1MCP: aggregate multiple MCP servers with 1mcp serve

Who it's for

1MCP is for people who want many MCP servers collapsed into one runtime. Official notes say 1MCP is the unified MCP runtime, 1mcp serve aggregates your MCP servers. CLI mode gives Codex, Claude, Cursor, and similar tool-using agents a thinner proxy workflow.

It fits you better when you can install an npm package globally, and you accept adding context7 from the official example first, then starting 1mcp serve. The first try is read-only discovery: call 1mcp instructions.

When it does not fit: you have no Node/npm yet and want to skip install and invent backends, or you want to 1mcp run an unchecked tool on the first try. Official notes give no sample JSON for --args.

First try in 3 minutes

Prerequisite: this machine has npm. The official primary path is these three steps. Do not switch to another installer:

npm install -g @1mcp/agent
1mcp mcp add context7 -- npx -y @upstash/context7-mcp
1mcp serve

Install location is the global @1mcp/agent. After serve is up, HTTP clients can connect with the official snippet to: http://127.0.0.1:3050/mcp?app=cursor

The first call uses 1mcp instructions. It belongs to CLI mode for progressive discovery, to fetch usage notes, and is lower risk than 1mcp run. Do not pass parameters that never appear.

Success: it returns a stretch of instructions text that says how to continue inspect or run. This starts an aggregate runtime on this machine and, per the example, pulls @upstash/context7-mcp through npx. It is not "no network, no local process".

If serve does not come up, first confirm the global 1mcp command works and that mcp add already added context7. Do not treat 1mcp cli-setup --codex as the only install.

Use cases

Case 1: Read discovery notes first. With serve already running, execute 1mcp instructions. Use the returned text to confirm the CLI discovery channel works. Do not pass --args in this step.

Case 2: See what is inside a backend. Official notes write 1mcp inspect <server> and 1mcp inspect <server>/<tool>. Against context7 from the official example, run 1mcp inspect context7. Success: you see that server's tool information. Only after inspect has given you a real tool name should you consider 1mcp run <server>/<tool> --args. The original notes give no JSON sample. Do not run on the first try.

Limits

1mcp serve aggregates the MCP servers you add and serves HTTP on 127.0.0.1:3050. app=cursor is only the official example query string. It does not mean you must use that client.

1mcp cli-setup --codex is another wiring for CLI mode, not a second package-install channel. 1mcp run really executes a backend tool. Side effects depend on the aggregated server. Official notes give no unified undo path. Do not invent backend names other than instructions, inspect, run, and context7 from the example.