MCP tools

Overview of Tessl MCP tools for AI coding agents.

The Tessl MCP (Model Context Protocol) server provides tools that AI coding agents can use to search for, install, and work with plugins from the Tessl registry.

Registry MCP server vs. workspace MCP gateway

Tessl exposes MCP through two distinct entry points — pick the one that matches what you need:

• Registry MCP server (tessl mcp start) — a local stdio server that gives the agent the tools listed on this page (login, search, install, uninstall, status). Use it when the agent needs to discover and manage Tessl plugins. This is the server tessl init configures for auto-detected agents.
• Workspace MCP gateway (tessl mcp proxy <workspace>/<mcp>) — a stdio proxy that connects the agent to an external MCP server registered in a Tessl workspace. Use it when several teammates need to share access to an upstream MCP server (such as a third-party integration) without each person re-running its OAuth flow. See MCP gateway for how to create and connect to one.

The rest of this page documents the tools exposed by the registry MCP server.

Server Configuration

The Tessl MCP server can be configured in your AI coding agent's MCP configuration or by running:

tessl init --agent <agent-name>

Server Details:

• Command: tessl mcp start
• Type: stdio
• Name: Tessl Registry MCP

Available Tools

login

Authenticate with Tessl to access registry features.

Authentication: Not required (this tool provides authentication)

Parameters

None

Notes

• Attempts to open authentication URL in your browser automatically
• Authentication happens asynchronously - credentials are saved in the background
• After completing authentication once, authenticated tools work automatically
• Triggers automatic dependency sync after successful login

---

search

Search for plugins in the Tessl registry by name, package URL (PURL), or HTTP URL.

Authentication: Required (automatically handles authentication if needed)

Parameters

• query (string, required): Search query - can be a plugin name, package URL, or HTTP URL

Notes

• Works with partial names and package URLs (PURLs)
• Supports HTTP URLs from package registries (e.g., npm, PyPI)
• Returns plugin name, version, description, and installation command

Example

{
  "query": "svelte"
}

---

install

Install plugins into your project. Can install a specific plugin or sync all missing plugins from tessl.json.

Authentication: Required (automatically handles authentication if needed)

Parameters

• packageName (string, optional): plugin name to install (e.g., "workspace/plugin" or "workspace/plugin@version"). If not provided, installs all missing plugins from tessl.json
• projectDir (string, optional): Project directory. Defaults to current working directory

Notes

• plugins are installed to .tessl/plugins/<workspace>/<plugin>/ in your project
• Your project's tessl.json is automatically updated with the plugin reference
• If a plugin is already installed and up-to-date, it will be skipped
• If no version is specified, installs the latest version

Example: Install specific plugin

{
  "packageName": "tessl/svelte@5.38.0"
}

Example: Sync all missing plugins

{}

---

uninstall

Uninstall a plugin from your project.

Authentication: Not required

Parameters

• packageName (string, required): plugin name to uninstall (e.g., "workspace/plugin")

Notes

• Removes the plugin from tessl.json and deletes files from .tessl/plugins/
• Does not require authentication (local operation only)
• Only affects your local project - doesn't unpublish from the registry

Example

{
  "packageName": "tessl/svelte"
}

---

status

Check authentication status and plugin synchronization status for your project.

Authentication: Not required

Parameters

None

Notes

• Returns JSON with authentication status and plugin sync summary
• Shows plugins that are up-to-date, missing, outdated, or invalid
• Useful for checking if you need to run tessl install to sync plugins

Example

{                                                                     
       "authentication": {
         "authenticated": true,
         "email": "[e-mail]"
       },
       "manifest": {
         "summary": {
           "upToDate": 1,
           "missing": 0,
           "outdated": 0,
           "invalid": 0
         },
         "tiles": {
           "upToDate": [
             {
               "workspaceName": "tessl",
               "tileName": "pypi-fastapi",
               "manifestVersion": "0.116.0",
               "installedVersion": "0.116.0"
             }
           ],
           "missing": [],
           "outdated": [],
           "invalidPackages": []
         }
       }
     }