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umb-engage-dev-cli

Guide for running and debugging the Umbraco Engage MCP server via the CLI. Use when the user wants to list tools, call tools, configure filtering, dry-run, readonly mode, or debug configuration.

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umbraco/Umbraco-Engage-MCP-Dev
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September 11, 2026 at 09:00
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umb-engage-dev-cli
description
Guide for running and debugging the Umbraco Engage MCP server via the CLI. Use when the user wants to list tools, call tools, configure filtering, dry-run, readonly mode, or debug configuration.
# Umbraco Engage MCP Server — CLI Guide This MCP server runs as a CLI tool. The CLI handles authentication and configuration, then exposes tools that talk directly to the Umbraco Engage Management API — and, by default, chains to the [Umbraco CMS MCP server](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@umbraco-cms/mcp-dev), proxying its tools with a `cms:` prefix (e.g. `cms:get-document`). ## Detecting the CLI Command Determine the CLI command in a single check: ```bash # One command to detect context — check for local build AND .env together ls dist/index.js .env 2>/dev/null ``` - If `dist/index.js` exists (working in this repo): use `node dist/index.js` - Otherwise (using the published package): use `npx @umbraco-engage/mcp-dev@latest` All examples below use `<cli>` as a placeholder — substitute the correct command. ## Quick Reference ```bash # List all tools (Engage tools plus proxied cms: tools) <cli> --list-tools # Describe a specific tool's schema <cli> --describe-tool <tool-name> # Call a tool directly (requires auth via .env) <cli> --call <tool-name> --call-args '{"key":"value"}' # Generate context documentation <cli> --generate-context > CONTEXT.md # Debug resolved configuration <cli> --debug-config ``` ## Authentication **Never pass secrets as CLI arguments.** Use a `.env` file. | Env Var | Required | Description | |---------|----------|-------------| | `UMBRACO_CLIENT_ID` | Yes | OAuth client ID from Umbraco API user | | `UMBRACO_CLIENT_SECRET` | Yes | OAuth client secret | | `UMBRACO_BASE_URL` | Yes | Umbraco instance URL | Create a `.env` file: ``` UMBRACO_CLIENT_ID=your-client-id UMBRACO_CLIENT_SECRET=your-secret UMBRACO_BASE_URL=https://localhost:44391 ``` The API user needs access to the **Engage** section, plus **Content** (and any other CMS sections in use) if the chained `cms:` tools will be called too. Introspection commands (`--list-tools`, `--describe-tool`, `--generate-context`) do not require auth. ## Tool Filtering | Flag | Env Var | Description | |------|---------|-------------| | `--umbraco-tool-modes` | `UMBRACO_TOOL_MODES` | Enable named groups of collections | | `--umbraco-include-slices` | `UMBRACO_INCLUDE_SLICES` | Only expose tools with these slices | | `--umbraco-exclude-slices` | `UMBRACO_EXCLUDE_SLICES` | Hide tools with these slices | | `--umbraco-include-tool-collections` | `UMBRACO_INCLUDE_TOOL_COLLECTIONS` | Only expose these collections | | `--umbraco-exclude-tool-collections` | `UMBRACO_EXCLUDE_TOOL_COLLECTIONS` | Hide these collections | | `--umbraco-include-tools` | `UMBRACO_INCLUDE_TOOLS` | Only expose these specific tools | | `--umbraco-exclude-tools` | `UMBRACO_EXCLUDE_TOOLS` | Hide these specific tools | Filter flags apply to the Engage collections below AND pass through to the chained CMS server's own collections. Exclude takes precedence over include; filters combine. Slices are defined in [`src/config/slice-registry.ts`](https://github.com/umbraco/Umbraco-Engage-MCP-Dev/blob/main/src/config/slice-registry.ts) — the single source of truth (currently: `create`, `read`, `update`, `delete`, `list`, `search`). Tools with no slices assigned fall back to `other`. ### Modes Modes are named groups that enable related collections together. Set `UMBRACO_TOOL_MODES` to one or more mode names — see [`src/config/mode-registry.ts`](https://github.com/umbraco/Umbraco-Engage-MCP-Dev/blob/main/src/config/mode-registry.ts) for the source of truth: | Mode | Collections | |---|---| | `ab-testing` | `ab-test`, `ab-test-project`, `ab-test-variant` | | `analytics` | `analytics`, `reporting`, `statistics`, `search-terms`, `heatmaps` | | `personalization` | `persona`, `segments`, `applied-personalization`, `customer-journey` | | `campaigns` | `campaigns`, `campaign-group`, `goal`, `goals`, `annotations` | | `scoring` | `content-scoring`, `referral-scoring`, `referral-group` | | `profiles` | `profile` | | `administration` | `configuration`, `main-switch`, `package`, `add-ons`, `cultures`, `content-types`, `document-type-permissions`, `user-group-permissions`, `data-cleanup`, `traffic-filter`, `suspicious-activity` | For example, `<cli> --umbraco-tool-modes ab-testing,personalization` exposes exactly the collections needed to build the recipes in the `umb-engage-content-recipes` skill. ## Runtime Modes ### Readonly mode ```bash <cli> --umbraco-readonly ``` Mutation tools are completely removed — the LLM won't see them at all. Applies to the chained `cms:` tools too. ### Dry-run mode ```bash <cli> --umbraco-dry-run ``` Read tools execute normally. Mutation tools return a preview without calling the API. ## Disabling CMS Chaining ```bash <cli> --disable-mcp-chaining ``` Or set `DISABLE_MCP_CHAINING=true`. Use this if the AI client already has a separate CMS MCP connection and the proxied `cms:` tools would just be duplicates. ## Introspection Commands These print output and exit immediately — they do not start the MCP server. | Flag | Description | |------|-------------| | `--list-tools` | Print ASCII table of all tools | | `--describe-tool <name>` | Print full JSON schema for a tool | | `--generate-context` | Output CONTEXT.md documenting all tools | | `--debug-config` | Print resolved config (secrets masked) | | `--call <name>` | Call a tool directly, print JSON result | | `--call-args <json>` | JSON arguments for `--call` (default: `{}`) | Introspection respects all filtering. `--list-tools` with `UMBRACO_READONLY=true` shows exactly what the LLM would see. ## Efficient CLI Usage Every CLI call costs time and tokens. The CLI has built-in filtering so you don't need to fetch everything and grep locally. **1. Filter server-side, not locally.** ```bash # Bad — fetches all tools then filters locally <cli> --list-tools | grep goal # Good — server returns only what you need <cli> --list-tools --umbraco-include-tool-collections goal,goals ``` **2. Use search/find tools before tree traversal.** e.g. prefer `cms:search-document` over walking the CMS content tree, and `get-goal-all-types`/`get-goals-all` over paging through unrelated collections. **3. Batch independent shell commands.** ```bash # Good — one call ls dist/index.js .env 2>/dev/null ``` **4. Use `--describe-tool` before guessing parameters.** Several Engage write tools (`post-ab-test`, `post-goal`, `post-applied-personalization`) build a larger server payload from a smaller input — check the schema rather than guessing field names. For end-to-end sequences (project → goal → A/B test → variant, or persona → segment → applied personalization), see the `umb-engage-content-recipes` skill. ## Input Sanitization The SDK validates all string inputs before tool handlers run: - Rejects control characters, path traversal (`../`), embedded query params, percent-encoded strings - Validates UUID format where expected - Returns clear error messages for agent self-correction
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