Pop MCP

🚀 Pop MCP Server

A comprehensive Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for complete Polkadot development, enabling seamless integration with Pop CLI for smart contracts, parachains, pallets, and chain interaction.

Source Code: https://github.com/r0gue-io/pop-mcp

🚀 Quick Start

Build anything on Polkadot through natural conversation with your AI assistant. You can develop smart contracts, parachains, pallets, and interact with the chain. The server also provides complete documentation and development tools for the full lifecycle from idea to deployment.

✨ Features

📚 Documentation Resources

Access comprehensive guides directly through your AI assistant:

• ink! Comprehensive Guide: Complete smart contract language documentation
• ink! Technical Guide: Deep technical implementation details
• Pop CLI Guide: Complete tooling for contracts, parachains, and pallets
• XCM Comprehensive Guide: Cross-chain messaging theory and patterns
• XCM ink! Examples: Real-world XCM contract examples with code

🛠️ Development Tools

Powerful tools for complete Polkadot development:

Installation & Setup

• check_pop_installation: Verify Pop CLI installation
• install_pop_instructions: Platform-specific installation guides

Smart Contract Development

• list_templates: View contract templates (ERC20, ERC721, ERC1155, DNS, multisig, etc.)
• create_contract: Create contracts from templates
• build_contract: Build contracts with optimization
• test_contract: Run unit and e2e tests
• deploy_contract: Deploy to any network
• call_contract: Execute contract methods
• get_contract_info: Inspect contract metadata

Parachain Development

• create_parachain: Create new parachain/appchain projects
• build_parachain: Build parachain binaries and runtime
• launch_parachain: Launch local parachain networks

Pallet Development

• create_pallet: Create custom runtime pallets
• benchmark_pallet: Run pallet benchmarks

Chain Interaction

• call_chain: Execute extrinsics, query storage, read constants
• query_chain_storage: Read chain state
• read_chain_constant: Read runtime constants

Utilities

• clean_project: Clean build artifacts
• pop_help: Get help for any Pop CLI command
• search_documentation: Search through all documentation for topics and keywords

📦 Installation

Install the MCP Server

Download the latest pre-built binary for your platform from the GitHub Releases:

# macOS ARM64 (Apple Silicon)
curl -L https://github.com/r0gue-io/pop-mcp/releases/latest/download/pop-mcp-server-aarch64-apple-darwin.tar.gz | tar xz
chmod +x pop-mcp-server-aarch64-apple-darwin

# macOS Intel
curl -L https://github.com/r0gue-io/pop-mcp/releases/latest/download/pop-mcp-server-x86_64-apple-darwin.tar.gz | tar xz
chmod +x pop-mcp-server-x86_64-apple-darwin

# Linux
curl -L https://github.com/r0gue-io/pop-mcp/releases/latest/download/pop-mcp-server-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz | tar xz
chmod +x pop-mcp-server-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu

Move the binary to a location in your PATH (optional):

sudo mv pop-mcp-server-* /usr/local/bin/pop-mcp-server

Build from Source

To build from source:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/r0gue-io/pop-mcp.git
cd pop-mcp

# Build with Rust
cargo build --release

# The binary will be at target/release/pop-mcp-server

📚 Documentation

Claude Desktop Configuration

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration file: macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pop-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "/path/to/pop-mcp-server",
      "args": [],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Replace /path/to/pop-mcp-server with the actual path to your binary, or just pop-mcp-server if it's in your PATH.

Claude Code Configuration

Claude Code is available in VS Code! To use the Pop MCP Server:

Global Configuration (Recommended)

Add the MCP server to your global Claude settings file at ~/.claude.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pop-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "/path/to/pop-mcp-server",
      "args": [],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Option 2: Project-Specific Configuration

Alternatively, add a .mcp.json file in your project directory:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pop-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "/path/to/pop-mcp-server",
      "args": [],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

After Configuration

1. Restart Claude Code (or reload VS Code window)
2. Verify the server is loaded with /mcp command in Claude Code
3. You should see pop-mcp listed with available tools

Auto-Loading Documentation Resources (Optional)

To have Claude automatically load ink!, Pop CLI, and XCM documentation at the start of each conversation, create a CLAUDE.md file in your project root:

# Polkadot Development Context

Automatically load comprehensive documentation for ink! smart contracts and Polkadot development:

@pop-mcp:ink://docs/llm-guide
@pop-mcp:pop://docs/cli-guide

For XCM cross-chain development:
@pop-mcp:xcm://docs/comprehensive-guide
@pop-mcp:xcm://docs/ink-examples

This ensures Claude has full access to ink!, Pop CLI, and XCM documentation without needing to manually @-mention resources in each conversation. Now you can develop Polkadot projects directly in your IDE with Claude's help!

Cursor Configuration

Cursor is an AI-powered IDE that supports MCP servers. To configure Pop MCP:

1. Add the MCP Server

1. Open Settings (⌘/Ctrl + ,)
2. Navigate to Tools & MCP
3. Click Add new MCP Server
4. Paste the following configuration:

{
  "pop-mcp": {
    "type": "stdio",
    "command": "/path/to/pop-mcp-server",
    "args": [],
    "env": {}
  }
}

Replace /path/to/pop-mcp-server with the actual path to your binary, or just pop-mcp-server if it's in your PATH.

2. Auto-Load Documentation (Recommended)

To have Cursor automatically load Polkadot documentation when working on ink! smart contracts:

1. Open Settings (⌘/Ctrl + ,)
2. Navigate to Rules, Memories, Commands
3. Click Add a Project Rule
4. Set the application mode to Apply Intelligently
5. Name it: When developing ink! smart contracts
6. Add the following content:

Automatically load comprehensive documentation for ink! smart contracts and Polkadot development:

@pop-mcp:ink://docs/llm-guide
@pop-mcp:pop://docs/cli-guide

For XCM cross-chain development:
@pop-mcp:xcm://docs/comprehensive-guide
@pop-mcp:xcm://docs/ink-examples

This ensures Cursor's AI has full access to ink!, Pop CLI, and XCM documentation when working on Polkadot projects. Tip: When starting a new chat in Cursor, click the rule name in the composer to manually add it to your conversation. This ensures the Polkadot documentation is loaded into the chat context.

Other MCP Clients

For other MCP clients (Cline, Zed, etc.), refer to their documentation for adding MCP servers. Generally, you'll need to provide:

• Command: pop-mcp-server (or full path: /path/to/pop-mcp-server)
• Args: [] (empty)

💻 Usage Examples

Checking Pop CLI Installation

User: Is Pop CLI installed?
Assistant: [Uses check_pop_installation tool]

Creating a New Contract

User: Create an ERC20 token contract called MyToken
Assistant: [Uses create_contract with name="MyToken" and template="erc20"]

Building and Testing

User: Build and test the contract in ./my-contract
Assistant: [Uses build_contract and test_contract tools]

Deploying a Contract

User: Deploy the contract to my local node
Assistant: [Uses deploy_contract with appropriate parameters]

Accessing Documentation

Documentation is automatically available - just ask questions:

User: How do I implement storage in ink!?
Assistant: [Claude reads from ink! documentation and explains storage implementation]

User: What are the best practices for XCM?
Assistant: [Claude accesses XCM comprehensive guide and provides best practices]

Searching Documentation

Use the search tool for specific queries:

User: Search for information about testing contracts
Assistant: [Uses search_documentation with query="testing" to find relevant sections]

User: Find examples of cross-contract calls in the ink! docs
Assistant: [Searches ink! documentation and returns relevant examples with context]

🔧 Technical Details

Available Templates

• standard: Basic flipper contract (boolean toggle)
• erc20: Fungible token implementation
• erc721: NFT implementation
• erc1155: Multi-token standard
• dns: Domain Name Service example
• cross-contract-calls: Inter-contract communication
• multisig: Multi-signature wallet

Tool Reference

Installation Tools

check_pop_installation

Checks if Pop CLI is installed and returns version information.

// No parameters required

install_pop_instructions

Provides platform-specific installation instructions.

{
  platform?: "macos" | "linux" | "source"  // Optional, defaults to macos
}

Project Creation Tools

list_templates

Lists all available ink! contract templates.

// No parameters required

create_contract

Creates a new contract from a template.

{
  name: string,           // Contract project name
  template: string,       // Template name (see Available Templates)
  path?: string          // Target directory (defaults to current)
}

Development Tools

build_contract

Builds a contract with optional optimizations.

{
  path: string,          // Contract directory path
  release?: boolean      // Build with optimizations (default: false)
}

test_contract

Runs contract tests (unit or e2e).

{
  path: string,          // Contract directory path
  e2e?: boolean,        // Run e2e tests (default: false)
  node?: string         // Custom node path for e2e (optional)
}

clean_contract

Removes build artifacts.

{
  path: string          // Contract directory path
}

get_contract_info

Retrieves contract metadata and information.

{
  path: string          // Contract directory or .contract file path
}

Deployment Tools

deploy_contract

Deploys and instantiates a contract.

{
  path: string,              // Contract directory or .contract bundle
  constructor?: string,      // Constructor name (default: "new")
  args?: string,            // Constructor arguments (space-separated)
  suri?: string,            // Signing key URI (default: //Alice)
  url?: string,             // Node WebSocket URL (default: ws://localhost:9944)
  dryRun?: boolean,         // Dry run without submitting (default: false)
  uploadOnly?: boolean      // Only upload code, don't instantiate (default: false)
}

call_contract

Calls a method on a deployed contract.

{
  contract: string,         // Contract address
  message: string,          // Method name to call
  args?: string,           // Method arguments (space-separated)
  suri?: string,           // Signing key URI (default: //Alice)
  url?: string,            // Node WebSocket URL (default: ws://localhost:9944)
  dryRun?: boolean         // Dry run without submitting (default: false)
}

Network Tools

pop_up_parachain

Provides instructions for launching a local parachain network.

{
  path?: string            // Parachain directory (optional)
}

Utility Tools

pop_help

Gets help for any Pop CLI command.

{
  command?: string         // Command to get help for (e.g., "new contract")
}

search_documentation

Searches through all Polkadot documentation for specific topics or keywords.

{
  query: string,           // Search query (e.g., "storage", "testing", "XCM")
  scope?: string          // Optional: "ink", "pop", "xcm", or "all" (default: "all")
}

Documentation Resources

The Pop MCP Server provides comprehensive Polkadot documentation that Claude can access in three ways:

1. Automatic Context (Recommended)

Claude automatically has access to all documentation when the MCP server is loaded. Just ask questions naturally:

How do I define storage in an ink! contract?
Explain XCM and how to use it in contracts
What's the difference between contracts and parachains?
Show me how to implement cross-contract calls

2. Search Tool

Use the search_documentation tool to find specific information:

Search the documentation for "storage macros"
Find information about XCM in the docs
Look up testing patterns in ink!

3. Direct Resource URIs

Access specific documentation files via MCP resource protocol:

• ink://docs/llm-guide: ink! comprehensive guide (complete language reference)
• ink://docs/technical-guide: ink! technical reference (deep implementation details)
• pop://docs/cli-guide: Pop CLI documentation (tooling and workflows)
• xcm://docs/comprehensive-guide: XCM theory and patterns (cross-chain messaging)
• xcm://docs/ink-examples: XCM contract examples (real-world code)

Available Documentation Topics

Your AI assistant has comprehensive knowledge about:

• ink! Smart Contracts: Language syntax, macros, storage, events, errors
• Contract Patterns: ERC20, ERC721, ERC1155, DNS, multisig, cross-contract calls
• Testing: Unit tests, e2e tests, test patterns and best practices
• XCM: Cross-chain messaging, integration patterns, real examples
• Pop CLI: All commands, workflows, and tooling
• Deployment: Local nodes, testnets, mainnet deployment strategies
• Optimization: Gas optimization, storage efficiency, best practices

Project Structure

pop-mcp/
├── src/
│   └── index.ts          # Main MCP server implementation
├── build/                # Compiled JavaScript (generated)
├── .claude/
│   └── docs/            # Documentation resources
│       ├── ink-llms.txt
│       ├── ink-technical-guide.txt
│       ├── pop-cli-comprehensive-guide.txt
│       ├── xcm-comprehensive-guide.txt
│       └── xcm-ink-examples-guide.txt
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── README.md

Development

Building

npm run build

Watching for Changes

npm run watch

Testing with MCP Inspector

The MCP Inspector provides a UI for testing your server:

npm run inspector

This will open a web interface where you can:

• Test individual tools
• View available resources
• Inspect request/response payloads
• Debug server behavior

Troubleshooting

Server Not Connecting

1. Verify the build completed successfully: npm run build
2. Check the path in your MCP client configuration
3. Look for errors in the client's developer console or logs
4. Restart your MCP client after configuration changes

Pop CLI Commands Failing

1. Verify Pop CLI is installed: pop --version
2. Ensure you're in the correct directory for contract operations
3. Check that paths provided to tools are absolute paths
4. Review Pop CLI output for specific error messages

Permission Issues

On macOS/Linux, ensure the build output is executable:

chmod +x build/index.js

Contributing

This MCP server is designed for hackathons and rapid development. Contributions are welcome!

Adding New Tools

1. Add tool definition in ListToolsRequestSchema handler
2. Implement tool logic in CallToolRequestSchema handler
3. Update README documentation
4. Test with MCP Inspector

Adding Documentation Resources

1. Place documentation files in .claude/docs/
2. Add resource definition to DOCS array
3. Rebuild the server

Resources

• Pop MCP Server GitHub - This repository
• Pop CLI Documentation
• Pop CLI GitHub
• ink! Documentation
• Model Context Protocol
• Polkadot Documentation

📄 License

MIT

Support

For issues and questions:

• Pop MCP Server: https://github.com/r0gue-io/pop-mcp/issues
• Pop CLI: https://github.com/r0gue-io/pop-cli/issues
• MCP Protocol: https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/specification

Built for Polkadot hackathons and developers 🚀