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MCP client - LM Studio (Element Labs) - verified

How to add an MCP server to LM Studio

Where to add MCP servers in LM Studio: mcp.json, opened from the Program tab in the right-hand sidebar via Install > Edit mcp.json (or the Add to LM Studio deeplink button). Transports: not stated in LM Studio's docs. Its docs do not say whether it handles OAuth for remote servers.

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Kind
Desktop app
stdio
Not stated
Streamable HTTP
Not stated
SSE
Not stated

Add a server

Where the config lives
mcp.json, opened from the Program tab in the right-hand sidebar via Install > Edit mcp.json (or the Add to LM Studio deeplink button)
Source: lmstudio.ai/docs/app/mcp

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

JSON
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hf-mcp-server": {
      "url": "https://huggingface.co/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <YOUR_HF_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Source: lmstudio.ai/docs/app/mcp

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 LM Studio supports.

MCP support

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

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

Worth knowing

LM Studio acts as an MCP host from version 0.3.17, supports local and remote servers, follows Cursor's mcp.json notation, and since 0.4.0 also exposes MCP servers through its REST API.

Other desktop apps

FAQ

Where is the LM Studio MCP config?

mcp.json, opened from the Program tab in the right-hand sidebar via Install > Edit mcp.json (or the Add to LM Studio deeplink button). The example on this page is copied from https://lmstudio.ai/docs/app/mcp

Does LM Studio support remote MCP servers over Streamable HTTP?

Its docs, read on October 18, 2026, do not say. Transports: not stated in LM Studio's docs.

Does LM Studio support OAuth for MCP servers?

Its docs do not say whether it handles OAuth for remote servers.

Which MCP features does LM Studio support?

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

Sources

Last verified from the pages below.

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