Install MCP for your AI editor

For: developers.

QueryDeck's MCP server can be installed automatically with qdeck mcp install, or manually by editing your editor's MCP config.

The one-command setup

qdeck mcp install

This:

1. Resolves the querydeck-mcp binary inside the app bundle.
2. Detects which AI editors are installed on your Mac.
3. Adds a querydeck MCP server entry to each editor's config.
4. Prints a per-client status line.

Output looks like:

querydeck-mcp:  /Applications/QueryDeck.app/Contents/MacOS/querydeck-mcp ✓

Installing in:
  ✓ Claude Desktop — configured
  ✓ Claude Code   — configured
  ✓ Cursor        — configured
  ✗ Windsurf      — not installed (config dir missing)

3 of 4 clients configured.
Restart your editor to load the server.

Restart any open editors. The next time they spawn an MCP session, querydeck will be available.

Install in specific clients only

qdeck mcp install claude              # only Claude Desktop
qdeck mcp install claude-code cursor  # specific list

Available identifiers: claude, claude-code, cursor, windsurf.

What gets added to each config

QueryDeck merges its entry into the existing config without touching other MCP servers you've configured. The added entry looks like:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "querydeck": {
      "command": "/Applications/QueryDeck.app/Contents/MacOS/querydeck-mcp"
    }
  }
}

The exact JSON shape varies slightly per client (Claude Code uses a mcpServers object, Cursor uses mcp.servers, etc.) — QueryDeck handles the per-client format. You can inspect the result by opening the config file.

Manual install

If you use an MCP-compatible editor we don't yet auto-install, point its MCP config at the helper binary directly.

Path to the binary

/Applications/QueryDeck.app/Contents/MacOS/querydeck-mcp

The binary is universal-ready, stdio-based, and has no required arguments.

Example MCP config

For any client following the standard MCP config format:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "querydeck": {
      "command": "/Applications/QueryDeck.app/Contents/MacOS/querydeck-mcp",
      "args": []
    }
  }
}

After saving, restart your editor.

Confirm the server is running

In your AI editor, ask:

"What MCP tools do you have available from QueryDeck?"

The editor should list five tools: execute_query, get_schema, check_drift, explain_query, search_schema. If it lists none, the binary isn't being found or the QueryDeck app isn't running.

You can also check from the terminal:

qdeck mcp status

Output:

Binary:  /Applications/QueryDeck.app/Contents/MacOS/querydeck-mcp ✓
App:     running, socket ready ✓

Clients:
  Claude Desktop:  configured ✓
  Claude Code:     configured ✓
  Cursor:          installed (not configured)
  Windsurf:        not installed

"Installed (not configured)" vs "not installed"

Two-machine setups

The MCP config files are not synced by default. If you use QueryDeck on two Macs, run qdeck mcp install on each.

If your editor syncs its config (some sync extensions do), the binary path will be the same on both Macs (/Applications/QueryDeck.app/...) so the sync works as long as QueryDeck is installed in /Applications on both.

Where MCP fits with the trial and license

The MCP server is gated during the trial along with every other feature. After the trial expires without a license, MCP returns "license required" errors to the editor — connections continue to work in the QueryDeck app's read mode, but the MCP path is closed.

What's next

• Tools — the five tools, parameters, return shapes
• Safety — write guard, row limit, query timeout
• Uninstall — qdeck mcp uninstall