Swagger MCP Adapter

A TypeScript-based MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that integrates with Swagger/OpenAPI specifications to expose API endpoints as tools for Large Language Models (LLMs).

Quick Start

1. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

2. Build the project:

   npm run build
   

3. Set environment variables:

   export SWAGGER_PATH="./path/to/your/swagger.json"
   export BASE_URL="https://api.example.com"  # Optional
   

4. Run the server with hot reloading:

   npm run dev          # Hot reload enabled
   npm run dev:verbose  # Hot reload with verbose output
   

5. Test with inspector:

   npm run inspect      # MCP inspector with hot reload
   

6. Run tests:

   npm run test         # Run tests once
   npm run test:watch   # Run tests in watch mode
   

Features

• Load and parse OpenAPI/Swagger specifications from URLs or local files
• Expose API endpoints as MCP tools for seamless LLM integration
• Structured request/response validation with Zod schemas
• Comprehensive error handling and logging with Pino
• Intelligent caching system with TTL-based expiration
• Clean markdown formatting for better readability
• TypeScript-first development with full type safety
• Production-ready builds with optimized bundling
• Claude Desktop integration for easy deployment

Development

Hot Reloading

The project supports hot reloading during development:

# Start development server with hot reload
npm run dev

# Development server with verbose output (no screen clearing)
npm run dev:verbose

# MCP inspector with hot reload
npm run inspect

# Run tests in watch mode
npm run test:watch

File Watching

• Server files: Automatically restart when src/ files change
• Configuration: Reloads when .env file changes
• Tests: Re-run tests when test files or source files change
• Inspector: Hot reloads MCP server while inspector stays connected

Development Workflow

1. Start development server:

   npm run dev
   

2. Make changes to any .ts file in src/

3. Server automatically restarts with your changes

4. Test your changes using the inspector or direct API calls

Available MCP Tools

• list_services: List all available API services with clean markdown formatting
• get_service_information: Retrieve detailed information about a specific API service including parameters, request/response schemas, and example usage
• get_all_service_information: Retrieve comprehensive information about all API services from a Swagger/OpenAPI specification
• get_cache_information: Monitor cache status including cached specifications, expiration times, and performance metrics

Claude Desktop Integration

The Swagger MCP Adapter can be easily integrated with Claude Desktop for seamless API exploration:

1. Build the project:

   npm run build
   

2. Update Claude Desktop configuration (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json):

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "Swagger MCP Adapter": {
         "command": "node",
         "args": ["/path/to/your/swagger-mcp-adapter/dist/index.js"]
       }
     }
   }
   

3. Restart Claude Desktop to load the new MCP server

4. Start using the tools:

   Hey Claude, can you list the services from this Swagger spec: https://petstore.swagger.io/v2/swagger.json
   

   Hey Claude, tell me about the cache status of my Swagger MCP Adapter
   

   Hey Claude, can you create all services for my React project with zod schema validation for the axios instance from this Swagger spec: https://petstore.swagger.io/v2/swagger.json
   

   Hey Claude, can you create the get_pet_findByTags service for my React project with zod schema validation for the axios instance from this Swagger spec: https://petstore.swagger.io/v2/swagger.json
   

Configuration

Variable	Description	Default
SWAGGER_PATH	Path to OpenAPI/Swagger file	./swagger.json
BASE_URL	Base URL for API calls	From OpenAPI spec
TIMEOUT	Request timeout in ms	30000
LOG_LEVEL	Logging level	info
CACHE_TTL	Cache time-to-live in ms	300000 (5 min)

Cache Configuration

The MCP server includes an intelligent caching system:

• Automatic cache invalidation based on TTL
• Memory-efficient storage of parsed specifications
• Concurrent access handling for multiple requests
• Cache monitoring tools for performance insights

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GitHub Copilot Instructions for Swagger MCP Adapter

Architecture & Structure

Based on best practices for TypeScript/Node.js projects, this project follows a modular structure optimized for maintainability and scalability:

my-mcp-openapi/
├─ src/
│  ├─ index.ts             # MCP server entrypoint
│  ├─ server.ts            # MCP server setup (SDK integration)
│  ├─ swagger/
│  │   ├─ loader.ts        # Load & validate swagger/openapi files
│  │   ├─ parser.ts        # Parse specifications into normalized endpoints
│  │   └─ types.ts         # TypeScript type definitions from OpenAPI
│  ├─ commands/
│  │   ├─ listServices.ts  # MCP command to list available services
│  │   └─ callService.ts   # MCP command to call a specific service
│  ├─ http/
│  │   ├─ client.ts        # HTTP client wrapper (axios/fetch)
│  │   └─ validator.ts     # Request/response validation with Zod
│  ├─ utils/
│  │   └─ logger.ts        # Structured logging utility
│  └─ config.ts            # Configuration management
├─ test/
│  ├─ swagger.mock.json    # Mock OpenAPI specification for testing
│  └─ server.test.ts       # Unit and integration tests
├─ package.json             # Project dependencies and scripts
├─ tsconfig.json            # TypeScript configuration
├─ README.md                # Project documentation

Directory Guidelines

/src - Source Code

• Contains all TypeScript source files
• Organized by feature/domain for better maintainability
• Entry point is index.ts for the MCP server

/src/swagger - OpenAPI/Swagger Handling

• loader.ts: Handles loading OpenAPI specs from files or URLs
• parser.ts: Parses specifications into normalized data structures
• types.ts: Generated TypeScript interfaces from OpenAPI schemas

/src/commands - MCP Commands

• Implements MCP protocol commands as tools for LLMs
• listServices.ts: Returns available API endpoints
• callService.ts: Executes API calls with provided parameters

/src/http - HTTP Client & Validation

• client.ts: Generic HTTP client for making API requests
• validator.ts: Schema validation using Zod based on OpenAPI specs

/src/utils - Utilities

• Shared utility functions and helpers
• Logging, error handling, and common operations

/test - Test Files

• Unit tests for individual modules
• Integration tests for MCP server functionality
• Mock data for testing without external dependencies

TypeScript Modules & Dependencies

• Use npm for dependency management (package.json)
• Module should use ESM ("type": "module" in package.json)
• Keep dependencies minimal and regularly updated
• Use npm audit and npm update for security and updates
• Export main functionality through package.json exports field

TypeScript Development Standards

Code Style & Formatting

• Always use eslint and prettier for code formatting and linting
• Follow TypeScript naming conventions: camelCase for variables/functions, PascalCase for classes/interfaces
• Use meaningful variable names; avoid abbreviations
• Keep functions small and focused on a single responsibility
• Prefer const over let, use let only when reassignment is necessary

Error Handling

• Always handle errors appropriately after async operations
• Use try/catch blocks for synchronous errors
• Return errors as rejected Promises for async operations
• Create custom error classes for domain-specific errors
• Use structured logging for error details with context

// Good
try {
  const result = await service.callEndpoint(params);
  return result;
} catch (error) {
  logger.error("Failed to call endpoint", { error, params });
  throw new APIError("Service call failed", { cause: error });
}

MCP Server Setup

• Use the official @modelcontextprotocol/sdk for MCP implementation
• Implement proper tool definitions with schemas
• Handle MCP protocol messages correctly
• Support graceful shutdown with signal handlers
• Validate all inputs according to MCP specifications

HTTP Requests & Validation

• Use Axios or native fetch for HTTP requests
• Implement proper timeout and retry logic
• Validate request parameters against OpenAPI schemas using Zod
• Handle different content types (JSON, form-data, etc.)
• Return normalized responses to LLMs

Schema Validation & Type Safety

• Use Zod for runtime validation of OpenAPI schemas
• Generate TypeScript types from OpenAPI specifications
• Validate both incoming parameters and outgoing responses
• Provide clear error messages for validation failures

Testing

• Write unit tests for all modules using Vitest
• Use mock servers for integration testing
• Test error scenarios and edge cases
• Maintain high test coverage (>80%)
• Run tests in CI/CD pipeline

Project-Specific Guidelines

Configuration Management

• Use environment variables for configuration
• Provide sensible defaults for all configuration values
• Validate configuration on startup
• Support multiple environments (development, staging, production)
• Make OpenAPI source configurable (file path or URL)

API Integration

• Support both JSON and YAML OpenAPI specifications
• Handle authentication requirements (API keys, OAuth, etc.)
• Implement rate limiting to prevent API abuse
• Cache responses when appropriate to reduce load
• Provide fallback mechanisms for API failures

Security & Validation

• Validate all inputs to prevent injection attacks
• Implement proper CORS handling if needed
• Use HTTPS for all external API calls
• Sanitize and validate OpenAPI specifications
• Implement request/response size limits

Logging & Monitoring

• Use structured logging with Pino for consistent log format
• Log important events: API calls, errors, performance metrics
• Include contextual information in logs (request IDs, user info)
• Monitor MCP server health and performance
• Alert on critical errors or performance degradation

Development Workflow

1. Project Setup

   • Initialize Node.js + TypeScript project with proper tooling
   • Set up ESLint, Prettier, and Vitest for development

2. Swagger/OpenAPI Parser

   • Implement loader for JSON/YAML specifications
   • Parse endpoints and generate TypeScript interfaces
   • Normalize service metadata for MCP exposure

3. MCP Server Implementation

   • Set up MCP server with SDK
   • Implement listServices and callService commands
   • Handle LLM tool invocations properly

4. Request/Response Handling

   • Create generic HTTP client with error handling
   • Implement schema validation with Zod
   • Normalize responses for LLM consumption

5. Best Practices Implementation

   • Add configurable OpenAPI source support
   • Implement comprehensive error handling
   • Add structured logging throughout
   • Ensure strong typing across the codebase

6. Testing Strategy

   • Write unit tests for all core functionality
   • Create contract tests with mock APIs
   • Implement end-to-end tests with mock OpenAPI specs

7. Release Preparation

   • Configure package.json for ESM and exports
   • Set up GitHub Actions for automated publishing
   • Create comprehensive documentation

Technology Stack

• Core: TypeScript 5.6+, Node.js (ESM)
• MCP SDK: @modelcontextprotocol/sdk 1.17.4
• OpenAPI/Swagger: swagger-parser 10.0.4, openapi-typescript 7.0+
• Validation: zod 3.23+
• HTTP Client: axios 1.7+
• Testing: vitest 2.0+
• Logging: pino 9.0+
• Build: tsup 8.2+, Biome 2.2.2
• Dev Tools: tsx 4.19+