Nx MCP Server Reference

The Nx MCP server is a Model Context Protocol implementation that gives LLMs deep access to your monorepo's structure: project relationships, file mappings, runnable tasks, ownership info, tech stacks, Nx generators, and Nx documentation.

For an overview of how Nx enhances AI assistants and powerful use cases, see the Enhance Your LLM guide.

Installation

There are a few ways to setup the Nx MCP server

via mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "nx-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["nx-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Via Nx Console Extension

If you're using Cursor, VS Code, or JetBrains IDEs, install the Nx Console extension which automatically manages the MCP server for you.

Client-Specific Setup

If your preferred client is not listed, then configure your client to run the npx nx-mcp command to start up the Nx MCP server.

Claude Code

claude mcp add nx-mcp npx nx-mcp@latest

VS Code

code --add-mcp '{"name":"nx-mcp","command":"npx","args":["nx-mcp"]}'

Alternatively, configure it in your VS Code settings or use the Nx Console extension for automatic setup.

Cursor

Install Nx Console from the marketplace
You'll receive a notification to "Improve Copilot/AI agent with Nx-specific context"
Click "Yes" to configure the MCP server

If you miss the notification, run the nx.configureMcpServer command from the command palette (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + P).

JetBrains IDEs

Install Nx Console from the marketplace
You'll receive a notification to "Improve Copilot/AI agent with Nx-specific context"
Click "Yes" to configure the MCP server

If you miss the notification, run the Nx: Setup MCP Server command from the command palette (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + A).

Command-Line Options

The nx-mcp command accepts the following options:

Option	Alias	Description
`[workspacePath]`	`-w`	Path to the Nx workspace root. Defaults to the current working directory if not provided.
`--transport <type>`		Transport protocol to use: `stdio` (default), `sse`, or `http`
`--port <port>`	`-p`	Port to use for the HTTP/SSE server (default: 9921). Only valid with `--transport sse` or `--transport http`.
`--tools <patterns...>`	`-t`	Filter which tools are enabled. Accepts glob patterns including negation (e.g., `""`, `"!nx_docs"`, `"cloud_"`)
`--disableTelemetry`		Disable sending of telemetry data
`--debugLogs`		Enable debug logging
`--help`		Display help information

HTTP Transport

If you want to host the server instead of communicating via stdio, use the --transport and --port flags:

npx nx-mcp@latest --transport sse --port 9921

The HTTP transport supports multiple concurrent connections, allowing different clients to connect simultaneously with independent sessions.

Filtering Tools

You can limit which tools are available using the --tools option with glob patterns:

# Enable all tools (default)
npx nx-mcp@latest --tools "*"

# Disable specific tools
npx nx-mcp@latest --tools "*" "!nx_docs"

# Enable only cloud analytics tools
npx nx-mcp@latest --tools "cloud_*"

# Enable workspace tools only
npx nx-mcp@latest --tools "nx_workspace" "nx_project_details" "nx_docs"

This is useful when you want to restrict the LLM's capabilities or reduce noise in the tool list.

Available Tools

Workspace Tools

Tool	Description
`nx_workspace`	Returns a readable representation of the project graph and nx.json configuration. Also returns any project graph errors if present.
`nx_workspace_path`	Returns the path to the Nx workspace root
`nx_project_details`	Returns complete project configuration in JSON format for a specific project, including targets, dependencies, and metadata
`nx_docs`	Returns documentation sections relevant to user queries about Nx configuration and best practices
`nx_available_plugins`	Lists available Nx plugins from the core team and local workspace plugins

Generator Tools

Tool	Description
`nx_generators`	Returns a list of available code generators in your workspace
`nx_generator_schema`	Returns the detailed JSON schema for a specific Nx generator, including all available options
`nx_run_generator`	Opens the Nx Console Generate UI with prefilled options (requires a running IDE instance with Nx Console)

Task Monitoring Tools

Tool	Description
`nx_current_running_tasks_details`	Lists currently running Nx TUI processes and their task statuses
`nx_current_running_task_output`	Returns terminal output for specific running tasks

Visualization Tools

Tool	Description
`nx_visualize_graph`	Opens interactive project or task graph visualizations (requires a running IDE instance with Nx Console)

Nx Cloud Analytics Tools

These tools are only available when connected to an Nx Cloud-enabled workspace. They provide analytics and insights into your CI/CD data:

Tool	Description
`cloud_analytics_pipeline_executions_search`	Analyzes historical pipeline execution data to identify trends and patterns in CI/CD workflows
`cloud_analytics_pipeline_execution_details`	Retrieves detailed data for a specific pipeline execution to investigate performance bottlenecks
`cloud_analytics_runs_search`	Analyzes historical run data to track performance trends and team productivity patterns
`cloud_analytics_run_details`	Retrieves detailed data for a specific run to investigate command execution performance
`cloud_analytics_tasks_search`	Analyzes aggregated task performance statistics including success rates and cache hit rates
`cloud_analytics_task_executions_search`	Analyzes individual task execution data to investigate performance trends over time

Available Resources

When connected to an Nx Cloud-enabled workspace, the Nx MCP server automatically exposes recent CI Pipeline Executions (CIPEs) as MCP resources. Resources appear in your AI tool's resource picker, allowing the LLM to access detailed information about CI runs including:

Failed tasks and their error messages
Terminal output from task executions
Affected files in the pipeline run
Build timing and performance data

Tool Usage Examples

Understanding Workspace Architecture

Ask your AI assistant about your workspace structure:

What is the structure of this workspace?
How are the projects organized?

The nx_workspace tool provides:

All applications and libraries in your workspace
Project categorization through tags
Technology types (feature, UI, data-access)
Project ownership and team responsibilities

Getting Project Details

To understand a specific project's configuration:

Show me the details of the my-app project
What targets are available for my-lib?

The nx_project_details tool returns:

Complete target configuration
Project dependencies
Source and output paths
Tags and metadata

Using Generators

Ask your AI assistant to scaffold new code:

Create a new React library in the packages/shared folder

The AI will use nx_generators to find available generators and nx_generator_schema to understand the options, then can invoke nx_run_generator to open the Generate UI with preset values.

Accessing Documentation

Get accurate guidance without hallucinations:

How do I configure Nx release for conventional commits?
What are the caching options for tasks?

The nx_docs tool retrieves relevant, up-to-date documentation based on your query.

Analyzing CI Failures

When a CI build fails, your AI assistant can:

What failed in my last CI run?
Help me fix the build error

Using the Nx Cloud tools, the AI can:

Access detailed information about the failed build
Retrieve terminal output from failed tasks
Understand what changed and suggest fixes