MCP

Deep Code supports MCP (Model Context Protocol), enabling AI assistants to connect with external tools and services such as GitHub, browsers, databases, and more.

Overview

Once MCP is configured, Deep Code can:

Operate on GitHub repositories (view issues, create PRs, search code, etc.)
Control browsers (screenshots, clicks, form filling, etc.)
Access the file system
Connect to databases and APIs
...and any external service compatible with the MCP protocol

MCP tools are named in Deep Code using the format mcp__<service_name>__<tool_name>, for example mcp__github__search_code.

Configuring MCP Servers

Edit ~/.deepcode/settings.json and add the mcpServers field:

{
  "env": {
    "MODEL": "deepseek-v4-pro",
    "BASE_URL": "https://api.deepseek.com",
    "API_KEY": "sk-..."
  },
  "thinkingEnabled": true,
  "reasoningEffort": "max",
  "mcpServers": {
    "<service_name>": {
      "command": "<executable>",
      "args": ["<arg1>", "<arg2>"],
      "env": {
        "<env_var>": "<value>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration Fields

Field	Type	Required	Description
`command`	string	Yes	Path or command of the MCP server executable (e.g., `npx`, `node`, `python`). When the command is `npx`, Deep Code automatically prepends `-y` to the arguments.
`args`	string[]	No	List of arguments to pass to the command
`env`	object	No	Environment variables (e.g., API keys) to pass to the MCP server process

Common MCP Examples

GitHub MCP

Allows Deep Code to directly operate on GitHub repositories (search code, manage issues/PRs, read/write files, etc.):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxx"
      }
    }
  }
}

Generate a GitHub Personal Access Token at GitHub Settings > Developer settings > Personal access tokens.

Browser Control (Playwright)

Lets Deep Code control a browser for screenshots, page interactions, etc.:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@playwright/mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

File System

Enables Deep Code to read and write files within a specified directory:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/path/to/allowed/dir"]
    }
  }
}

Custom Python MCP

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "my-tool": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "my_mcp_server"],
      "env": {
        "API_KEY": "xxx"
      }
    }
  }
}

Full Configuration Example

Below is a complete ~/.deepcode/settings.json with both GitHub and Playwright MCP servers configured:

{
  "env": {
    "MODEL": "deepseek-v4-pro",
    "BASE_URL": "https://api.deepseek.com",
    "API_KEY": "sk-xxxxxxxxxxxx"
  },
  "thinkingEnabled": true,
  "reasoningEffort": "max",
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxx"
      }
    },
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@playwright/mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Using MCP

After configuration, start deepcode and type /mcp in the chat to view the status of all configured MCP servers and the list of tools each server provides.

Simply use the MCP tool name in your conversation to invoke it, for example:

Help me search for issues in the deepcode-cli repository on GitHub

The AI will automatically invoke the mcp__github__search_issues tool to complete the action.

Tool Naming Convention

An MCP tool name consists of three parts: mcp__<service_name>__<tool_name>

Service	Tool Name	Full Invocation Name
github	search_code	`mcp__github__search_code`
github	create_pull_request	`mcp__github__create_pull_request`
playwright	browser_navigate	`mcp__playwright__browser_navigate`
playwright	browser_take_screenshot	`mcp__playwright__browser_take_screenshot`

You can view the list of tools provided by each server using /mcp.

Troubleshooting

Startup Failure

If an MCP server fails to start, check:

Whether command is installed (e.g., npx requires Node.js)
Whether environment variables in env are correct (e.g., GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN)
Whether the terminal running deepcode has network access

Tools Not Showing Up

Verify that the mcpServers field in settings.json is correctly formatted
After starting deepcode, use /mcp to check server status
If the server status shows an error, debug based on the error message

Windows Users

On Windows, Deep Code automatically adds shell support for .cmd commands. If your MCP command is a batch script, ensure the filename ends with .cmd.

Writing Your Own MCP Server

MCP servers follow the Model Context Protocol specification and communicate using JSON‑RPC 2.0. You can write an MCP server in any language as long as it implements the following methods:

initialize — Handshake and protocol negotiation
tools/list — Return the list of available tools
tools/call — Execute a tool call

For more information, see the official MCP documentation.