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 Kernel apps 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.

🎯 First Time? Start Here!

Ready to try Kernel but don't see any apps yet? Perfect! Here's how to get started:

Step 1: Install Kernel MCP Server

Install the Kernel MCP server to your favorite MCP client using the setup instructions below.

Step 2: Ask Your AI Assistant for Help

Once connected, simply ask in your MCP client chat:

"How do I get a Kernel sample app set up locally?"

Your AI assistant will use the search_docs tool to get you the latest quickstart instructions and guide you through setting up your first Kernel app!

Step 3: Deploy & Test with MCP Tools

After you have a sample app locally, ask your assistant:

"Deploy my sample app to Kernel"

Note: Be patient and wait until all tool parameters are fully generated before running the tool call.

Then test it:

"Run my app and get the title from onkernel.com"

Why This Approach?

• ✅ Always up-to-date - Your AI assistant fetches the latest docs
• ✅ Interactive guidance - Get help customized to your setup
• ✅ Learn MCP tools - Experience the power of search_docs, deploy_app, and invoke_action
• ✅ End-to-end workflow - From local development to cloud deployment to execution

What You'll Experience

Your AI assistant will help you:

• Download and understand sample apps (search_docs)
• Deploy your local code to the cloud (deploy_app)
• Run actions and see results (invoke_action)
• Create browser sessions in the cloud (create_browser)
• Monitor deployments (list_deployments, get_deployment)

🚀 MCP Server Setup

First, add the Kernel MCP server to your favorite MCP-compatible client using https://mcp.onkernel.com/mcp. Here are setup instructions for popular clients:

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.

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

• deploy_app - Deploy TypeScript or Python apps to Kernel
• list_apps - List apps in your Kernel organization
• invoke_action - Execute actions in Kernel apps
• 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

Deploy Local Apps to the Cloud

Human: I have a Kernel Playwright automation script open in my editor. Can you deploy it to Kernel?
Assistant: I'll read your local files and deploy them to Kernel for you.
[Uses deploy_app tool to upload your code and create a cloud deployment]

Invoke Apps from Anywhere

Human: Run my web-scraper app to get data from reddit.com
Assistant: I'll execute your web-scraper action with reddit.com as the target.
[Uses invoke_action tool to run your deployed app in the cloud]

Create Persistent Browser Sessions

Human: Create a stealth browser session that I can reuse for testing login flows
Assistant: I'll create a persistent, stealth-enabled browser that maintains state between uses.
[Uses create_browser tool with persistence and stealth options]

❓ 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 organization and never leaves your tenancy.

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:

   bun run lint
   bun 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