2. Make your changes and add tests if applicable
3. Run the linter and formatter:

   npm run lint
   npm run format

4. Test your changes thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request with a clear description

Development Guidelines

• Follow the existing code style and formatting
• Add TypeScript types for new functions and components
• Update documentation for any API changes
• Ensure all tests pass before submitting

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🔗 Related Projects

• Model Context Protocol - The protocol specification
• Kernel Platform - The platform this server integrates with
• Clerk - Authentication provider
• @onkernel/sdk - Kernel JavaScript SDK

💬 Support

• Issues & Bugs: GitHub Issues
• MCP Feedback: github.com/kernelxyz/mcp-feedback
• Documentation: Kernel Docs • MCP Setup Guide
• Community: Kernel Discord

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Built with ❤️ by the Kernel Team