How do I add an MCP server to Zed?

1. Open Zed settings 2. Add the server under context_servers 3. Save and reopen the agent panel

Can Zed run a local MCP server?

Yes. It can start a local process and talk to it over stdio, so packaged servers work without any hosting.

Which parts of the protocol does Zed not support?

It does not implement resources, sampling or elicitation. A server whose value is mostly in those features will feel incomplete here.

Does Zed need restarting after adding a server?

No, it picks up the change without a restart.

When was this setup information last checked?

These details were verified on 2026-07-15. Clients change their configuration format from time to time, so check the official documentation if something does not work.

Zed

High performance editor. MCP servers are added as context servers in settings.

IDE verified 2026-07-15

How to add a server to Zed

Open Zed settings
Add the server under context_servers
Save and reopen the agent panel

Where the configuration lives

Global	~/.config/zed/settings.json

Global

~/.config/zed/settings.json

Local server configuration

{
  "context_servers": {
    "{{name}}": {
      "command": {
        "path": "{{command}}",
        "args": {{args}}
      }
    }
  }
}

Hosted server configuration

Not supported by this client.

Placeholders such as {{name}}, {{command}}, {{args}} and {{url}} are filled from each server's package or endpoint data.

Protocol support

Support is uneven across clients. A server that only exposes prompts is of no use in a client that does not implement them.

Transports
Transport	Supported
stdio	Yes
Streamable HTTP	No
SSE	No

Features
Feature	Supported
Tools	Yes
Resources	No
Prompts	Yes
Sampling	No
Roots	No
Elicitation	No
OAuth	No

Official Zed MCP documentation

Frequently asked questions

How do I add an MCP server to Zed?: 1. Open Zed settings 2. Add the server under context_servers 3. Save and reopen the agent panel
Where is the Zed MCP configuration file?: global: ~/.config/zed/settings.json.
Can Zed run a local MCP server?: Yes. It can start a local process and talk to it over stdio, so packaged servers work without any hosting.
Which parts of the protocol does Zed not support?: It does not implement resources, sampling or elicitation. A server whose value is mostly in those features will feel incomplete here.
Does Zed need restarting after adding a server?: No, it picks up the change without a restart.
When was this setup information last checked?: These details were verified on 2026-07-15. Clients change their configuration format from time to time, so check the official documentation if something does not work.

Other clients

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