The shadcn MCP server works out of the box with any shadcn-compatible registry. You do not need to do anything special to enable MCP support for your registry.

Prerequisites#

The MCP server works by requesting your registry index. Make sure you have a registry item file at the root of your registry named registry.

For example, if your registry is hosted at https://acme.com/r/[name].json, you should have a file at https://acme.com/r/registry.json or https://acme.com/r/registry if you're using a JSON file extension.

This file must be a valid JSON file that conforms to the registry schema.

Configuring MCP#

Ask your registry consumers to configure your registry in their components.json file and install the shadcn MCP server:

Copy{
  "registries": {
    "@acme": "https://acme.com/r/{name}.json"
  }
}

pnpmnpmyarnbun
pnpm dlx shadcn@latest mcp init --client claude
Copy

You can read more about the MCP server in the MCP documentation.

Best Practices#

Here are some best practices for MCP-compatible registries:

1. Clear Descriptions: Add concise, informative descriptions that help AI assistants understand what a registry item is for and how to use it.
2. Proper Dependencies: List all dependencies accurately so MCP can install them automatically.
3. Registry Dependencies: Use registryDependencies to indicate relationships between items.
4. Consistent Naming: Use kebab-case for component names and maintain consistency across your registry.