Overview

The Quicknode MCP server connects your Quicknode account to MCP-compatible AI assistants like ChatGPT, Codex, Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, and more. Once connected, you can read live blockchain data, create and manage endpoints, monitor usage, configure security settings, and review billing data through natural language instead of navigating the dashboard or writing API scripts.

The server is hosted remotely at https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp and authenticates via OAuth. Its tools reach Quicknode over two paths. The account tools call Quicknode's Admin API. The call-rpc tool reads the blockchain directly through Tooling Access, an account-level setting that covers every network Quicknode supports. The assistant interprets your request, selects the appropriate tool, and executes it after confirmation.

TL;DR

• Read live blockchain data with the call-rpc tool. No endpoint provisioning required. An Admin enables Tooling Access once for the account. See Blockchain RPC Calls
• Quicknode is an official connector in the Anthropic MCP directory — add it directly or find it under Customize > Connectors in Claude
• Quicknode is also available natively in ChatGPT and Codex — install directly from the ChatGPT Apps catalog or via /plugin in Codex
• All other clients (Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Zed) connect by pointing to https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp and authorizing via OAuth
• For CI/CD and non-interactive environments, skip OAuth and pass an API key directly — see Using an API Key
• Manage endpoints, monitor usage, configure security rules, and review billing through natural language, no dashboard or API scripts required

Requirements

• A Quicknode account
• An MCP-compatible AI assistant (ChatGPT, Codex, Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Zed, or similar)

Configuration

Add the Quicknode MCP server to your assistant using the instructions for your client below.

Claude

Claude Web

Quicknode is an official connector in the Anthropic MCP directory. To connect it in Claude:

1. Visit the Quicknode connector page, or open Claude in your browser and navigate to Customize > Connectors to find Quicknode in the directory
2. Click Connect
3. A browser window will open — log in with your Quicknode account, select a role (Admin or Viewer), and approve access

Claude Desktop

To add the Quicknode MCP server to the Claude Desktop app:

1. Navigate to Customize > Connectors
2. Find Quicknode in the directory and click Connect
3. A browser window will open — log in with your Quicknode account, select a role (Admin or Viewer), and approve access

Claude Code

To add the Quicknode MCP server to Claude Code, run the following command in your terminal:

1. Add the server:

claude mcp add --transport http quicknode https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp

2. Start Claude Code and type /mcp to authorize the server in the browser window that opens

Installation Scopes

By default, the command above installs the server in local scope (current project only). Claude Code supports three scopes:

• Local (default) — Available only to you in the current project
• Project (--scope project) — Shared with your team via a .mcp.json file in the project root
• User (--scope user) — Available to you across all projects

To install globally for your user, add the --scope user flag:

claude mcp add --transport http --scope user quicknode https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp

OpenAIOpenAI

ChatGPT

To connect the Quicknode MCP server to ChatGPT:

1. Visit the Quicknode app on ChatGPT, or open ChatGPT, go to Apps in the sidebar, and search for Quicknode
2. Click Connect on the Quicknode app page
3. A browser window opens at mcp.quicknode.com where you log in with your Quicknode account, select a role (Admin or Viewer), and approve access
4. Quicknode is now available in your ChatGPT conversations. Mention @Quicknode in any chat to use it

Codex

To add Quicknode to Codex (OpenAI):

1. Open Codex and type /plugin in the input
2. Browse the available plugins and select Quicknode
3. Press Enter to view details, then select Install plugin
4. If you have not already connected via ChatGPT, a browser window opens for OAuth authorization where you log in with your Quicknode account, select a role (Admin or Viewer), and approve access
5. After installation, Quicknode tools are available in your Codex sessions

tip

If you have already connected Quicknode in ChatGPT, the authorization step is skipped and the plugin is ready to use immediately.

Cursor

To add the Quicknode MCP server to Cursor:

1. Go to Settings > Tools & MCPs, and click New MCP Server
2. (Optionally) Open (or create) .cursor/mcp.json in your project root or home directory
3. Add the following configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "quicknode": {
      "url": "https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

4. Once you save the file, Cursor will detect the new server configuration.
5. Click Connect next to the Quicknode MCP server in the Cursor interface
6. A browser window will open where you can log in with your Quicknode account and approve access

VS Code

To add the Quicknode MCP server to VS Code (GitHub Copilot):

1. Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
2. Search for "MCP: Add Server"
3. Select "HTTP" as the server type
4. Enter the URL: https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp
5. Choose whether to save to User Settings (global) or Workspace Settings (project-only)

Alternatively, add this to your .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "quicknode": {
        "type": "http",
        "url": "https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp"
      }
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

To add the Quicknode MCP server to Windsurf:

1. Open Windsurf Settings > Cascade > MCP > Add Server > Add custom server
2. This opens ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json. Add:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "quicknode": {
      "serverUrl": "https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

3. Click the refresh button in the MCP section of settings to activate

Zed

To add the Quicknode MCP server to Zed:

1. Open Settings (Cmd+, / Ctrl+,)
2. Add the following to your settings.json:

{
  "context_servers": {
    "quicknode": {
      "transport": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

3. Restart Zed to activate the server

Other Clients

For any other MCP-compatible client, use the following connection details:

• URL: https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp
• Transport: Streamable HTTP
• Authentication: OAuth 2.1 (handled automatically on first connect)

If your client doesn't support OAuth or HTTP transport natively, you can use mcp-remote as a bridge:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "quicknode": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Authentication and Roles

When you connect for the first time, a browser window opens where you log in with your Quicknode account. If you belong to multiple Quicknode accounts, you'll choose which one to connect. You will then select an API key role that determines what the MCP server can do on your behalf:

• Viewer — Read-only access. Your assistant can read live blockchain data with call-rpc, list endpoints, and view metrics, logs, usage, and billing data, but cannot create, modify, or delete any resources.
• Admin — Everything the Viewer role can do, plus write access. Your assistant can create and delete endpoints, modify security rules, update rate limits, enable or disable Tooling Access, and manage all account resources.

This process creates an API key under the hood, scoped to the role you selected. You do not need to create or manage the key yourself.

Choosing the Right Role

Choose the Viewer role if you only need to inspect your infrastructure. Use Admin only when you need the assistant to make changes. If you need to switch roles later, remove the server from your client, re-add it, and go through the authorization flow again to re-authenticate with a different role.

Using an API Key

If you're running in a non-interactive environment where a browser-based login isn't possible (e.g., CI/CD pipelines, remote VMs, or automation agents), you can skip the OAuth flow by passing your API key as a bearer token. The MCP server recognizes the Authorization header and treats the request as already authenticated.

Generate an API key from the Quicknode Dashboard under Account (avatar icon) > API Keys. The role you assign to the key (Admin or Viewer) determines the MCP server's permissions, the same as choosing a role during the OAuth flow.

Claude

Claude Code

Pass your API key as a bearer token using the --header flag:

claude mcp add quicknode --transport http https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Claude Desktop

Add the --header flag to the mcp-remote arguments in your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "quicknode": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"]
    }
  }
}

OpenAIOpenAI

Codex

Pass your API key as a bearer token using the --bearer-token-env-var flag, which tells Codex to read the key from an environment variable at runtime:

codex mcp add quicknode \
  --url https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp \
  --bearer-token-env-var YOUR_API_KEY

Run codex mcp list to confirm the server is registered.

Cursor

Add the following to your .cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "quicknode": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"]
    }
  }
}

VS Code

Add the headers field to your .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "quicknode": {
        "type": "http",
        "url": "https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp",
        "headers": {
          "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

Add the headers field to your ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "quicknode": {
      "serverUrl": "https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Zed

Add the headers field to your settings.json:

{
  "context_servers": {
    "quicknode": {
      "transport": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Other Clients

For any client that supports custom headers, set:

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

If your client uses mcp-remote, add the --header flag:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "quicknode": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"]
    }
  }
}

Blockchain RPC Calls

The call-rpc tool reads live blockchain data. It sends a read-only JSON-RPC request through your account's Tooling Access setting, which covers every network Quicknode supports. You do not need to create an endpoint.

An Admin turns it on once with enable-tooling-access, or checks the current state with the Admin API. The same setting powers qn rpc call in the CLI and the rpc client in the SDK, so enabling it covers all three.

One tool reaches every chain family. eth_getBalance on base-mainnet, getSlot on solana-mainnet, and getblockcount on btc all go through call-rpc, routed by network slug.

Calls are read-only. Write methods return an error instead of broadcasting:

RPC method eth_sendRawTransaction is not allowed. Only registered read-only methods may be called.

To send transactions, create a dedicated endpoint with create-endpoint and call it from your own code.

Disabling Is Account-Wide

disable-tooling-access turns the setting off for the whole account. It cuts off RPC access for every Quicknode developer tool, including the CLI and the SDK, not just the assistant you are working in.

Available Tools

The MCP server exposes the following tools. Tools marked as read-only are available to both Admin and Viewer roles. All other tools require the Admin role.

Blockchain RPC

Read live blockchain data, and control the account setting that enables it. See Blockchain RPC Calls.

Tool	Description	Access
call-rpc	Call a read-only JSON-RPC method on any supported network	read-only
enable-tooling-access	Turn on Tooling Access for your account so Quicknode developer tools can make RPC calls	admin
disable-tooling-access	Turn off Tooling Access for the whole account	admin

Endpoint Management

Create, read, update, and delete Quicknode endpoints across any supported chain and network.

Tool	Description	Access
list-endpoints	List all endpoints on your account	read-only
get-endpoint	Get details for a specific endpoint	read-only
create-endpoint	Create a new endpoint on a specified chain and network	admin
delete-endpoint	Delete an endpoint	admin
get-endpoint-metrics	Retrieve performance metrics for an endpoint	read-only
list-endpoint-logs	Fetch recent logs for an endpoint	read-only
get-endpoint-log-details	Get detailed information for a specific log entry	read-only

Rate Limits

Configure method-level and endpoint-level rate limits.

Tool	Description	Access
update-endpoint-rate-limits	Set overall rate limits (RPS, RPM, RPD) for an endpoint	admin
list-endpoint-method-rate-limits	List method-specific rate limits	read-only
create-endpoint-method-rate-limit	Add a rate limit for a specific RPC method	admin
update-endpoint-method-rate-limit	Update an existing method rate limit	admin
delete-endpoint-method-rate-limit	Remove a method rate limit	admin

Security

Manage authentication and access control settings for endpoints. The create-security-rule and delete-security-rule tools support multiple rule types: IP allowlists, JWT validation, referrer restrictions, domain masks, and authentication tokens.

Tool	Description	Access
list-endpoint-security	View current security settings and rules	read-only
update-endpoint-security-options	Enable or disable security features (CORS, HSTS, IP filtering, etc.)	admin
create-security-rule	Add a security rule (IP, JWT, referrer, domain mask, or token)	admin
delete-security-rule	Remove a security rule	admin

Usage and Billing

Monitor RPC usage and review billing information.

Tool	Description	Access
get-rpc-usage	Get RPC usage with optional breakdown by endpoint, method, or chain	read-only
get-billing	View billing invoices or payment history	read-only

Chains

Query available chains and networks.

Tool	Description	Access
list-chains	List all supported chains and their available networks	read-only

MCP Resources

In addition to tools, the Quicknode MCP server exposes your endpoints as MCP resources. Resources let your AI assistant reference endpoint details directly in context without needing to call a tool first. In clients that support MCP resources, you can type @quicknode to browse and attach your endpoints to the conversation (e.g., quicknode://endpoints/<endpoint-id>).

This is useful when you want the assistant to have your endpoint configuration readily available while working on a task, such as writing code that targets a specific chain or debugging a request.

Example Prompts

You do not need to reference tool names directly. The AI assistant maps natural language to the appropriate tool. Some examples:

Live blockchain data:

• "What is the current block number on Base?"
• "Get the balance of 5s3vajJvaAbabQvxFdiMfg14y23b2jvK6K2Mw4PYcYK on Solana mainnet"
• "Read the latest block on Ethereum and on Arbitrum, then compare the timestamps"

Endpoint management:

• "Create a new Base mainnet endpoint"
• "Show me all my endpoints and their current status"

Monitoring and debugging:

• "Check the logs for my Arbitrum endpoint from the last hour"
• "Show me the performance metrics for my Ethereum endpoint over the past week"

Security:

• "Add JWT authentication to my Ethereum mainnet endpoint"
• "Review security settings across all endpoints"

Usage and billing:

• "Show me my RPC usage broken down by chain for this month"
• "Which endpoint is using the most credits this month?"

Rate limiting:

• "Set a rate limit of 100 requests per second on my Polygon endpoint"
• "Add a method-specific rate limit for eth_call"

tip

• Start simple — Try asking "What endpoints do I have?" or "Show me my usage for this month" to get familiar with the available tools.
• Be specific — When you have multiple endpoints, mention the chain or name to help the assistant find the right one quickly.

How It Works

The MCP server is hosted remotely at https://mcp.quicknode.com/mcp and uses OAuth 2.1 for authentication. When your AI assistant receives a request, it calls the appropriate MCP tool. Account tools go to the Admin API, and call-rpc goes to Tooling Access. The assistant then formats the response and presents it in natural language.

• Account tools send authenticated requests to the Quicknode Admin API. This covers endpoints, rate limits, security rules, logs, metrics, usage, and billing.
• call-rpc sends the JSON-RPC request to your account's Tooling Access URL. The server mints a short-lived credential for the call, so there is no endpoint or long-lived credential in your configuration.

Write operations (creating endpoints, modifying security settings, deleting resources, changing the Tooling Access setting) require the Admin role and your explicit confirmation before the assistant executes them. If you connected with the Viewer role, the assistant can only perform read-only operations.

tip

Quicknode MCP reads live blockchain data and manages your account-level infrastructure. To help AI coding agents plan, build, and improve Web3 apps, with accurate knowledge of Quicknode's APIs and products when writing code, see the Build Web3 plugin, which bundles this MCP server with the build-web3 skill in a single install. For AI-optimized documentation discovery, see LLM-Optimized Docs.

Resources

Quicknode Connector on Claude

Add Quicknode directly from the Anthropic MCP directory

→

Setup Guide

Read blockchain data and manage infrastructure with AI and MCP

→

Quicknode on ChatGPT

Install the Quicknode app directly from the ChatGPT Apps catalog

→

Admin API Docs

Quicknode Admin API reference

→

EVM MCP Server

Guide for using the EVM MCP server

→

Solana MCP Server

Guide for using the Solana MCP server

→