Sample S3 MCP Server

An MCP server implementation for retrieving data such as PDF's from S3.

Remote serverstreamable-http

What is the Sample S3 MCP server?

If you already use Sample S3, the sample s3 mcp server is the piece that lets your assistant work with it directly. An MCP server implementation for retrieving data such as PDF's from S3.

Available tools

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

  • ListBuckets — Returns a list of all buckets owned by the authenticated sender of the request
  • ListObjectsV2 — Returns some or all (up to 1,000) of the objects in a bucket with each request
  • GetObject — Retrieves an object from Amazon S3. In the GetObject request, specify the full key name for the object. General purpose buckets - Both the
  • Resources — Expose AWS S3 Data through Resources. (think of these sort of like GET endpoints; they are used to load information into the LLM's context)
  • Tools — The Tools tool exposed by this server
  • Debugging — Since MCP servers run over stdio, debugging can be challenging. For the best debugging experience, we strongly recommend using the [MCP

Credentials and setup notes

Configuration is passed through the environment: UV_PUBLISH_TOKEN. 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.

Installation

Because this one is hosted, setup is mostly authentication — you point your client at the endpoint and approve access. Nothing runs on your machine, so there is no runtime to keep patched.

Where it fits

Among the cloud and infrastructure 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. Sample S3's toolset — ListBuckets, ListObjectsV2, GetObject and 3 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by aws-samples; 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

  • Your data travels to the provider's service, so the usual questions apply about what you send and what they retain.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
ListBucketsReturns a list of all buckets owned by the authenticated sender of the request
ListObjectsV2Returns some or all (up to 1,000) of the objects in a bucket with each request
GetObjectRetrieves an object from Amazon S3. In the GetObject request, specify the full key name for the object. General purpose buckets - Both the virtual-hosted-style requests and the path-style requests are supported
ResourcesExpose AWS S3 Data through **Resources**. (think of these sort of like GET endpoints; they are used to load information into the LLM's context). Currently only **PDF** documents supported and limited to **1000** objects.
ToolsThe Tools tool exposed by this server.
DebuggingSince MCP servers run over stdio, debugging can be challenging. For the best debugging experience, we strongly recommend using the [MCP Inspector](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/inspector).

How to install the Sample S3 MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "s3-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "/Users/user/generative_ai/model_context_protocol/s3-mcp-server",
        "run",
        "s3-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
UV_PUBLISH_TOKENCredential the server authenticates with.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • Use Sample S3 to ListBuckets.
  • Use Sample S3 to ListObjectsV2.
  • Use Sample S3 to GetObject.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Sample S3 to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 6 tools (ListBuckets, ListObjectsV2, GetObject, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Sample S3 directly.