Deployment

Guide for deploying MCP servers to production.

⚠️ FIRST: Ensure the User is Logged In

Before any deployment command, always verify authentication:

mcp-use whoami

If this fails or the user has never logged in, run mcp-use login first — it opens a browser for OAuth.

Non-interactive / agent contexts: if you were handed a one-time device code (e.g. from the web onboarding flow), authenticate without a browser:

mcp-use login --device-code <CODE>

The code is short-lived and already approved, so the CLI redeems it immediately.

Quick Deploy (Manufact Cloud)

There are two ways to deploy, depending on where the code should live.

Option A — Managed repo (no GitHub required)

Best for getting live fast, or when the user hasn't connected GitHub. The CLI uploads your local source; the repo is created in the platform-managed org and deployed through the normal pipeline:

mcp-use deploy --no-github

No git remote, no GitHub App install. The user can later move it to their own GitHub from the server's dashboard ("Connect your GitHub").

Option B — Your own GitHub

Deploys from a repository in the user's GitHub account (enables push-to-deploy):

mcp-use deploy

Or via the npm script (pre-configured in all templates):

npm run deploy

Either way, your server is live at https://{slug}.run.mcp-use.com/mcp.

Prerequisites

No-GitHub deploy (--no-github) only needs you to be logged in (mcp-use whoami). No git, no GitHub App — the CLI uploads your local source directly.

GitHub deploy (mcp-use deploy without --no-github) additionally needs:

1. Git repository — your project must be a git repo
2. GitHub remote — the origin remote must point to GitHub (SSH or HTTPS)
3. Changes pushed — deployment pulls from GitHub, not your local files. Commit and push first.
4. GitHub App installed — the mcp-use GitHub App must have access to the repo. The CLI prompts you to install it if missing, or install it at github.com/apps/mcp-use/installations/new.

Deploy Options

mcp-use deploy [options]

Redeploys of a platform-managed project are auto-detected from the linked server, so --no-github is only needed on the first deploy.

Setting Environment Variables

# Inline
mcp-use deploy --env API_KEY=sk-xxx --env DATABASE_URL=postgres://...

# From file
mcp-use deploy --env-file .env.production

NEVER commit secrets to git. Use --env or --env-file for API keys, database URLs, and other sensitive values.

After the server exists, manage env vars (and other config) without redeploying:

# Env vars (production scope, or scope to a branch's preview with --branch)
mcp-use servers env list   --server <id>
mcp-use servers env add    API_KEY=sk-xxx --server <id> --env production,preview
mcp-use servers env update API_KEY --server <id> --value sk-yyy   # by KEY or UUID
mcp-use servers env rm     API_KEY --server <id>

# Server config in place (no delete/recreate): production branch, name, commands
mcp-use servers update <id> --branch main --build-command "npm run build"
# Clear a build/start override: pass an empty string (--build-command "")

Common Mistakes

• ❌ Running mcp-use deploy without verifying auth first
• ✅ Always run mcp-use whoami before deploying — run mcp-use login if needed
• ❌ Running mcp-use deploy with uncommitted/unpushed changes
• ✅ The cloud builds from GitHub — always git push first
• ❌ Hardcoding secrets in code or committing .env
• ✅ Use --env / --env-file flags, or mcp-use servers env add KEY=VALUE --server <id>
• ❌ Forgetting to install the mcp-use GitHub App on the repo
• ✅ The CLI will prompt you, but you can also install it at github.com/apps/mcp-use — or skip GitHub entirely with mcp-use deploy --no-github
• ❌ Running mcp-use start without mcp-use build first
• ✅ Always build before starting in production