Getting started

Run the hub, declare a server, create a key, connect a client. Five minutes, one container.

1. Write the server file

mcpyard.yaml

servers:
  time:
    package: { pypi: mcp-server-time }
  memory:
    package: { npm: "@modelcontextprotocol/server-memory" }

Each server is a package the hub installs, a command it spawns, or a URL it connects to. See Server file for everything a server can declare.

2. Start the container

For a first try on your own machine, run it without sign-in and only on localhost:

docker run -d --name mcpyard \
  -p 127.0.0.1:3000:3000 \
  -e MCPYARD_UI_AUTH=none \
  -v ./mcpyard.yaml:/config/mcpyard.yaml \
  -v mcpyard-data:/data \
  ghcr.io/cedhuf/mcpyard:latest

The container runs as uid 1000; if you want to add servers from the web UI, make the file writable by it with chown 1000 mcpyard.yaml. The first start installs each package into the data volume; later starts reuse it. Follow along with docker logs -f mcpyard.

MCPYARD_UI_AUTH=none lets anyone who reaches the port manage the hub. For anything beyond a local trial, put the UI behind your identity provider: see Web UI and sign-in.

3. Create a key

Open http://localhost:3000, check that both servers are ready, then open Keys and create one for your client. The token is shown once, with the command to add it to Claude Code:

4. Connect a client

claude mcp add --transport http mcpyard http://localhost:3000/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer yard_..."

Any client that speaks streamable HTTP works the same way: one URL, one bearer token. Tools appear as <server>-<tool>, for example time-get_current_time.

Next

• Deployment: Docker Compose, reverse proxy, TLS.
• Packages and updates: pin versions or let the hub track them.
• Keys and scopes: give each client only what it needs.