What is Emacs Mcp Server

Emacs MCP Server is a server that facilitates communication between Claude Code and a running Emacs instance, allowing for enhanced code editing and management functionalities.

Use cases

Use cases include integrating Claude Code with Emacs for seamless coding experiences, managing files and git changes directly from Emacs, and enhancing productivity through automated workflows.

How to use

To use Emacs MCP Server, clone the repository, install dependencies using npm, and start the server. You can also run it in a Docker container. Ensure that Emacs is running in server mode for proper functionality.

Key features

Key features include the ability to open specified files in Emacs buffers and view git changes using Magit, enhancing the integration between coding and version control.

Where to use

Emacs MCP Server is useful in software development environments where Emacs is used as the primary text editor, particularly for projects that involve version control with Git.

Emacs MCP Tools

Direct MCP tools that allow Claude Code to communicate with and control a running Emacs instance using the Model Context Protocol.

Features

• Open specified files in Emacs buffers
• Open git changes in Magit
• Check Emacs server status
• List available tools
• Modern MCP SDK integration using direct tools approach
• Complementary to git-mcp for repository access

Installation

You can install this package via npm:

# Global installation (recommended)
npm install -g emacs-mcp-server

# Local installation
npm install emacs-mcp-server

Setup with Claude Code

Once installed, you can add the MCP tools to Claude Code:

# Register tools with Claude Code
claude mcp add emacs-mcp-open emacs-mcp-open
claude mcp add emacs-mcp-magit emacs-mcp-magit
claude mcp add emacs-mcp-check emacs-mcp-check
claude mcp add emacs-mcp-list emacs-mcp-list

Manual Setup (Development)

For development or manual setup:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/toastynerd/emacs-mcp-server.git
cd emacs-mcp-server

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Add direct tools to Claude Code
claude mcp add emacs-mcp-open ./src/direct-tool.js
claude mcp add emacs-mcp-magit ./src/direct-tool.js
claude mcp add emacs-mcp-check ./src/direct-tool.js
claude mcp add emacs-mcp-list ./src/direct-tool.js

Adding Git MCP (Recommended)

For better repository exploration and documentation access, add git-mcp:

# Add git-mcp to Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport sse git-mcp https://gitmcp.io/idosal/git-mcp

This allows Claude to access repository documentation and code context through the Model Context Protocol.

Usage

After installation, you can use the MCP tools with Claude Code:

/mcp emacs-mcp-open file_path="/path/to/your/file.txt"
/mcp emacs-mcp-magit repo_path="/path/to/your/repo"
/mcp emacs-mcp-check
/mcp emacs-mcp-list

For more details, see CLAUDE.md.

Development

# Run unit tests
npm test

Requirements

• Node.js (v16+)
• npm (v6+)
• Emacs with server mode enabled (M-x server-start)
• Magit (for Git functionality)
• Claude Code CLI

License

MIT

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.