MCP Made Easy

Explore how to leverage the MCP Marketplace for discovering, installing, and configuring MCP servers that expand Sypha's functionality with supplementary tools and resources.

What's an MCP Server?

MCP servers function as specialized plugins that expand Sypha's functionality. These servers empower Sypha to execute diverse operations including web page retrieval, image manipulation, API interactions, and numerous other capabilities.

MCP Marketplace Walkthrough

The MCP Marketplace delivers a streamlined, one-click installation process for hundreds of MCP servers spanning multiple categories.

1. Access the Marketplace

Within Sypha, select the "Extensions" button (square icon) located in the top toolbar
The MCP marketplace interface will appear, displaying servers organized by category

2. Browse and Select a Server

Navigate through servers organized by category (Search, File-systems, Browser-automation, Research-data, etc.)
Select a server to view comprehensive information about its features and prerequisites

3. Install and Configure

Press the install button corresponding to your selected server
For servers requiring API keys (the majority do), Sypha will provide guidance on:
- API key acquisition sources
- Secure credential entry procedures
Server configuration will be automatically added to your MCP settings

4. Verify Installation

Sypha will display a confirmation message upon successful installation
Verify the server's operational status through Sypha's MCP settings interface

5. Using Your New Server

Following successful installation, Sypha automatically incorporates the server's functionality
New tools and resources become visible in Sypha's system prompt
Request Sypha to utilize your new server's capabilities directly
Example: "Search the web for recent React updates using Perplexity"

Corporate Users: When deploying Sypha in enterprise environments, verify that third-party MCP server installations align with your organization's security guidelines.

What Happens Behind the Scenes

MCP server installation triggers several automated processes:

1. Installation Process

Server code gets cloned/installed to /Users/<username>/Documents/Sypha/MCP/
Required dependencies undergo installation
Server build executes (TypeScript/JavaScript compilation or Python package installation)

2. Configuration

The MCP settings file receives your server configuration updates
Configuration file location: /Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Code/User/globalStorage/saoudrizwan.claude-dev/settings/sypha_mcp_settings.json
Environment variables (such as API keys) undergo secure storage
Server path gets registered in the system

3. Server Launch

Sypha identifies the configuration modification
Sypha initiates your server as an independent process
Communication channel establishes via stdio or HTTP

4. Integration with Sypha

Server capabilities integrate into Sypha's system prompt
Tools gain accessibility through use_mcp_tool commands
Resources become accessible via access_mcp_resource commands
These capabilities activate when users make relevant requests

Troubleshooting

System Requirements

Verify your system satisfies these prerequisites:

Node.js 18.x or newer
- Verification command: node --version
- Download source: https://nodejs.org/
- Necessary for JavaScript/TypeScript implementations
Python 3.10 or newer
- Verification command: python --version
- Download source: https://python.org/
- Note: Certain specialized implementations may necessitate Python 3.11+
UV Package Manager
- Contemporary Python package manager enabling dependency isolation
- Installation method:
```
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
```
  Alternative: pip install uv
- Verification command: uv --version

Should any commands fail or display outdated versions, complete installation/updates before proceeding!

Common Installation Issues

Confirm stable internet connectivity
Verify possession of appropriate permissions for software installation
Double-check API key accuracy (when applicable)
Review server status within the MCP settings UI for error notifications

How to Remove an MCP Server

Complete removal of a malfunctioning MCP server:

Access the MCP settings file: /Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Code/User/globalStorage/saoudrizwan.claude-dev/settings/sypha_mcp_settings.json
Remove your server's complete entry from the mcpServers object
Save file modifications
Perform Sypha restart

I'm Still Getting an Error

When encountering persistent MCP server errors, attempt these solutions:

Inspect the MCP settings file for configuration errors
Utilize a Claude Sonnet model during installation
Confirm accuracy of server file paths
Validate that all mandatory environment variables are configured
Investigate potential port conflicts with other processes (applicable to HTTP-based servers)
Attempt server removal and reinstallation (eliminate from both sypha_mcp_settings.json and /Users/<username>/Documents/Sypha/MCP/ directory)
Execute the command directly in terminal with arguments to observe identical errors Sypha encounters

MCP Server Rules

While Sypha recognizes your active MCP servers and their purposes, managing numerous enabled servers benefits from defining specific usage contexts.

Employ a .sypharules file or custom instructions to enable smart MCP server activation via keyword-based triggers, enhancing Sypha's tool selection intelligence and contextual awareness.

How MCP Rules Work

MCP Rules organize your connected MCP servers into functional groupings while establishing trigger keywords that automatically activate them upon detection in your Sypha conversations.

{
	"mcpRules": {
		"webInteraction": {
			"servers": ["firecrawl-mcp-server", "fetch-mcp"],
			"triggers": ["web", "scrape", "browse", "website"],
			"description": "Tools for web browsing and scraping"
		}
	}
}

Configuration Structure

Categories: Aggregate related servers (e.g., "webInteraction", "mediaAndDesign")
Servers: Enumerate server names within each category
Triggers: Activation keywords for these servers
Description: User-friendly category clarification

Benefits of MCP Rules

Contextual Tool Selection: Sypha identifies suitable tools according to conversation context
Reduced Friction: Eliminates manual tool specification requirements
Organized Capabilities: Creates logical groupings for related tools and servers
Prioritization: Manages ambiguous scenarios through explicit priority hierarchies

Example Usage

The query "Can you scrape this website?" prompts Sypha to identify "scrape" and "website" as triggers, automatically engaging web-related MCP servers.

Financial queries such as "What's Apple's stock price?" activate finance-related servers through keywords like "stock" and "price".

Quick Start Template

{
	"mcpRules": {
		"category1": {
			"servers": ["server-name-1", "server-name-2"],
			"triggers": ["keyword1", "keyword2", "phrase1", "phrase2"],
			"description": "Description of what these tools do"
		},
		"category2": {
			"servers": ["server-name-3"],
			"triggers": ["keyword3", "keyword4", "phrase3"],
			"description": "Description of what these tools do"
		},
		"category3": {
			"servers": ["server-name-4", "server-name-5"],
			"triggers": ["keyword5", "keyword6", "phrase4"],
			"description": "Description of what these tools do"
		}
	},
	"defaultBehavior": {
		"priorityOrder": ["category1", "category2", "category3"],
		"fallbackBehavior": "Ask user which tool would be most appropriate"
	}
}

Incorporate this configuration into your .sypharules file or custom instructions to enhance Sypha's MCP server selection with improved intuitiveness and contextual awareness.

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