Cline MCP Setup: Connect MCP Servers to Cline

What it is

An open-source autonomous coding agent that runs as a VS Code extension, planning and executing multi-step edits with your approval.

How MCP works in Cline

Cline is an MCP client with its own marketplace of servers. It supports local stdio servers and remote SSE/HTTP servers, with per-tool auto-approve settings.

Config file location

cline_mcp_settings.json in the extension's globalStorage folder (open it from the MCP Servers icon > Configure) holds an mcpServers object.

Add your first server

A good first server is Playwright MCP — Microsoft's browser automation server. It runs locally over stdio via npx, needs no API key, and gives the agent a real browser to drive. Here is the verified Cline config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@playwright/mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Restart or reload Cline after saving, then confirm the server's tools show up. Swap in any other server from the directory using the same structure.

Transports & platforms

FAQ