mcp2cli

mcp2cli

Claude Code plugin that converts MCP servers into standalone CLI tools—no context bloat, no complex syntax.

/mcp2cli chrome-devtools-mcp

Quick Start

1. Install the plugin:

   /plugin install nicobailon/mcp2cli-plugin
   

2. Convert an MCP server:

   /mcp2cli chrome-devtools-mcp
   

3. Use the generated tools:

   chrome-snapshot --help
   chrome-snapshot --selector "#main"
   

The Problem

MCP Tool Schemas Bloat Your Context Window

When you install MCP servers in Claude Code, their tool definitions are loaded into the context window before you send a single message. A server with 20+ tools can consume thousands of tokens just sitting there. This adds up quickly with multiple servers.

Raw mcporter Commands Are Not Proactively Used

Even with mcporter installed, Claude Code won't proactively use these commands because:

• Complex 100+ char syntax is error-prone
• No --help for self-discovery
• Feels "foreign" vs native Bash tools

The Solution

Convert MCP tools to simple, self-documenting CLI scripts. Claude gets the same functionality via Bash, but:

• Tool schemas don't bloat context (only loaded when --help is called)
• Commands are intuitive and short
• Self-documenting via --help
• Schema-aligned: Script names, parameters, and docs mirror the original MCP schema—agents get the same structured information, but each MCP tool is converted to a bash-invokable script symlinked for easy access

mcporter CLI	mcp2cli-generated
100+ chars, agents fumble	~50 chars, reliable
No --help	Full --help with examples
Abstract entry point	One tool = one script
Requires full path	Symlinked for direct invocation
Not proactively used	Claude uses reliably

# Before: Complex mcporter command Claude won't use proactively
npx mcporter call --stdio "npx -y chrome-devtools-mcp" chrome-devtools.take_snapshot

# After: Simple script Claude uses reliably
chrome-snapshot --selector "#main"

For the rationale behind this approach, see What if you don't need MCP? by Mario Zechner.

How It Works

This is a prompt-only plugin—no executable code, just instructions for Claude:

1. You invoke /mcp2cli <package> or describe what you want naturally
2. Claude spawns a subagent with detailed conversion instructions
3. Subagent uses mcporter to discover MCP tools
4. Generates Node.js CLI wrappers with --help support
5. Creates symlinks in ~/.local/bin for direct invocation
6. Registers tools to ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md

Usage

Slash Command

/mcp2cli chrome-devtools-mcp
/mcp2cli mcp-server-fetch
/mcp2cli @anthropic-ai/some-mcp-server

Skill (Auto-invoked)

Just describe what you want:

• "Convert chrome-devtools-mcp to CLI tools"
• "Make mcp-server-fetch agent-ready"
• "Wrap the filesystem MCP as bash commands"

Output

Tools are generated to ~/agent-tools/<server-name>/:

~/agent-tools/chrome-devtools/
├── package.json
├── README.md
├── chrome-snapshot.js
├── chrome-navigate.js
└── chrome-click.js

Each script is symlinked to ~/agent-tools/bin (or ~/.local/bin as fallback) without the .js extension, so Claude can invoke by name—no full paths needed:

# Just the symlink name works
chrome-snapshot --help
chrome-navigate --url "https://example.com"

Requirements

• mcporter - MCP CLI bridge
• Node.js 18+

Troubleshooting

Issue	Fix
mcporter not found	Ensure npx mcporter works
Discovery fails	Server may be Python—mcporter tries uvx automatically
Tools not in PATH	Add ~/agent-tools/bin or ~/.local/bin to your PATH

Credits

• mcporter - MCP CLI bridge by Peter Steinberger
• What if you don't need MCP? - Mario Zechner's post on the rationale
• MCP - The Model Context Protocol

License

MIT