Getting Started

Quick Start

Four steps: install, connect your AI client, verify 20+ tools work immediately, then configure more with credentials.

Install

Install globally with npm. Requires Node.js 18+. If you don't want a global install, skip to the npx config in Step 2 — it works without installing anything.

npm install -g @useconductor/conductor

No Node.js? Use the standalone binary installer.

Connect your AI client

Pick your client below. All of them use the same pattern — one config block that tells the client how to spawn Conductor.

Claude Code (CLI)

one command

claude mcp add conductor -- npx -y @useconductor/conductor

This is the fastest path. Run it once, then restart Claude Code.

Claude Desktop

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "conductor": {
      "command": "conductor",
      "args": ["mcp", "start"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop after saving. Requires a global install (Step 1).

Cursor

Settings → Features → MCP Servers

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "conductor": {
      "command": "conductor",
      "args": ["mcp", "start"]
    }
  }
}

Cline / Roo Code

Cline panel → MCP icon → paste config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "conductor": {
      "command": "conductor",
      "args": ["mcp", "start"]
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_settings.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "conductor": {
      "command": "conductor",
      "args": ["mcp", "start"]
    }
  }
}

Continue.dev

~/.continue/config.json

{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "conductor",
      "command": "conductor",
      "args": ["mcp", "start"]
    }
  ]
}

Continue uses an array for mcpServers, not an object.

Verify it works

Ask your AI one of these prompts. If Conductor is connected, you'll see it call the corresponding tool in real-time.

“List the files in my current directory”

filesystem.listConfirms the filesystem plugin is active

“What's the current git status?”

git.statusConfirms the git plugin is active

“Run echo hello”

shell.execConfirms shell is active (will ask for approval first)

Configure more tools (optional)

20+ tools work immediately with no credentials. To unlock additional plugins (databases, cloud services, APIs), add credentials with:

conductor plugins config <name> <key> <value>

Example: conductor plugins config github token ghp_yourtoken

Troubleshooting

Tools don't appear in my AI client

Make sure you restarted the client after adding the config. For Claude Desktop, quit and reopen — not just reload.

"command not found: conductor"

Use the npx form in your config instead: "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "@useconductor/conductor"]. This works without a global install.

Shell commands are rejected

The shell plugin requires a command allowlist. Run: conductor config setup shell to configure which commands are permitted.

Can't find the config file location

Run: conductor config path — it prints the full path to your config directory on every platform.