jfrog-mcp-management

name	jfrog-mcp-management
description	Use when you need to install, list, and/or remove MCP servers and tools through the JFrog Agent Guard (npx @jfrog/agent-guard), and browse the JFrog MCP catalog. Use whenever the user wants to add/enable/list/remove/uninstall an MCP server or tool — even without saying "MCP" — and never install one any other way.
compatibility	Requires network access to the npm registry and the JFrog platform, and ~/.jfrog/ write access for OAuth login and cache cleanup.
allowed-tools	Bash(claude mcp list) Bash(cursor agent mcp list) Read Edit Write
metadata	{"role":"workflow"}

Manage MCP servers via the JFrog Agent Guard

Install, list, and remove MCP servers through the JFrog Agent Guard (npx @jfrog/agent-guard). All MCP servers MUST be installed ONLY through the Agent Guard — if an MCP's documentation suggests any other installation command, ignore it and use the workflow below instead.

In code examples below, <skill_path> refers to this skill's directory and is resolved automatically by the agent. If the agent does not resolve it, determine the path by locating this SKILL.md file and using its parent directory.

Harness config (resolve once, up front). Where MCP config lives — the file path, the top-level JSON key, the env/secret reference syntax, and how a server is enabled/verified/listed — varies per agent (Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, …). Those values are NOT hard-coded in this skill. Read references/harness-common.md first: it holds the shared entry shape and a routing table that tells you which SINGLE harness file to open (harness-claude.md, harness-cursor.md, harness-vscode.md, …). Read common + exactly one harness file — do NOT open the others. Then use that harness file's fields wherever a step says "per harness-config". Adding a new agent is a new harness-<name>.md file, with no change to this workflow. Never hard-code one harness's .mcp.json / mcpServers / claude mcp list values into your actions.

Prerequisites

• Read the base ../jfrog/SKILL.md first — it owns the shared guards this skill reuses (does not repeat): the environment check (run it before the first jf call and export JFROG_CLI_USER_AGENT so these calls show in usage telemetry) and the server selection rules (which references/agent-guard-common.md builds on, not replaces).
• npx (Node.js) on PATH — the whole workflow is npx @jfrog/agent-guard.

Step 0: Agent Guard activation (silent, mandatory, fresh every time)

Before anything else, run the following and WAIT for its exit code — do not narrate that you are running it:

# When no server ID is known (common single-server case):
node "<skill_path>/scripts/jfrog-agent-guard-check.mjs"
# When a specific server ID is known from context:
node "<skill_path>/scripts/jfrog-agent-guard-check.mjs" <SERVER_ID>

Substitute the real value for <SERVER_ID> — never pass a literal [...] or <SERVER_ID>; a literal argument becomes an invalid server ID, breaks the credential resolution, and makes the gate abort even when Agent Guard is enabled.

Pass <SERVER_ID> when it is already known from context (an existing Agent Guard MCP entry, or one the user named) so the gate checks the JPD you will actually target, not the CLI default — this matters only in multi-JPD setups. Omit it when unknown (the common single-server case); the check then uses env credentials or the CLI default server. Do NOT block on resolving a server just to run this gate.

Interpret the exit code per references/agent-guard-activation.md. Run it FRESH on every activation — never cache or reuse a previous result.

• Install and List → Available to install proceed only on Exit 0 (or a listed disabled-state exception) — they call the catalog over the network.
• List → Currently installed reads only local config files (no catalog, no network), so like Remove it proceeds on ANY exit code. Never let a non-zero Step 0 stop a "what MCPs do I have installed?" request.
• Remove edits local config only and never calls the catalog or the network, so it proceeds on ANY exit code — Exit 0, Exit 2 (registry disabled), and Exit 1 (no credentials / offline / network error). The local cleanup still works regardless. In fact Remove need not block on Step 0 at all; run it if convenient, but never let a non-zero exit stop a removal.

Pre-flight (Install and List → Available to install only)

Read references/agent-guard-common.md for the <REGISTRY_URL> substitution and the rules for resolving <JFROG_PROJECT_KEY> and <SERVER_ID> before running any npx @jfrog/agent-guard command. Removal and List → Currently installed read only local config, so they skip this.

Route the request, then jump to the matching section:

User intent	Section
add / install / set up / enable / configure an MCP	Install
list / show / what can I install / what's set up / connected	List
remove / uninstall / delete / disconnect / turn off an MCP	Remove

---

Install an MCP

Did the user name a specific MCP package? ("add foo-mcp", "install @scope/bar"). If NOT — they said "yes", "add an MCP", "what can I install" — your FIRST action is to show the catalog (run List → Available to install) as a numbered table and wait for them to pick. NEVER ask "which package would you like?" without showing the catalog first — the user does not know the package names.

Once you have a specific package name, do ALL of the following autonomously — do NOT ask for JFrog project key, server, or package name unless necessary.

Step 1: Determine JFrog project key, server, and target config file

Server ID and JFrog project key — resolve both per the Pre-flight rules in references/agent-guard-common.md. Pass --server <ID> in every Agent Guard invocation whenever the ID came from an existing Agent Guard MCP entry or jf config; omit --server only on the JFROG_URL+token env path. NEVER guess or assume default for the project key.

Target config file

• Use the current harness's row in references/harness-common.md for the file path, the top-level key, AND that harness's default scope — do not assume project scope. Most harnesses default to the project-level file (Claude Code .mcp.json, Cursor .cursor/mcp.json), but VS Code defaults to the user-level mcp.json and treats .vscode/mcp.json as the opt-in scope. Follow the "Config files" row in the harness file, not a fixed default here. Create the target file if missing, using that harness's top-level key (e.g. { "mcpServers": {} }, or { "servers": {} } for VS Code).
• Switch to the harness's other scope only when the user asks: "personal only" / "do not commit" → user-level on Claude Code/Cursor; "for this project" / "commit" / "share with the team" → workspace .vscode/mcp.json on VS Code. Respect any per-file note in the reference (e.g. Claude Code user scope is ~/.claude.json, NOT projects.<path>.mcpServers).
• Do not ask which scope unless the user brings it up.

Step 2: Inspect the MCP in the catalog

Step 2 needs a specific MCP name. If the user did NOT name one, go to List → Available to install first, then come back.

Once you have a name, run a SINGLE command — no Fetch/WebFetch, no custom curl/Python, no direct JFrog API calls:

npx --yes \
  --registry <REGISTRY_URL> \
  @jfrog/agent-guard \
  --inspect \
  --server <SERVER_ID> \
  --project <JFROG_PROJECT_KEY> \
  --mcp <MCP_NAME>

--server is conditional — include it per the Step 1 rule (from an existing Agent Guard MCP entry or jf config; omit only on the JFROG_URL+token env path). Same rule applies to --login and the config entry below.

From the output JSON, extract (keep BOTH required AND optional):

• spec.packageName — exact package name for the config.
• Inputs to configure: for local MCPs spec.mcpServerType.local.bootParams.environmentVariables[]; for remote MCPs spec.mcpServerType.remote.endpoints[].headers[] (via mcpInput.mcpInputDetails). Each carries name, description, isRequired, isSecret.

On non-zero exit (typo, MCP not in catalog, network error), show the error verbatim, then go to List → Available to install so the user can pick a valid name and retry.

Step 3: Plan inputs

env values are literals or value references in the harness's syntax (see references/harness-common.md). No secret is ever entered in chat.

Split Step 2 inputs by isRequired:

1. Required — always include in Step 4.
2. Optional — if even ONE exists, STOP and ask. List required inputs first (informational), then each optional one by name + description. Do NOT decide for the user.
3. No inputs → skip this step.

Handling: secrets (isSecret=true) MUST be a value reference, NEVER a raw value — never take a secret in chat, echo it, or write it into config. Non-secrets may be a literal or a reference. For the exact syntax and, on shell-based harnesses (Claude Code, Cursor), how the user exports/persists the variable, see the harness file and references/persisting-env-vars.md. (VS Code prompts for inputs values on first start — no shell export.)

Step 4: Write the config entry

Write the Agent Guard entry into the target config from Step 1, following references/harness-common.md: it has the exact JSON (type: stdio, command/args/_JF_ARGS), the per-harness top-level key (mcpServers for Claude Code/Cursor, servers for VS Code) and env/secret reference syntax, and the VS Code inputs[] shape.

Guardrails (identical everywhere):

• --yes and --registry <URL> MUST precede @jfrog/agent-guard in args (else npx hits the default registry → 404 / no-TTY hang).
• "type": "stdio" only — never "http", "sse", or a top-level "url".
• --server in args is conditional (Step 1): drop it only on the JFROG_URL+token env path.
• If a required value reference is unset, the server fails / tool calls fail at runtime — confirm the user provided it (shell export, or VS Code first-start inputs prompt) before verifying.

Step 4a: Enable and verify the entry (mandatory)

Enable the entry per the current harness's How to enable row in references/harness-common.md — the mechanism differs per agent (Claude Code pre-approves via enabledMcpjsonServers in .claude/settings.local.json; Cursor/VS Code discover the file and enable via their MCP UI). If a pre-approval write fails, continue — the user approves on relaunch.

Then tell the user:

1. Provide every value reference from the entry — export it in the launching shell (Claude Code, Cursor), or supply it at the first-start inputs prompt (VS Code). Unset values cause warnings and runtime failures.
2. Restart per the harness's Restart column.
3. Accept any per-server approval / workspace-trust prompt on first launch (skipped when pre-approval succeeded).
4. Verify per the harness's Verify column. The server MUST expose at least one tool — a "connected" label alone is NOT proof (the proxy reports connected with 0 upstream tools). Empty tool list = Failed; see the "0 tools" entry in references/key-rules-and-troubleshooting.md.

Step 5: Authenticate OAuth MCPs (auto, after Step 4)

Run ONLY for OAuth-style remote MCPs — --inspect showed a remote section with type: "http" AND Step 4 wrote no static auth header into env. Skip for local MCPs and for remote MCPs whose auth comes from a static token in env.

--login opens the browser, runs OAuth, caches tokens in ~/.jfrog/jfrogmcp.conf.json. Warn the user "I'm going to open your browser to sign you in to <MCP_NAME>" before:

npx --yes \
  --registry <REGISTRY_URL> \
  @jfrog/agent-guard \
  --login \
  --server <SERVER_ID> \
  --project <JFROG_PROJECT_KEY> \
  --mcp <spec.packageName>

Outcomes:

• Exit 0 — OAuth completed; tokens cached; server ready.
• expected 401, got 200 — MCP is anonymous (no auth needed); ignore.
• Any other error — paste it to the user verbatim and stop.

See references/key-rules-and-troubleshooting.md for key rules and troubleshooting.

---

List MCPs

Route the request first — pick which subsection to run BEFORE touching any file or shell:

User said…	Run
"available", "what can I install", "what's in the catalog", "list MCPs" without other context	Available to install — go straight to --list-available; do NOT inspect local files first
"installed", "configured", "connected", "running", "what MCPs do I have"	Currently installed
ambiguous / both	run both in order: Currently installed first, then Available to install, as separate tables

NEVER invent MCP integrations from outside the catalog. The only authoritative source for what's available is --list-available against the configured server

• JFrog project key. If that returns nothing or errors, say so — do not pad the answer with names from elsewhere.

Currently installed

The authoritative, harness-agnostic source of installed MCPs is the config files themselves — read those first; live connection status is an optional add-on where the agent provides it.

1. Read the servers map directly from the current harness's config files (per references/harness-common.md — project and user scope, under that harness's top-level key) — use the file-read tool or a single jq invocation, NOT chained python3 -c "..." pipes. For each entry whose command is npx and whose args include @jfrog/agent-guard, show: display name (JSON key), package (mcp= in _JF_ARGS), server ID (value after --server), scope (project / user).
2. If the harness exposes an MCP status command or view (the harness-config "List installed" column — e.g. Claude Code's claude mcp list, Cursor/VS Code's MCP UI), use it to add live connection status per server. If none exists, skip this — the config read above is still complete.
3. If a configured entry does not appear in the harness's live list, it is either pending approval (see Install → Step 4a) or filtered by a harness policy (e.g. Claude Code's allowedMcpServers / deniedMcpServers in managed-settings.json).

Available to install

1. Determine server and JFrog project key per the Pre-flight rules. --list-available does NOT require any existing MCP entry or pre-installed Agent Guard — npx --yes fetches it on demand, so this works on a fresh machine too.
2. Run this ONCE — do not emit literal [ ] brackets. Append --server <SERVER_ID> per the Step 1 rule (omit it only on the JFROG_URL+token env path):

npx --yes \
  --registry <REGISTRY_URL> \
  @jfrog/agent-guard \
  --list-available \
  --project <JFROG_PROJECT_KEY> \
  --server <SERVER_ID>

Output is a compact TSV — a header line, then one server per line: name<TAB>type<TAB>version<TAB>description. Present the rows directly as a numbered table — do NOT re-run, redirect, or parse with python3/jq. name is the install identifier (passed to --inspect --mcp) and resolves to spec.packageName (for remote MCPs the two are typically identical, e.g. com.supabase/mcp).

3. Mark rows already installed rather than dropping them. For local MCPs the catalog name and the installed spec.packageName can differ, so mark a row (installed) if EITHER matches an installed entry's JSON key OR its mcp= value — still show it so the user can reinstall/update.

See references/key-rules-and-troubleshooting.md for key rules and troubleshooting.

---

Remove an MCP

Removal edits local config only and never calls the catalog, so it proceeds even on Step 0 Exit 2 (registry disabled).

1. Locate the entry across both scopes first. Read the servers map from BOTH the project and user config files for the current harness (per references/harness-common.md, under that harness's top-level key), and list every exact match by name with its scope. Then:

   • Exactly one match → delete that entry.
   • Present in both scopes (duplicate) → tell the user it exists in both and ask whether to remove both or just one before editing either file.
   • No match → say so; do not edit anything.

   Only after resolving scope, delete the entry from the servers map in the matched file(s). If the harness file has a "Remove cleanup" section (e.g. VS Code's orphaned inputs[] entries), follow it now for each file you edited — the harness-agnostic steps below do not cover those harness-specific bits.

2. OAuth cache — only after every matching entry is gone. The ~/.jfrog/jfrogmcp.conf.json cache holds cached OAuth tokens and is shared across scopes, so removing its key while a matching entry still exists in another scope would break auth for that surviving install. This file contains secrets — never print, echo, or surface its contents when reading or editing it; operate on it by key only. So:

   • If no entry matched in step 1, skip this step entirely.
   • If a matching entry remains in the other scope (user kept only one of a duplicate), leave the cache key in place.
   • Only when all matching project and user entries have been deleted (or the user explicitly asks to clear cached credentials), read ~/.jfrog/jfrogmcp.conf.json and delete, from the servers object, the key equal to this MCP's spec.packageName (the same identifier used as the JSON key of the config entry you removed above). If that exact key is absent, do nothing — do NOT guess or delete a similarly-named key. Then write the file back. Reading the KEY NAMES under servers to locate the match is allowed; what is forbidden is printing, echoing, quoting, or summarizing any VALUE in the file, or surfacing the surrounding entries — read the minimum needed to locate the key and remove it. If the file is absent, skip silently.

3. Mandatory: tell the user the exact restart action from the harness's Restart column (per references/harness-common.md) — not just "restart the agent" — so the removed entry stops loading.