/mcp2cli

name: mcp2cli
description: Turn any MCP server, OpenAPI spec, or GraphQL endpoint into a CLI. Use this skill when the user wants to interact with an MCP server, OpenAPI/REST API, or GraphQL API via command line, discover available tools/endpoints, call API operations, or generate a new skill from an API. Triggers include "mcp2cli", "call this MCP server", "use this API", "list tools from", "create a skill for this API", "graphql", or any task involving MCP tool invocation, OpenAPI endpoint calls, or GraphQL queries without writing code.

mcp2cli

Turn any MCP server, OpenAPI spec, or GraphQL endpoint into a CLI at runtime. No codegen.

Install

# Run directly (no install needed)
uvx mcp2cli --help

# Or install
pip install mcp2cli

Core Workflow

1. **Connect** to a source (MCP server, OpenAPI spec, or GraphQL endpoint) 2. **Discover** available commands with `--list` (or filter with `--search`) 3. **Inspect** a specific command with `<command> --help` 4. **Execute** the command with flags

# MCP over HTTP
mcp2cli --mcp https://mcp.example.com/sse --list
mcp2cli --mcp https://mcp.example.com/sse create-task --help
mcp2cli --mcp https://mcp.example.com/sse create-task --title "Fix bug"

# MCP over stdio
mcp2cli --mcp-stdio "npx @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /tmp" --list
mcp2cli --mcp-stdio "npx @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /tmp" read-file --path /tmp/hello.txt

# OpenAPI spec (remote or local, JSON or YAML)
mcp2cli --spec https://petstore3.swagger.io/api/v3/openapi.json --list
mcp2cli --spec ./openapi.json --base-url https://api.example.com list-pets --status available

# GraphQL endpoint
mcp2cli --graphql https://api.example.com/graphql --list
mcp2cli --graphql https://api.example.com/graphql users --limit 10
mcp2cli --graphql https://api.example.com/graphql create-user --name "Alice"

CLI Reference

mcp2cli [global options] <subcommand> [command options]

Source (mutually exclusive, one required):
  --spec URL|FILE       OpenAPI spec (JSON or YAML, local or remote)
  --mcp URL             MCP server URL (HTTP/SSE)
  --mcp-stdio CMD       MCP server command (stdio transport)
  --graphql URL         GraphQL endpoint URL

Options:
  --auth-header K:V       HTTP header (repeatable, value supports env:/file: prefixes)
  --base-url URL          Override base URL from spec
  --transport TYPE        MCP HTTP transport: auto|sse|streamable (default: auto)
  --env KEY=VALUE         Env var for stdio server process (repeatable)
  --root PATH|FILE_URI   Expose a filesystem root to an MCP server (repeatable)
  --complete SPEC       Complete an MCP prompt or resource-template argument
  --session-start NAME   Start a persistent session daemon (requires --mcp or --mcp-stdio)
  --session NAME         Route command through an existing session daemon
  --session-stop NAME    Stop a named session daemon (sends SIGTERM)
  --session-list         List all active sessions with PID and alive/dead status
  --oauth                 Enable OAuth (authorization code + PKCE flow)
  --oauth-client-id ID    OAuth client ID (supports env:/file: prefixes)
  --oauth-client-secret S OAuth client secret (supports env:/file: prefixes)
  --oauth-scope SCOPE     OAuth scope(s) to request
  --oauth-manual-callback Print the auth URL and read the redirect URL from stdin
                          (headless hosts: VPS over SSH, containers)
  --cache-key KEY         Custom cache key
  --cache-ttl SECONDS     Cache TTL (default: 3600)
  --refresh               Bypass cache
  --list                  List available subcommands
  --search PATTERN        Search tools by name or description (implies --list)
  --schema TOOL           Print one MCP tool's raw definition (inputSchema,
                          outputSchema, annotations); wire names preserved
  --fields FIELDS         Override GraphQL selection set (e.g. "id name email")
  --pretty                Pretty-print JSON output
  --raw                   Print raw response body
  --json                  Force valid JSON for every command. --list emits a JSON array;
                          MCP calls emit the full envelope (structuredContent, isError).
  --toon                  Encode output as TOON (token-efficient for LLMs)
  --head N                Limit output to first N records (arrays)
  --version               Show version

Bake mode:
  bake create NAME [opts]   Save connection settings as a named tool
  bake list                 List all baked tools
  bake show NAME            Show config (secrets masked)
  bake update NAME [opts]   Update a baked tool
  bake remove NAME          Delete a baked tool
  bake install NAME         Create ~/.local/bin wrapper script
  @NAME [args]              Run a baked tool (e.g. mcp2cli @petstore --list)

Subcommands and flags are generated dynamically from the source.

**Global options go BEFORE the subcommand.** Argument parsing stops at the first non-flag token, so everything after the subcommand name belongs to that command — a tool may legitimately have its own `--pretty` or `--head`.

mcp2cli --spec ./spec.json --pretty list-pets    # works
mcp2cli --spec ./spec.json list-pets --pretty    # error: unrecognized arguments: --pretty

Patterns

Authentication

**Always use `env:` or `file:` prefixes for secrets** — never pass credentials as literal values in CLI flags. Literal values are visible in process listings and shell history.

# Secret from environment variable (recommended — avoids exposing in process list)
mcp2cli --spec ./spec.json --auth-header "Authorization:env:API_TOKEN" list-items

# Secret from file
mcp2cli --mcp https://mcp.example.com/sse \
  --auth-header "x-api-key:file:/run/secrets/api_key" \
  search --query "test"

OAuth authentication (MCP HTTP only)

# Authorization code + PKCE (opens browser)
mcp2cli --mcp https://mcp.example.com/sse --oauth --list

# Client credentials (machine-to-machine)
mcp2cli -