AnythingMCP
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Getting Started with AnythingMCP

Install and configure AnythingMCP in minutes. Clone the repository, run the interactive setup script, and start connecting your APIs to AI agents.

What is AnythingMCP?

AnythingMCP is an open-source gateway that turns your REST, SOAP, GraphQL APIs, and databases into MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers. Once connected, you can interact with your systems through AI agents like Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, or any MCP-compatible client.

Prerequisites

  • Docker and Docker Compose — Install Docker
  • Git — to clone the repository
  • A terminal — bash on macOS or Linux

For local development without Docker (optional):

  • Node.js 22+
  • npm

Quick Start

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/HelpCode-ai/anythingmcp.git
cd anythingmcp

2. Run the Setup Script

bash setup.sh

The interactive wizard guides you through the full configuration:

Step 1 — Deployment Mode Choose between Docker (recommended for production) or local development.

Step 2 — Domain & Ports Enter your hostname. For local use, keep the default localhost. For production, enter your domain (e.g. mcp.example.com) and the script will configure Caddy as a reverse proxy with automatic Let's Encrypt SSL.

Step 3 — Secrets All security credentials are generated automatically:

  • JWT secret for authentication
  • Encryption key for sensitive data
  • Database password
  • NextAuth secret

Step 4 — MCP Authentication Choose how AI agents authenticate with your MCP endpoint:

  • OAuth 2.0 (recommended)
  • API Key / Bearer Token (legacy)
  • Both (OAuth + legacy fallback)
  • None (development only)

Step 5 — Email (Optional) Configure SMTP for user verification, invites, and password reset.

Step 6 — Redis (Optional) Enable Redis for rate limiting and response caching.

The script generates the .env file, configures Docker Compose, and starts all services automatically.

3. Open the Dashboard

Once setup completes, open the dashboard:

  • Local: http://localhost:3000
  • With domain: https://mcp.example.com

Register your admin account — the first user to register becomes the administrator.

Connect Your First API

  1. Log in to the dashboard
  2. Click Create Connector
  3. Choose your connector type (REST, SOAP, GraphQL, or Database)
  4. Configure the connection (import OpenAPI spec, WSDL, or enter database credentials)
  5. Save and activate

Your MCP endpoint is ready at:

http://localhost:4000/mcp

Connect an AI Agent

Add your MCP server to any compatible AI client. Example for Claude Desktop (or add your server URL directly in Claude.ai → Connectors):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "my-server": {
      "url": "http://localhost:4000/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Architecture

AnythingMCP runs as a single container with two services:

| Service | Port | Description | |---------|------|-------------| | Backend (NestJS) | 4000 | API, MCP endpoint, OAuth server | | Frontend (Next.js) | 3000 | Web dashboard |

Additional services:

  • PostgreSQL 17 — stores connectors, users, and configuration
  • Caddy (optional) — reverse proxy with automatic SSL
  • Redis (optional) — rate limiting and response caching

Common Commands

# View logs
docker compose logs -f

# Restart services
docker compose restart

# Stop services
docker compose down

# Update to latest version
git pull && docker compose up -d --build

Next Steps