> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mcpjam-mintlify-docs-update-pr-2772-1782277917413.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Getting Started

> Start testing your MCP server in minutes

## 1. Open MCPJam

**Web**: HTTPS only, runs in the browser with no install. Server links can be shared with teammates. **Terminal** and **Desktop**: HTTP/S and local STDIO.

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Web App" icon="globe" href="https://app.mcpjam.com">
    HTTPS only. No install. Share with your team.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Terminal" icon="terminal">
    `npx @mcpjam/inspector@latest`. HTTP/S and local STDIO.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Desktop App" icon="monitor" href="/installation">
    Mac or Windows. HTTP/S and local STDIO.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## 2. Draw something

On first launch, MCPJam connects the Excalidraw sample server (diagramming MCP app) and opens the **Playground** with this prompt:

```
Draw me an MCP architecture diagram
```

Press **Send**. The diagram renders in the app. No API key, ngrok, or ChatGPT/Claude subscription needed. Sequence: tool call → widget → inspect.

<Check>
  You should see a tool call to `create_view` followed by a rendered diagram inline in the chat. If you don't, check that the Excalidraw server shows **Connected** in the **Connect** tab.
</Check>

<Tip>
  Use the widget debug icons to open tool input/output, CSP activity, widget state, and JSON-RPC for that result.
</Tip>

## 3. Connect your own server

Open the **Connect** tab in the left sidebar (labelled **Servers** in some builds). Click **Add server**.

* **HTTP**: Paste a URL ending in `/mcp`. The web app accepts **HTTPS** URLs only. Desktop and Terminal accept **HTTP** or **HTTPS**. Add a bearer token or use the [OAuth Debugger](/inspector/guided-oauth) if the server requires auth.
* **STDIO** (Desktop and Terminal only): Paste a command such as `npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-everything`. Not available in the web app. See [Hosted App](/hosted/overview).

Each **Connected** server is available in the Playground, Tools, Prompts, and Resources. Connect more from the **Connect** tab anytime.

<Check>
  You should see your server show **Connected** with a green dot in the **Connect** tab, and its tools should appear in the Playground's left rail.
</Check>

## 4. Where to go next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Playground" icon="joystick" href="/inspector/playground">
    IDE-style workspace for developing against your MCP servers. Chat with frontier models, invoke tools by hand, render OpenAI Apps SDK and MCP app widgets, and inspect every step via Chat / Trace / Raw. Compare up to 3 models side by side; debug widgets with the emulator (iframe, `window.openai`, CSP, device frames, locale).
  </Card>

  <Card title="OAuth Debugger" icon="shield-check" href="/inspector/guided-oauth">
    Step through your MCP authorization flow and inspect each stage. Check conformance across protocol versions (03-26, 06-18, 11-25) and client registration paths: Dynamic Client Registration (DCR), client pre-registration, and CIMD.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Projects" icon="folder" href="/inspector/projects">
    Group servers; share configuration with your team
  </Card>

  <Card title="API keys" icon="key" href="/reference/api-keys">
    The three things called "API key" in MCPJam (LLM provider key, `MCPJAM_API_KEY`, per-server bearer) and when you need each one.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Does MCPJam need a database?" icon="database">
    No. MCPJam Inspector runs as a hosted web app, a desktop app, or via `npx` — none of them require you to install or configure a database. Accounts, sharing, and OAuth token storage on [app.mcpjam.com](https://app.mcpjam.com) are handled by the hosted backend; the Terminal and Desktop apps store config locally on disk.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I check which version of Inspector I'm running?" icon="tag">
    All three installs (Web, Desktop, Terminal) show the running version in the **Settings** tab under **About**.

    To see what the latest published version on npm is — useful for confirming an `@latest` pull actually moved you forward — run:

    ```bash theme={null}
    npm view @mcpjam/inspector version
    ```

    The Desktop and Web apps update on their own. For the Terminal install, the `@latest` tag in `npx @mcpjam/inspector@latest` pulls the most recent release every run.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can MCPJam auto-install MCP servers into my repo?" icon="package">
    Not directly — MCPJam doesn't reach into your repo. The closest workflow is **Skills**: install the MCPJam CLI skill into a project so an agent working in that repo knows how to use MCP tools and call MCPJam against your servers. See [Skills](/inspector/skills).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where are my files saved?" icon="folder">
    It depends what you mean — the word covers three different things:

    * **OAuth credentials** from `mcpjam login`: `~/.mcpjam/config.json`. Override per command with `--credentials-out`. See [CLI OAuth login](/cli/oauth-login).
    * **Eval results**: uploaded to your MCPJam project when `MCPJAM_API_KEY` is set to an MCPJam API key (`sk_…`). See [Saving Results](/sdk/concepts/saving-results).
    * **Inspector UI changes** (server config, client edits): persisted via the **Save** button in the project view. See [Inspector Views](/inspector/views).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I sign out of the hosted app?" icon="log-out">
    Open the **account menu** at the bottom of the sidebar and pick **Sign out**. You'll be returned to the public app as a guest. See [Hosted App → Signing out](/hosted/overview#signing-out).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>