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XcodeBuildMCP is a ModelContextProtocol server that provides tools for Xcode project management, simulator management, and app utilities.

Package Exports

  • xcodebuildmcp
  • xcodebuildmcp/build/index.js

This package does not declare an exports field, so the exports above have been automatically detected and optimized by JSPM instead. If any package subpath is missing, it is recommended to post an issue to the original package (xcodebuildmcp) to support the "exports" field. If that is not possible, create a JSPM override to customize the exports field for this package.

Readme

XcodeBuild MCP

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

Table of contents

Overview

This project implements an MCP server that exposes Xcode operations as tools that can be invoked by AI agents via the MCP protocol. It enables programmatic interaction with Xcode projects through a standardised interface, optimised for agent-driven development workflows.

xcodebuildmcp2

Using Cursor to build, install, and launch an app on the iOS simulator while capturing logs at run-time.

Why?

The XcodeBuild MCP tool exists primarily to streamline and standardise interaction between AI agents and Xcode projects. By providing dedicated tools for common Xcode operations, it removes reliance on manual or potentially incorrect command-line invocations.

This ensures a reliable and efficient development process, allowing agents to seamlessly leverage Xcode's capabilities while reducing the risk of configuration errors.

Critically, this MCP enables AI agents to independently validate code changes by building projects, inspecting errors, and iterating autonomously. In contrast to user-driven tools like Sweetpad, XcodeBuild MCP empowers agents to automate these workflows effectively.

Features

The XcodeBuildMCP server provides the following tool capabilities:

Xcode project management

  • Discover Projects: Xcode projects and workspaces discovery
  • Build Operations: Platform-specific build tools for macOS, iOS simulator, and iOS device targets
  • Project Information: Tools to list schemes and show build settings for Xcode projects and workspaces
  • Clean Operations: Clean build products using xcodebuild's native clean action

Simulator management

  • Simulator Control: List, boot, and open iOS simulators
  • App Deployment: Install and launch apps on iOS simulators
  • Log Capture: Capture run-time logs from a simulator

App utilities

  • Bundle ID Extraction: Extract bundle identifiers from iOS and macOS app bundles
  • App Launching: Launch built applications on both simulators and macOS

Getting started

Prerequisites

  • macOS 14.5 or later
  • Xcode 16.x or later
  • mise

One-line setup with mise

To install mise:

# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install mise

# Other installation methods
# See https://mise.jdx.dev/getting-started.html

For more information about mise, visit the official documentation.

Configure MCP clients

Configure your MCP client (Windsurf, Cursor, Claude Desktop, etc.) to use the XcodeBuildMCP server by adding the following configuration, changing the version number to match the version you wish to use:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "XcodeBuildMCP": {
      "command": "mise",
      "args": [
        "x",
        "npm:xcodebuildmcp@1.2.3",
        "--",
        "xcodebuildmcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

[!NOTE] When using mise avoid using the @latest tag as mise will cache the package and may not update to the latest version automatically, instead prefer an explicit version number.

[!IMPORTANT] Please note that XcodeBuildMCP will request xcodebuild to skip macro validation. This is to avoid errors when building projects that use Swift Macros.

Demos

Building and running iOS app in Cursor

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/b9d334b5-7f28-47fc-9d66-28061bc701b4

Building and running iOS app in Claude Code

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e3c08d75-8be6-4857-b4d0-9350b26ef086

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Here's how you can help improve XcodeBuildMCP.

Local development setup

Prerequisites

In addition to the prerequisites mentioned in the Getting started section, you will also need:

  • Node.js (v16 or later)
  • npm

Installation

  1. Clone the repository
  2. Install dependencies:
    npm install
  3. Build the project:
    npm run build
  4. Start the server:
    node build/index.js

Configure your MCP client

To configure your MCP client to use your local XcodeBuildMCP server you can use the following configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "XcodeBuildMCP": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/path_to/XcodeBuildMCP/build/index.js"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Debugging

You can use MCP Inspector via:

npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node build/index.js

Making changes

  1. Fork the repository and create a new branch
  2. Follow the TypeScript best practices and existing code style
  3. Add proper parameter validation and error handling

Testing

  1. Build the project with npm run build
  2. Test your changes with MCP Inspector
  3. Verify tools work correctly with different MCP clients

Submitting

  1. Run npm run lint to check for linting issues (use npm run lint:fix to auto-fix)
  2. Run npm run format:check to verify formatting (use npm run format to fix)
  3. Update documentation if you've added or modified features
  4. Add your changes to the CHANGELOG.md file
  5. Push your changes and create a pull request with a clear description
  6. Link any related issues

For major changes or new features, please open an issue first to discuss your proposed changes.

Licence

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.