SkillFoxx

Discourse MCP

The official Discourse MCP server: forum reads by default, with writes and admin tools enabled by flags.

  • 79 ★ on the repository
  • Last commit
  • MIT
MCP serverOfficial

Extended access

Why this level

  • With writes enabled the agent creates and edits posts, users and forum settings under the key owner.
  • An admin API key opens the whole site.
All reasons and checks

discourse/discourse-mcpAuthor:Discourse

Install

In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI

npx skillfoxx add mcp/discourse-mcp

Detects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.

Other ways to install

Access and checks

How we review

Extended accessThe tool runs code or makes network calls and only reads external data.

  • With writes enabled the agent creates and edits posts, users and forum settings under the key owner.
  • An admin API key opens the whole site.

This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.

What it does

The stdio MCP server opens a Discourse forum to an agent: search across topics and posts, reading threads, users, chat, drafts, uploads and Data Explorer queries. The site is picked with the `discourse_select_site` tool or pinned at startup with `--site`. Without authentication the server reads only public data. Toolsets are enabled in groups through `--toolsets`: besides the base ones there are optional toolsets for activity, moderation, site settings, webhooks, themes, groups and Discourse AI features. Writes are off by default. The `--allow_writes` flag together with an API key in `--auth_pairs` turns them on, using an admin key, a user key or HTTP Basic for sites behind a proxy. Every write operation requires a matching auth entry for the selected site.

Who it is for. Admins and moderators of Discourse forums and developers who need an agent for discussion analysis and routine work.

Good fit when

  • An agent summarizes discussions on a topic and cites the posts it found.
  • A moderator works through the review queue with an agent.
  • An analyst runs saved Data Explorer queries and reads the result.
  • An admin configures webhooks or themes with a preflight check before writing.

Not a fit when

  • The agent must not be allowed to write to the forum at all.
  • You need a Discourse client for people rather than an agent tool.
  • The forum is private and an API key cannot be obtained.

Example request

Find forum topics about the import error from the last month, read the threads and list causes with links to posts.

MCP

Transport
stdio
Authentication
key is optional

Environment variables

DISCOURSE_API_KEY secret
Forum API key for writes and private messages, passed in `--auth_pairs`

Limitations

Running it needs Node.js 24 or newer. Without a key only public data is available, and private messages are readable only with a matching authentication for the site. Writes are enabled with `--allow_writes` and cover posts, topics, private messages, categories, users, uploads, drafts and saved queries. Admin toolsets such as site settings, webhooks and themes are marked sensitive, so enable them one at a time and on a test forum first. The API key is passed on the command line and stays in shell history, so read it from an environment variable.

How to disable. Remove the `discourse` entry from the client config. Revoke the API key in the forum admin panel if you created one for the server.

FAQ

How do I start the server read-only?

Run `npx -y @discourse/mcp@latest`. Then call `discourse_select_site` with the forum URL, or add `--site` to pin the server to one site.

How do I enable writes?

With `--allow_writes` and an auth entry in `--auth_pairs` for the site. Without it write tools are not registered or return an error.

Which API keys are supported?

Admin keys with a username, user API keys with a client ID, and HTTP Basic for forums behind a reverse proxy. When both keys exist for a site, the user key wins.

How do I limit the tool set?

With `--toolsets` and `--tools_mode`. For instance `--toolsets data_explorer --tools_mode discourse_api_only` keeps site selection and read-only Data Explorer tools.

Does the server read private messages?

Only with a matching authentication for the selected site, since private messages are never public. Creating replies and invitations additionally requires write mode.

Discussion

No questions or reviews yet.

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README in short

The README describes the Discourse stdio server: launching through npx, authentication, write safety and a toolset table. Version 0.3.1 simplified enabling writes to one flag.

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