Configuration

MCP servers are configured in ~/.cosine/mcp.json (macOS/Linux) or %USERPROFILE%\.cosine\mcp.json (Windows). The cos mcp add command writes to this file automatically.

Add MCP servers with cos mcp add

Add a remote HTTP server

cos mcp add --transport http stripe https://mcp.stripe.com/

Add a remote HTTP server with headers

cos mcp add --transport http corridor \
  https://app.corridor.dev/api/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer ..."

Add a local stdio server

cos mcp add my-server -- npx -y my-mcp-server

Add a local stdio server with environment variables

cos mcp add --transport stdio -e API_KEY=xxx airtable \
  -- npx -y airtable-mcp-server

Command rules

• Put Cosine’s flags before the server name
• Use -- before the command for stdio servers
• Use --header for remote HTTP headers
• Use --env or -e for stdio server environment variables

Edit the config file directly

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "transport": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "/path/to/projects"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Transport types

stdio (Standard)

Best for: Local tools, command-line utilities, file system access

The stdio transport spawns the MCP server as a subprocess and communicates over standard input/output.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "transport": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/Users/pz/projects"]
    }
  }
}

http

Best for: Remote services, web APIs, already-running servers

The HTTP transport connects to an MCP server running as a web service. Cosine tries streamable HTTP first and falls back to SSE when needed.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "remote-api": {
      "transport": "http",
      "url": "http://localhost:3000/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Configuration fields

Common fields

Field	Type	Required	Description
transport	string	No	Transport type: "stdio" or "http". Auto-detected if not specified.
disabled	boolean	No	Set to true to disable this server temporarily.

stdio transport fields

Field	Type	Required	Description
command	string	Yes	The executable to run (e.g., npx, node, python, uv).
args	array	No	Arguments passed to the command.
env	object	No	Environment variables as key-value pairs.

HTTP transport fields

Field	Type	Required	Description
url	string	Yes	The HTTP endpoint URL for the MCP server.

Managing MCP servers

Viewing server status

In the terminal user interface (TUI):

1. Press Ctrl+J to open the command palette
2. Select “MCP servers”
3. View the list of configured servers with their status indicators

Restarting servers

If an MCP server becomes unresponsive:

1. Open the command palette with Ctrl+J
2. Select “MCP servers”
3. Select “Restart MCP servers”

Disabling servers

To temporarily disable a server without removing it:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "transport": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "disabled": true
    }
  }
}

Personal MCPs vs Team MCPs

Cosine supports two ways to use MCP connectors:

• Personal (local) MCPs — configured in ~/.cosine/mcp.json on your machine. You add, edit, and authenticate these yourself.
• Team MCPs (v1) — centrally managed in your team workspace. An admin configures the connector at the team level, and each user connects with their own OAuth grant.

This page covers personal/local MCPs. For team connectors, see Team Settings.

What is not yet supported in Team MCP v1

• stdio transport for team connectors
• RBAC hardening for team-level access control
• Shared service credentials (a single token used by all team members)

Related pages

• MCP Examples — Example configurations for popular MCP servers
• Server management — Managing and troubleshooting MCP servers