mcp-cli
Interface for MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers via CLI. Use when you need to interact with external tools, APIs, or data sources through MCP servers, list available MCP servers/tools, or call MCP tools from command line.
How do I install this agent skill?
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill mcp-cliIs this agent skill safe to install?
- Gen Agent Trust Hubpass
This skill is documentation for an MCP CLI tool. It lacks executable code but describes patterns for interacting with external data that present risks of indirect prompt injection and command injection via shell pipes.
- Socketpass
No alerts
- Snykwarn
Risk: MEDIUM · No issues
- Runlayerpass
1 file scanned · No issues
- ZeroLeakspass
Score: 93/100 · 2 sections analyzed
What does this agent skill do?
MCP-CLI
Access MCP servers through the command line. MCP enables interaction with external systems like GitHub, filesystems, databases, and APIs.
Commands
| Command | Output |
|---|---|
mcp-cli | List all servers and tool names |
mcp-cli <server> | Show tools with parameters |
mcp-cli <server>/<tool> | Get tool JSON schema |
mcp-cli <server>/<tool> '<json>' | Call tool with arguments |
mcp-cli grep "<glob>" | Search tools by name |
Add -d to include descriptions (e.g., mcp-cli filesystem -d)
Workflow
- Discover:
mcp-cli→ see available servers and tools - Explore:
mcp-cli <server>→ see tools with parameters - Inspect:
mcp-cli <server>/<tool>→ get full JSON input schema - Execute:
mcp-cli <server>/<tool> '<json>'→ run with arguments
Examples
# List all servers and tool names
mcp-cli
# See all tools with parameters
mcp-cli filesystem
# With descriptions (more verbose)
mcp-cli filesystem -d
# Get JSON schema for specific tool
mcp-cli filesystem/read_file
# Call the tool
mcp-cli filesystem/read_file '{"path": "./README.md"}'
# Search for tools
mcp-cli grep "*file*"
# JSON output for parsing
mcp-cli filesystem/read_file '{"path": "./README.md"}' --json
# Complex JSON with quotes (use heredoc or stdin)
mcp-cli server/tool <<EOF
{"content": "Text with 'quotes' inside"}
EOF
# Or pipe from a file/command
cat args.json | mcp-cli server/tool
# Find all TypeScript files and read the first one
mcp-cli filesystem/search_files '{"path": "src/", "pattern": "*.ts"}' --json | jq -r '.content[0].text' | head -1 | xargs -I {} sh -c 'mcp-cli filesystem/read_file "{\"path\": \"{}\"}"'
Options
| Flag | Purpose |
|---|---|
-j, --json | JSON output for scripting |
-r, --raw | Raw text content |
-d | Include descriptions |
Exit Codes
0: Success1: Client error (bad args, missing config)2: Server error (tool failed)3: Network error
How can the creator link this skill?
Add the canonical catalog link to the repository README so users can inspect current installs and available audits. The publishing guide covers the complete discovery path.
<a href="https://skillzs.dev/skills/github/awesome-copilot/mcp-cli">View mcp-cli on skillZs</a>