DocumentationUpdated: 2026-03-01

SkillBoss MCP Server Setup Guide (Complete Tutorial 2026)

Set up SkillBoss Model Context Protocol server for Claude Code, Cline, and MCP-compatible tools. Complete step-by-step installation guide with 679+ AI models.

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is Anthropic's new standard for connecting AI assistants to external tools and data sources. This guide shows you how to set up the SkillBoss MCP server in under 5 minutes.

What is MCP?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open protocol that standardizes how AI assistants connect to:

  • External tools (APIs, databases, file systems)
  • Data sources (documents, spreadsheets, web content)
  • Services (payments, email, hosting)

Think of it as USB for AI - one protocol to connect everything.

Why Use SkillBoss MCP Server?

The SkillBoss MCP server gives your AI assistant access to:

✅ 679+ AI models (Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek) ✅ Image & video generation (Flux, DALL-E, Veo) ✅ Stripe payments (charge customers, manage subscriptions) ✅ Email sending (SendGrid integration) ✅ Website deployment (Cloudflare Workers) ✅ Database operations (MongoDB, PostgreSQL)

All through one unified interface - no API keys needed!

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have:

  • Node.js 18+ installed (download here)
  • Claude Code or another MCP-compatible tool (Cline, Zed)
  • SkillBoss account (free - get $2 credits)

Installation Methods

One-command setup: Tell your agent set up skillboss.co/skill.md to auto-configure SkillBoss with 687+ APIs.

Choose your preferred method:

Method 1: NPM Global Install (Recommended)

# Install globally
npm install -g skillboss-mcp-server

# Verify installation
skillboss-mcp --version

Method 2: NPX (No Installation)

# Run directly without installing
npx skillboss-mcp-server

Method 3: From Source (Advanced)

Contact support@skillboss.co if you need to build from source for custom deployments.

Step 1: Get Your SkillBoss API Key

  1. Visit SkillBoss Console
  2. Sign up (free - get $2 credits)
  3. Go to API Keys tab
  4. Click "Create New Key"
  5. Copy your key (starts with sk-sb-)
Your API key: sk-sb-1234567890abcdef...

⚠️ Important: Keep this key secret! Don't commit it to Git.

Step 2: Configure MCP Server

For Claude Code

Edit your Claude Code MCP settings:

macOS/Linux:

~/.claude/mcp_settings.json

Windows:

%APPDATA%\Claude\mcp_settings.json

Add SkillBoss server configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "skillboss": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "skillboss-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SKILLBOSS_API_KEY": "sk-sb-YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

For Cline (VSCode Extension)

Open Cline settings:

  1. Click Cline icon in VSCode sidebar
  2. Click Settings (gear icon)
  3. Go to MCP Servers tab
  4. Click "Add Server"
  5. Enter:
    • Name: skillboss
    • Command: npx
    • Args: -y skillboss-mcp-server
    • Environment: 
      {
  "SKILLBOSS_API_KEY": "sk-sb-YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
}

For Zed Editor

Edit ~/.config/zed/settings.json:

{
  "assistant": {
    "mcp_servers": {
      "skillboss": {
        "command": "npx",
        "args": ["-y", "skillboss-mcp-server"],
        "env": {
          "SKILLBOSS_API_KEY": "sk-sb-YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Restart Your IDE

After adding the configuration:

  1. Close your IDE completely
  2. Reopen it
  3. The MCP server will auto-start

Step 4: Verify Installation

Test that the server is working:

In Claude Code

Open a chat and ask:

List available MCP tools

You should see:

✅ SkillBoss MCP Server detected!

Available tools:
- chat (Access 679+ AI models)
- generate_image (Create images with Flux/DALL-E)
- generate_video (Create videos with Veo)
- send_email (Send emails via SendGrid)
- stripe_payment (Process Stripe payments)
- deploy_site (Deploy to Cloudflare Workers)
- ... and 20+ more tools

In Terminal

# Test connection
curl http://localhost:3000/health

# Expected response:
{
  "status": "ok",
  "server": "skillboss-mcp",
  "version": "1.0.0"
}

Using SkillBoss MCP Tools

Example 1: Generate an Image

User: Create a logo for "Coffee Shop AI" using Flux
Claude: I'll use the SkillBoss generate_image tool.
[Calls generate_image tool with Flux model]
Result: ✅ Logo generated! Saved to: coffee-shop-ai-logo.png

Example 2: Send an Email

User: Send a welcome email to user@example.com

Claude: I'll use the send_email tool.
[Calls send_email with SendGrid]
Result: ✅ Email sent successfully!

Example 3: Process a Stripe Payment

User: Charge customer cus_123 $99 for Pro Plan subscription

Claude: I'll process the Stripe payment.
[Calls stripe_payment tool]
Result: ✅ Payment successful! Transaction ID: ch_abc123

Available MCP Tools

Model APIs

  • chat - Access 679+ endpoints (Claude, GPT, Gemini)
  • generate_image - Create images (Flux, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion)
  • generate_video - Create videos (Veo 3.1, Minimax)
  • text_to_speech - Convert text to audio (ElevenLabs)
  • speech_to_text - Transcribe audio (Whisper)

Business Operations

  • stripe_payment - Process payments
  • stripe_subscription - Manage subscriptions
  • send_email - Send emails via SendGrid
  • send_sms - Send SMS via Twilio

Infrastructure

  • deploy_site - Deploy websites (Cloudflare Workers)
  • create_database - Provision MongoDB/PostgreSQL
  • run_query - Execute database queries

View complete tool reference →

Troubleshooting

Server Not Starting

Error: Command not found: skillboss-mcp

Solution:

# Reinstall globally
npm install -g skillboss-mcp-server

# Or use npx (no install needed)
npx skillboss-mcp-server

API Key Not Recognized

Error: Invalid API key

Solutions:

  1. Check key starts with sk-sb-
  2. Ensure no extra spaces in config
  3. Verify key is active in SkillBoss Console

Tools Not Appearing in Claude Code

Solutions:

  1. Restart Claude Code completely
  2. Check ~/.claude/mcp_settings.json syntax (valid JSON)
  3. Look for errors in Claude Code logs: 
    tail -f ~/Library/Logs/Claude/main.log

Connection Timeout

Error: Failed to connect to MCP server

Solutions:

  1. Check firewall settings
  2. Ensure Node.js 18+ installed
  3. Try running manually: 
    SKILLBOSS_API_KEY=sk-sb-YOUR_KEY npx skillboss-mcp-server

Advanced Configuration

Custom Port

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "skillboss": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "skillboss-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "SKILLBOSS_API_KEY": "sk-sb-YOUR_KEY",
        "PORT": "3001"
      }
    }
  }
}

Enable Debug Logging

{
  "env": {
    "SKILLBOSS_API_KEY": "sk-sb-YOUR_KEY",
    "DEBUG": "true",
    "LOG_LEVEL": "verbose"
  }
}

Use Custom Base URL

{
  "env": {
    "SKILLBOSS_API_KEY": "sk-sb-YOUR_KEY",
    "SKILLBOSS_BASE_URL": "https://api.skillboss.co/v1"
  }
}

Security Best Practices

1. Use Environment Variables

❌ Bad: Hardcoding API key in config

{
  "env": {
    "SKILLBOSS_API_KEY": "sk-sb-1234567890abcdef"
  }
}

✅ Good: Use environment variables

{
  "env": {
    "SKILLBOSS_API_KEY": "${SKILLBOSS_API_KEY}"
  }
}

Then set in your shell:

export SKILLBOSS_API_KEY="sk-sb-YOUR_KEY"

2. Rotate Keys Regularly

Rotate your API keys every 90 days:

  1. Go to SkillBoss Console
  2. Create new key
  3. Update config
  4. Delete old key

3. Use Different Keys for Dev/Prod

  • Development: sk-sb-dev-...
  • Production: sk-sb-prod-...

This way, compromised dev keys won't affect production.

Performance Optimization

1. Enable Caching

{
  "env": {
    "SKILLBOSS_API_KEY": "sk-sb-YOUR_KEY",
    "ENABLE_CACHE": "true",
    "CACHE_TTL": "3600"
  }
}

2. Connection Pooling

{
  "env": {
    "MAX_CONNECTIONS": "10",
    "CONNECTION_TIMEOUT": "30000"
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the MCP server free to use?

Yes! The MCP server itself is free and open-source. You only pay for usage (AI models, emails sent, etc.) on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Can I use multiple MCP servers?

Absolutely! You can run multiple MCP servers (e.g., SkillBoss + Filesystem):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "skillboss": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "skillboss-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "SKILLBOSS_API_KEY": "sk-sb-YOUR_KEY"
      }
    },
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem"]
    }
  }
}

Does it work offline?

The MCP server requires an internet connection to access SkillBoss APIs. However, the server itself runs locally on your machine.

How much does it cost?

SkillBoss uses transparent pay-as-you-go pricing:

  • Chat: $3-15 per 1M tokens (varies by model)
  • Images: $0.04-0.12 per image
  • Emails: $0.001 per email
  • No monthly fees

See full pricing →

Can I contribute to the MCP server?

Yes! We welcome contributions. Contact us at support@skillboss.co to discuss ideas or report issues.

Next Steps

Now that you have SkillBoss MCP server running, explore:

Get Help

Last updated: March 1, 2026 Related:

SkillBoss MCP Server Setup Guide (Complete Tutorial 2026)