Connect an MCP client

The installer adds Alike’s MCP server to your coding agents. Use this page to add it by hand, for example to an app that the installer does not support, or on a machine where you do not want hooks.

Server details


URL	`https://alike.network/api-general/mcp`
Transport	Streamable HTTP
Sign-in	OAuth in your browser. Each client signs in once
Server name	Use `alike`

You do not need an API key. Do not put a token in the client’s settings. The client opens a browser, you sign in to Alike, and you approve the client. The web app has a setup page with one-click buttons for many clients: alike.network/mcpsetup.

Pairing a machine with npx @alikeai/setup does not sign in the MCP clients on that machine. Pairing covers the hooks only. Each MCP client has its own sign-in.

Clients

claude mcp add --transport http alike https://alike.network/api-general/mcp

Start Claude Code, run /mcp, choose alike, and sign in in the browser.

Open Settings → Connectors.
Select Add custom connector.
Enter the name Alike and the URL https://alike.network/api-general/mcp.
Sign in to Alike and approve.

You can use the connector in the Claude mobile apps after you add it on the web or desktop. You cannot add it in the mobile apps.

Add this to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "alike": { "url": "https://alike.network/api-general/mcp" }
  }
}

Restart Cursor. Approve the server and sign in when Cursor asks.

Requires VS Code 1.102 or later. Add this to .vscode/mcp.json in a project, or to your user mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "alike": { "type": "http", "url": "https://alike.network/api-general/mcp" }
  }
}

Use the server in Copilot agent mode. Sign in when VS Code asks.

Add this to ~/.codex/config.toml:

experimental_use_rmcp_client = true

[mcp_servers.alike]
url = "https://alike.network/api-general/mcp"

Restart Codex, then sign in:

codex mcp login alike

Codex does not open the browser by itself. You must run codex mcp login.

Turn on Developer Mode: Settings → Apps → Advanced settings.
Add a custom connector with the URL https://alike.network/api-general/mcp.
Sign in to Alike and approve.

Add this to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "alike": { "serverUrl": "https://alike.network/api-general/mcp" }
  }
}

Windsurf uses serverUrl, not url.

Add this to ~/.gemini/config/mcp_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "alike": { "serverUrl": "https://alike.network/api-general/mcp" }
  }
}

Add this to ~/.junie/mcp/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "alike": { "url": "https://alike.network/api-general/mcp" }
  }
}

Add the server in Cline’s Remote Servers tab, or add this to cline_mcp_settings.json. For the Cline CLI, use ~/.cline/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "alike": { "type": "streamableHttp", "url": "https://alike.network/api-general/mcp" }
  }
}

If the connection fails, change the transport to SSE.

Add this to ~/.config/zed/settings.json:

{
  "context_servers": {
    "alike": { "url": "https://alike.network/api-general/mcp" }
  }
}

Do not add headers. Zed then asks you to sign in when it connects.

Add this to ~/.continue/config.yaml:

mcpServers:
  - name: alike
    type: streamable-http
    url: https://alike.network/api-general/mcp

For other clients, use the URL above with the client’s “remote MCP server” or “Streamable HTTP” option. The setup page at alike.network/mcpsetup lists more clients.

MCP without hooks

With MCP only, your agent can use all of Alike’s tools. But Alike adds no context by itself: no brief at session start, and no notes while it works. Transcript capture also does not run. To get context, ask the agent at the start of each session:

Call Alike’s resolve_work_item for this branch, and tell me what Alike knows about it.

To get hooks and capture, run the installer. See Install Alike.

The approval page

When a client signs in, Alike shows an approval page with Approve and Deny. The client gets the same access that you have in the web app. It sees only the data that you can see. After you approve, Alike copies a first prompt to your clipboard. Paste it into the client to try Alike.

Tools for builders

When your account uses the builder experience, the client sees the builder tools. Scheduling, planning, reminder, meeting, and hand-off tools are hidden until the agent asks for them. See MCP tools. If you change your experience between builder and knowledge work in Settings, reconnect the client to get the new list of tools.

Limits

Alike limits how many requests a person, and a network, can send each minute. People who share one network address, for example in an office or at an event, share the network limit.
When a limit is reached, the client gets the error Rate limit exceeded. Retry after N seconds. Wait the number of seconds, then continue.
Large results are shortened. The result then contains truncated: true. Ask for fewer items, or ask for the next page.
A message to a colleague can have up to 10,000 characters. Alike refuses a longer one. A message to another of your sessions is cut at 10,000 characters.

Errors

Error	Meaning	What to do
HTTP 401, `Authentication failed`	The client is not signed in, its sign-in expired, or your account has no workspace yet	Sign in again from the client, for example `/mcp` in Claude Code. If the client keeps asking you to sign in, finish setup in the web app. See Sign up
`… not found, or you don't have permission to read it.`	The item does not exist, or you cannot see it. Alike does not say which	Check the ID. Ask the owner to share the item
A result with `retryable: true`	A short problem on Alike’s side	The agent tries the same request again once
`Unknown tool`	The client used a tool name that does not exist	Ask the agent to list Alike’s tools again. Check the name in MCP tools
`recipient_not_on_alike`	The person that the agent tried to reach does not use Alike	Ask the agent to invite the person. See Invite people
`sender_required`	The agent sent an ask or a proposal to another of your sessions, but did not name its own session	Ask the agent to send it again with its own session ID from the brief
`invalid_answer`	A reply does not match the message, for example `accept` on a question, or the answer does not have the expected form	Ask the agent to use a reply that matches the message

​Server details

​Clients

​MCP without hooks

​The approval page

​Tools for builders

​Limits

​Errors

Server details

Clients

MCP without hooks

The approval page

Tools for builders

Limits

Errors