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retoor 251c3dc2ba research: mcp-client-support subject (106 sources, 3 conclusions)

- wire spec: lifecycle, stdio + Streamable HTTP transports, tools,
  utilities, legacy SSE, versioning, changelog (14 Tier 1)
- client ecosystem: Claude Code/VS Code/Cursor/Codex configs,
  mcp-remote, Smithery, registries, Glama (12 Tier 1)
- security/ops: authorization draft, trust model, poisoning,
  rug pulls, production hardening (12 Tier 1) + 68 Tier 2 cards
- conclusions: minimal stdlib client on 2025-11-25, normalizer +
  resolver agent for pasted configs/GitHub URLs, untrusted-until-
  consent trust model; nothing built yet
- audit PASS (14 subjects, 797 sources, 32 conclusions)

2026-10-18 19:23:02 +02:00

2.9 KiB

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Smithery docs: Connect to MCPs

Metadata

Field	Value
Institute	Molodetz Institute - Research and Retrieval Division
Subject	mcp-client-support
Document type	Source Dossier
Tier	1
Source title	Smithery docs (Connect to MCPs)
Source URL	https://smithery.ai/docs/use/connect
Source publisher / author	Smithery
Source type	vendor docs
Source date (published)	Unknown, not stated
Date researched	2026-10-18
Researched by	tai (agent), model: Claude Sonnet 5, on behalf of retoor
Research method	gather-subagent direct page fetch, parent synthesis from evidence pack
Confidence	High
Status	Active

Summary

Smithery's "Connect to MCPs" documentation: the CLI flow (smithery auth login to smithery mcp add exa --id exa to smithery tool list/call), the API key model (Authorization: Bearer $SMITHERY_API_KEY against https://smithery.run/<namespace>/<id>), and programmatic connections via createConnection({ mcpUrl }) from @smithery/api/mcp, with OAuth-required servers returning an auth.smithery.ai link.

Key findings

CLI flow: smithery auth login to smithery mcp add exa --id exa to smithery tool list/call; API key from smithery.ai/account/api-keys, used as Authorization: Bearer $SMITHERY_API_KEY against https://smithery.run/<namespace>/<id>.
Programmatic: createConnection({ mcpUrl: 'https://mcp.exa.ai' }) from @smithery/api/mcp, usable with the MCP TS SDK or AI SDK; OAuth-required servers return an https://auth.smithery.ai/... link.
Smithery is a managed catalog + connection layer: "Zero OAuth configuration", "Automatic token refresh", "Secure credential storage... encrypted and write-only", "Stateless for you".

Pros / strengths

Gives the exact CLI and programmatic connection recipes, so a Smithery reference can be turned into a runnable connection mechanically.
The OAuth-required flow (server returns an auth.smithery.ai link) is stated explicitly, grounding the fallback path.
Corroborates the intro page's hosted URL + key model with concrete commands and endpoints.

Cons / limitations / caveats

No publish date; CLI and endpoint details could drift without notice.
Smithery's legacy server.smithery.ai/.../mcp?api_key= URL shape is not present on the two Smithery pages read (which show the smithery.run + mcpUrl model); treat old-pattern knowledge as stale until re-verified.
Vendor doc for a paid/hosted layer: the CLI flow assumes a Smithery account and key, which tai users may not have.

Relevance to tai

Provides the executable half of the Smithery resolution path: CLI commands, key header shape, hosted URL pattern, and the programmatic mcpUrl form. Together with the intro page, this fixes what tai emits for a Smithery-namespaced reference.

Changelog

Date	Change
2026-10-18	Initial dossier created.

2.9 KiB Raw Blame History