mcp tunnels — Agent Skill
by anthropics · Updated
Connect Claude to a private MCP server through an Anthropic MCP tunnel. The /create-docker-mcp-tunnel command drives the Docker Compose quickstart end to end: certificates, proxy config, cloudflared, and a verifiable sample server.
At a glance
mcp-tunnels is an Agent Skill by anthropics in the Design & Creative category. In Claude Code it installs with `/plugin install mcp-tunnels@claude-plugins-official` after adding the anthropics/claude-plugins-official marketplace; other assistants use its SKILL.md instructions as rules. Its source repository has 45,210 GitHub stars (as of Oct 28, 2026).
How to install mcp tunnels in your AI client
Setup for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Codex, Windsurf, Cline and VS Code — copy-paste ready.
How to install mcp tunnels in Claude CodeAnthropic's agentic CLI
Add the marketplace
claude/plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-officialInstall the skill
claude/plugin install mcp-tunnels@claude-plugins-officialUse it
These are slash commands for a Claude Code session, not your shell. Claude auto-invokes the skill when your request matches its description — or type its slash command if it exposes one.
How to install mcp tunnels in Claude DesktopDesktop app (MCP config)
Clone the source
bashgit clone https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-official.gitFind the skill
It lives in claude-plugins-official/plugins/mcp-tunnels — that folder contains the SKILL.md.
Add the SKILL.md to your Skills folder
Settings → Capabilities → Skills → add the folder containing SKILL.md. Claude picks it up automatically.
How to install mcp tunnels in CursorAI-first code editor
Clone the source
bashgit clone https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-official.gitFind the skill
It lives in claude-plugins-official/plugins/mcp-tunnels — that folder contains the SKILL.md.
Convert to a Cursor rule
Create .cursor/rules/mcp-tunnels.mdc and paste the SKILL.md body. Set `alwaysApply` or a glob so the Agent loads it in context.
How to install mcp tunnels in Codex CLIOpenAI coding agent
Clone the source
bashgit clone https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-official.gitFind the skill
It lives in claude-plugins-official/plugins/mcp-tunnels — that folder contains the SKILL.md.
Reference in AGENTS.md
Add the skill's instructions (or a link) to AGENTS.md at your repo root — Codex reads it on every run.
How to install mcp tunnels in WindsurfCodeium's agentic IDE
Clone the source
bashgit clone https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-official.gitFind the skill
It lives in claude-plugins-official/plugins/mcp-tunnels — that folder contains the SKILL.md.
Add to your rules / context
Paste the SKILL.md instructions into this tool's custom rules or workspace instructions so the agent follows them.
How to install mcp tunnels in ClineVS Code autonomous agent
Clone the source
bashgit clone https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-official.gitFind the skill
It lives in claude-plugins-official/plugins/mcp-tunnels — that folder contains the SKILL.md.
Add to your rules / context
Paste the SKILL.md instructions into this tool's custom rules or workspace instructions so the agent follows them.
How to install mcp tunnels in VS CodeCopilot / MCP support
Clone the source
bashgit clone https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-official.gitFind the skill
It lives in claude-plugins-official/plugins/mcp-tunnels — that folder contains the SKILL.md.
Add to your rules / context
Paste the SKILL.md instructions into this tool's custom rules or workspace instructions so the agent follows them.
Documentation
Full READMEmcp-tunnels
Connect Claude to an MCP server running inside your private network through an Anthropic **MCP tunnel** — no inbound ports, no public exposure, no IP allowlisting on your origin. Traffic flows over an outbound-only connection.
Research preview. MCP tunnels is provided "as-is" with no uptime or support commitment and depends on a third-party transport provider (Cloudflare). Review the security model before sending anything sensitive.
Commands
/create-docker-mcp-tunnel [deployment-dir]
Drives the MCP tunnels **quickstart** end to end on your machine, using Docker Compose with manually supplied credentials (the shortest path for local testing). It walks you through the parts only you can do in the Claude Console and runs everything else for you:
- Preflight — checks Docker, Docker Compose, OpenSSL, and outbound
connectivity.
- Create the tunnel (Console) — you create it and copy the domain; the
token stays out of the chat and goes into a locked-down, gitignored .env.
- Certificates — generates a CA and a server certificate with OpenSSL,
with the exact extensions the tunnel requires.
- Register the CA (Console) — you upload
ca.crt; the tunnel goes Active. - Upstream — scaffolds a verifiable FastMCP sample server, or wires up an
MCP server you already have.
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