MCP client - Cline - verified October 18, 2026

How to add an MCP server to Cline

Name: Cline
Author: Cline

Where to add MCP servers in Cline: CLI: ~/.cline/data/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json (override with CLINE_MCP_SETTINGS_PATH); IDE extension: MCP Servers icon > Configure tab > Configure MCP Servers; or run cline mcp. Its docs list support for stdio, Streamable HTTP and SSE. It handles OAuth sign-in for remote servers.

Cline homepage - Cline in our tools directory - Compare all MCP clients

Kind: Coding agent
stdio: Yes
Streamable HTTP: Yes
SSE: Yes

Add a server

Where the config lives: CLI: ~/.cline/data/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json (override with CLINE_MCP_SETTINGS_PATH); IDE extension: MCP Servers icon > Configure tab > Configure MCP Servers; or run cline mcp

The example from the Cline docs, copied verbatim. Swap in your server's name, command or URL.

JSON

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "local-server": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/server.js"],
      "env": {
        "API_KEY": "your_api_key"
      },
      "disabled": false,
      "autoApprove": []
    }
  }
}

Source: docs.cline.bot/mcp/mcp-overview

Which server?

Pick a server from the verified directory of official MCP servers. Each one lists its transport, auth and the setup snippets its vendor publishes, so you can match it to what Cline supports.

MCP support

What the Cline docs say it supports. Not stated means the docs do not say either way.

Cline MCP features, transports and OAuth, each with its source
Feature	Value	Source
ToolsCalls the functions a server exposes.	Yes	docs.cline.bot/mcp/mcp-overview
ResourcesReads data and files a server exposes as resources.	Not stated	Docs do not say
PromptsOffers a server's prompt templates to the user.	Not stated	Docs do not say
SamplingLets a server ask the client's model for a completion.	Not stated	Docs do not say
RootsTells a server which directories it may work in.	Not stated	Docs do not say
ElicitationLets a server ask the user for input mid-task.	Not stated	Docs do not say
DiscoveryPicks up tools, prompts or resources a server adds or removes while connected.	Not stated	Docs do not say
InstructionsUses the instructions a server sends when it connects.	Not stated	Docs do not say
stdioStarts a local server as a subprocess.	Yes	docs.cline.bot/mcp/mcp-overview
Streamable HTTPConnects to a remote server over the current HTTP transport.	Yes	docs.cline.bot/mcp/mcp-overview
SSEConnects over the older HTTP+SSE transport.	Yes	docs.cline.bot/mcp/mcp-overview
OAuthSigns in to remote servers with OAuth.	Yes	docs.cline.bot/mcp/mcp-overview

Worth knowing

Cline ships as an IDE extension and a CLI, and a remote server entry without a type field defaults to legacy SSE, so set "type": "streamableHttp" explicitly.

FAQ

Where is the Cline MCP config?

CLI: ~/.cline/data/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json (override with CLINE_MCP_SETTINGS_PATH); IDE extension: MCP Servers icon > Configure tab > Configure MCP Servers; or run cline mcp. The example on this page is copied from https://docs.cline.bot/mcp/mcp-overview

Does Cline support remote MCP servers over Streamable HTTP?

Yes, per https://docs.cline.bot/mcp/mcp-overview. Its docs list support for stdio, Streamable HTTP and SSE.

Does Cline support OAuth for MCP servers?

Yes. It handles OAuth sign-in for remote servers. Source: https://docs.cline.bot/mcp/mcp-overview

Which MCP features does Cline support?

Its docs list Tools. They do not state Resources, Prompts, Sampling, Roots, Elicitation, Discovery and Instructions.

Sources

Last verified October 18, 2026 from the pages below.

Cline Docs: MCP - docs.cline.bot

Newsletter

One email per week. New official MCP servers, the coding tools that support them and how developers wire them up.