OpenAPI
What is OpenAPI
OpenAPI MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol server designed for Claude and Cursor, enabling users to search and explore OpenAPI specifications easily via oapis.org.
Use cases
The server allows users to acquire overviews of APIs, retrieve specific operation details, and is beneficial for code generation. It is especially useful for developers looking to understand and interact with API specifications without executing endpoints directly.
How to use
After installation, users can prompt Claude with requests like ‘Find information about the Stripe API’ or ‘Explain how to use the GitHub API’s repository endpoints’. The server processes these requests to provide an overview and detailed operation information of the requested API.
Key features
The server supports both JSON and YAML formats, provides API summaries in simple language, and allows for detailed exploration of API endpoints, although it doesn’t currently support executing endpoints due to authentication challenges.
Where to use
OpenAPI MCP Server can be utilized in environments that support Claude Desktop, Cursor, or other MCP clients, making it suitable for developers working with APIs and seeking to enhance their understanding of OpenAPI specifications.
Overview
What is OpenAPI
OpenAPI MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol server designed for Claude and Cursor, enabling users to search and explore OpenAPI specifications easily via oapis.org.
Use cases
The server allows users to acquire overviews of APIs, retrieve specific operation details, and is beneficial for code generation. It is especially useful for developers looking to understand and interact with API specifications without executing endpoints directly.
How to use
After installation, users can prompt Claude with requests like ‘Find information about the Stripe API’ or ‘Explain how to use the GitHub API’s repository endpoints’. The server processes these requests to provide an overview and detailed operation information of the requested API.
Key features
The server supports both JSON and YAML formats, provides API summaries in simple language, and allows for detailed exploration of API endpoints, although it doesn’t currently support executing endpoints due to authentication challenges.
Where to use
OpenAPI MCP Server can be utilized in environments that support Claude Desktop, Cursor, or other MCP clients, making it suitable for developers working with APIs and seeking to enhance their understanding of OpenAPI specifications.
Content
OpenAPI MCP Server
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Claude/Cursor that enables searching and exploring OpenAPI specifications through oapis.org.
- Demo: https://x.com/janwilmake/status/1903497808134496583
- HN Thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43447278
- OpenAPISearch: https://github.com/janwilmake/openapisearch
- OAPIS: https://github.com/janwilmake/oapis
The MCP works by applying a 3 step process :
- It figures out the openapi identifier you need
- It requests a summary of that in simple language
- It determines which endpoints you need, and checks out how exactly they work (again, in simple language)
[!IMPORTANT]
OpenAPI MCP has found a new owner and has been migrated from v1.2 to v2, which works different to the previous version. You can still access any version prior to v2.0.0 and their README is hereOpenAPI MCP v2 is a Work In Progress and focuses on exploration and providing context about APIs. It does not allow executing the endpoints as tools directly, as authentication isn’t a solved problem with MCP yet. However, it’s great for codegen!
Expect bugs. Open To Contributers, DM
Features
- Get an overview of any OpenAPI specification
- Retrieve details about specific API operations
- Support for both JSON and YAML formats
- Tested with Claude Desktop and Cursor
| Summary | Prompt it |
|---|---|
| Basic understanding of the OpenAPI MCP Server |  |
| Core implementation details of the MCP server | |
| How to extend or contribute to the project |
Installation
Installing via Smithery
To install openapi-mcp-server for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:
npx -y @smithery/cli install @janwilmake/openapi-mcp-server --client claude
Installing via npx
Run and follow instructions:
npx openapi-mcp-server@latest init
Usage in Claude
Once installed, you can ask Claude to:
- “Find information about the Stripe API”
- “Explain how to use the GitHub API’s repository endpoints”
Claude will use the MCP server to:
- First get an overview of the requested API
- Then retrieve specific operation details as needed
Requirements
- Node.js >= 16.17.0
- Claude Desktop, Cursor, or any other MCP client.
License
MIT