Kicad MCP Server

If you already use Kicad MCP, the kicad mcp mcp server is the piece that lets your assistant work with it directly. This guide will help you set up a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for KiCad. While the examples in this guide often reference Claude Desktop, the server is compatible with any MCP-compliant client. You can use it with Claude.

Available tools

The toolset is worth reading before you wire it up, because it tells you what the integration is really for:

• Example — kicad://projects returns a list of all KiCad projects
• Pre — defined conversation starters or instructions

Credentials and setup notes

Configuration is passed through the environment: KICAD_APP_PATH. Treat anything key-shaped as a real credential — scope it to the minimum the server needs, and rotate it if it ever lands in a shared config.

• macOS, Windows, or Linux - Python 3.10 or higher - KiCad 9.0 or higher - uv 0.8.0 or higher - Claude Desktop (or another MCP client)

Installation

Setup follows the usual MCP pattern — install or clone the server, register it in your client's configuration file, restart the client.

Where it fits

Among the developer tooling options, the useful question is rarely "what can it do" but "what does it cost you to run" — permissions, credentials, and how much of your context its toolset consumes. Kicad MCP's toolset — Example, Pre — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by lamaalrajih; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

SyncDev reviews every entry in this directory against the project's own documentation before publishing, and revisits them as servers change.

Worth knowing first

• It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
• Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.