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MCP client - Zed Industries - verified

How to add an MCP server to Zed

Where to add MCP servers in Zed: Zed settings file (zed: open settings file), under context_servers; or Settings > AI > MCP Servers > Add Server. Its docs list support for stdio. They do not state Streamable HTTP and SSE. It handles OAuth sign-in for remote servers.

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Kind
Editor
stdio
Yes
Streamable HTTP
Not stated
SSE
Not stated

Add a server

Where the config lives
Zed settings file (zed: open settings file), under context_servers; or Settings > AI > MCP Servers > Add Server

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

JSON
{
  "context_servers": {
    "local-mcp-server": {
      "command": "some-command",
      "args": ["arg-1", "arg-2"],
      "env": {}
    },
    "remote-mcp-server": {
      "url": "https://example.com/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer <token>" }
    },
    "remote-mcp-server-with-oauth": {
      "url": "https://mcp.example.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Source: zed.dev/docs/ai/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 Zed supports.

MCP support

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

Zed MCP features, transports and OAuth, each with its source
FeatureValueSource
ToolsCalls the functions a server exposes.Yeszed.dev/docs/ai/mcp
ResourcesReads data and files a server exposes as resources.Not statedDocs do not say
PromptsOffers a server's prompt templates to the user.Yeszed.dev/docs/ai/mcp
SamplingLets a server ask the client's model for a completion.Nozed.dev/docs/ai/mcp
RootsTells a server which directories it may work in.Not statedDocs do not say
ElicitationLets a server ask the user for input mid-task.Nozed.dev/docs/ai/mcp
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.Yeszed.dev/docs/ai/mcp
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.Yeszed.dev/docs/ai/mcp

Worth knowing

Zed's docs say it currently supports MCP's Tools and Prompts features and welcome contributions toward Discovery, Sampling and Elicitation coverage. Separately, Zed reloads the tool list when a server sends notifications/tools/list_changed.

Other editors

FAQ

Where is the Zed MCP config?

Zed settings file (zed: open settings file), under context_servers; or Settings > AI > MCP Servers > Add Server. The example on this page is copied from https://zed.dev/docs/ai/mcp

Does Zed support remote MCP servers over Streamable HTTP?

Its docs, read on October 18, 2026, do not say. Its docs list support for stdio. They do not state Streamable HTTP and SSE.

Does Zed support OAuth for MCP servers?

Yes. It handles OAuth sign-in for remote servers. Source: https://zed.dev/docs/ai/mcp

Which MCP features does Zed support?

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

Sources

Last verified from the pages below.

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