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XcodeBuild MCP

XcodeBuildMCP enables AI assistants and editors to fully automate Xcode and simulator workflows through the Model Context Protocol. You can discover projects, list schemes, build, test and control simulators or physical devices, all from within your editor. Automate common and complex tasks, including app installation, launching, UI automation, screenshots, and log collection. This reduces manual work, speeds up development, and minimises errors so you can focus on creating great apps.

🛠️ Developer ToolsCode Assistance
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Last updated: 1/27/2026

README

<img src="banner.png" alt="XcodeBuild MCP" width="600"/>

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides Xcode-related tools for integration with AI assistants and other MCP clients.

[![CI](https://github.com/cameroncooke/XcodeBuildMCP/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/cameroncooke/XcodeBuildMCP/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
[![npm version](https://badge.fury.io/js/xcodebuildmcp.svg)](https://badge.fury.io/js/xcodebuildmcp) [![License: MIT](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-yellow.svg)](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT) [![Node.js](https://img.shields.io/badge/node->=18.x-brightgreen.svg)](https://nodejs.org/) [![Xcode 16](https://img.shields.io/badge/Xcode-16-blue.svg)](https://developer.apple.com/xcode/) [![macOS](https://img.shields.io/badge/platform-macOS-lightgrey.svg)](https://www.apple.com/macos/) [![MCP](https://img.shields.io/badge/MCP-Compatible-green.svg)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) [![Ask DeepWiki](https://deepwiki.com/badge.svg)](https://deepwiki.com/cameroncooke/XcodeBuildMCP)

## Easy install

Easiest way to install XcodeBuildMCP is to use [Smithery](https://smithery.ai) to install it from the registry. Copy and paste one of the following commands into your terminal.

```bash
npx -y @smithery/cli@latest install cameroncooke/xcodebuildmcp --client client-name
```

> [!IMPORTANT]
> Due to a Smithery limitation the AXe library isn't bundled with Smithery installs, instead to ensure UI-automation tools work please install AXe and ensure it's globally available by issuing `brew install cameroncooke/axe/axe`, see [AXe](https://github.com/cameroncooke/axe) for more details.

<details>
  <summary>Cursor</summary>
  <br />

  ```bash
  npx -y @smithery/cli@latest install cameroncooke/xcodebuildmcp --client cursor
  ```
  <br />
</details>

<details>
  <summary>Codex CLI</summary>
  <br />

  ```bash
  npx -y @smithery/cli@latest install cameroncooke/xcodebuildmcp --client codex
  ```
  <br />
</details>

<details>
  <summary>Claude Code</summary>
  <br />

  ```bash
  npx -y @smithery/cli@latest install cameroncooke/xcodebuildmcp --client claude-code
  ```
  <br />
</details>

<details>
  <summary>Claude Desktop</summary>
  <br />

  ```bash
  npx -y @smithery/cli@latest install cameroncooke/xcodebuildmcp --client claude
  ```
  <br />
</details>

<details>
  <summary>VS Code</summary>
  <br />

  ```bash
  npx -y @smithery/cli@latest install cameroncooke/xcodebuildmcp --client vscode
  ```
  <br />
</details>

<details>
  <summary>Windsurf</summary>
  <br />

  ```bash
  npx -y @smithery/cli@latest install cameroncooke/xcodebuildmcp --client windsurf
  ```
  <br />
</details>

<br />

For other clients see: [Smithery XcodeBuildMCP](https://smithery.ai/server/cameroncooke/xcodebuildmcp), for other installation options including manual installation see [Getting Started](docs/GETTING_STARTED.md)

## Requirements

- macOS 14.5 or later
- Xcode 16.x or later
- Node.js 18.x or later

## Skill

XcodeBuildMCP now includes an optional agent skill. Some clients (e.g., Cursor, Claude Code) hide MCP tool schemas behind search/progressive disclosure, which can reduce tool discovery and usage. The skill provides a concise overview of available tools to counter that. If your client already exposes tools up front, you likely don’t need it; only use it if your agent isn’t reaching for XcodeBuildMCP tools.

To install, replace `<client-name>` with your client (cursor, claude, codex):
```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cameroncooke/XcodeBuildMCP/main/scripts/install-skill.sh | bash -s -- --<client-name>
```

For further information on how to install the skill, see: [docs/SKILLS.md](docs/SKILLS.md)

## Notes

- XcodeBuildMCP requests xcodebuild to skip macro validation to avoid errors when building projects that use Swift Macros.
- Device tools require code signing to be configured in Xcode. See [docs/DEVICE_CODE_SIGNING.md](docs/DEVICE_CODE_SIGNING.md).

## Privacy

XcodeBuildMCP uses Sentry for error telemetry. For more information or to opt out of error telemetry see [docs/PRIVACY.md](docs/PRIVACY.md).

## Documentation

- Getting started: [docs/GETTING_STARTED.md](docs/GETTING_STARTED.md)
- Configuration and options: [docs/CONFIGURATION.md](docs/CONFIGURATION.md)
- Tools reference: [docs/TOOLS.md](docs/TOOLS.md)
- Troubleshooting: [docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md](docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md)
- Privacy: [docs/PRIVACY.md](docs/PRIVACY.md)
- Skills: [docs/SKILLS.md](docs/SKILLS.md)
- Contributing: [docs/dev/CONTRIBUTING.md](docs/dev/CONTRIBUTING.md)

## Licence

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.

Installation

Add this MCP to your configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xcodebuild-mcp": {
      // See GitHub repository for configuration
    }
  }
}

See the GitHub repository for full installation instructions.