How to add Kubernetes MCP Server to Claude Desktop

Go-native MCP server for Kubernetes and OpenShift — manage pods, resources, Helm, Tekton, and more. Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 14, 2026 · 1.7k★ · stdio · no auth

Claude Desktop config for Kubernetes MCP Server

npx -y kubernetes-mcp-server@latest

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kubernetes-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "kubernetes-mcp-server@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Setup steps

1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
2Paste the Kubernetes MCP Server config below under the top-level "mcpServers" key.
3Fill in any placeholder secrets (API keys, paths) in the snippet.
4Save the file, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.
5Open a chat and confirm Kubernetes MCP Server's tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.

Before you start

Access to a Kubernetes cluster
A kubeconfig file or in-cluster configuration
npm/Node.js (only if running via npx) or uv/Python (only if running via uvx); not required when using the native binary

What Kubernetes MCP Server can do in Claude Desktop

configuration_contexts_list

List all available context names and associated server URLs from the kubeconfig file.

targets_list

List all available targets.

configuration_view

Get the current Kubernetes configuration content as a kubeconfig YAML (minified by default).

events_list

List Kubernetes events (warnings, errors, state changes) for debugging and troubleshooting across all namespaces or a specific namespace.

namespaces_list

List all the Kubernetes namespaces in the current cluster.

projects_list

List all the OpenShift projects in the current cluster.

nodes_log

Get logs from a Kubernetes node (kubelet, kube-proxy, or other system logs) through the Kubernetes API proxy to the kubelet.

nodes_stats_summary

Get detailed resource usage statistics from a node via the kubelet's Summary API (CPU, memory, filesystem, network, and PSI metrics where available).

Security

Has full access to your Kubernetes cluster via your kubeconfig credentials. Supports `--read-only` mode (blocks all write operations) and `--disable-destructive` mode (blocks delete/update). For HTTP mode, OAuth/OIDC authentication is supported (Keycloak, Microsoft Entra ID). TOML config can restrict access to sensitive resources via `denied_resources` (e.g. Secrets). Sensitive data (tokens, keys, passwords, cloud credentials) is automatically redacted before being sent to clients. For production, the docs recommend a dedicated ServiceAccount with read-only access.

Kubernetes MCP Server + Claude Desktop FAQ

Where is the Claude Desktop config file?

Claude Desktop reads MCP servers from ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Paste the Kubernetes MCP Server config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is Kubernetes MCP Server safe to use with Claude Desktop?

Is this just a wrapper around kubectl or helm?

No. It is a Go-based native implementation that interacts directly with the Kubernetes API server, so there is no need for external CLIs or for Node/Python to be installed when using the native binaries.

How do I limit what the server can do?

Use --read-only to block all write operations, or --disable-destructive to block delete/update operations. You can also use a TOML config with denied_resources to restrict access to sensitive resource types like Secrets, and enable only the toolsets you need via --toolsets.

Does it support OpenShift?

Yes. It supports both Kubernetes and OpenShift, including OpenShift-specific operations such as listing Projects and Routes.

View repo Full Kubernetes MCP Server page