Configuration

MCP Client Configuration

The easiest way to configure UE-MCP is to run npx ue-mcp init — it detects your MCP clients and writes the config automatically.

Manual Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ue-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["ue-mcp", "C:/path/to/MyGame.uproject"]
    }
  }
}

Where to Put This

Client	Config File
Claude Code	`.mcp.json` in project root, or `~/.claude/` global config
Claude Desktop	`claude_desktop_config.json`
Cursor	`mcp.json` in `.cursor/` or project root

Without a Project Path

You can start the server without a .uproject argument. It will run in a limited mode — you can then use project(action="set_project", projectPath="...") at runtime to attach to a project.

Project Configuration (`.ue-mcp.json`)

Place a .ue-mcp.json file in your UE project root (next to the .uproject) to customize behavior. npx ue-mcp init creates this for you.

{
  "contentRoots": ["/Game/", "/MyPlugin/"],
  "disable": ["gas", "networking"]
}

Options

Key	Type	Default	Description
`contentRoots`	`string[]`	`["/Game/"]`	Content paths to search when using `asset(action="search")`. Add plugin content roots here if your project uses plugins with their own assets.
`disable`	`string[]`	`[]`	Tool categories to disable. Disabled categories are not registered with the MCP server, reducing context noise for the AI.

Bridge Connection

The C++ plugin listens on ws://localhost:9877 (currently hardcoded). The MCP server auto-connects on startup and reconnects every 15 seconds if the connection drops.

Connection States

State	Meaning
Connected	Bridge is active, all tools available
Disconnected	Editor not running or plugin not loaded. Filesystem tools still work (INI parsing, C++ headers, asset listing)
Reconnecting	Connection lost, auto-retry in progress

Check the current state with project(action="get_status").

Plugin Deployment

On first run with a project path, the server automatically:

Copies plugin/ue_mcp_bridge/ → [Project]/Plugins/UE_MCP_Bridge/
Adds UE_MCP_Bridge to the .uproject plugins list
Enables PythonScriptPlugin if not already enabled (needed for execute_python escape hatch)

The plugin is editor-only and has no runtime footprint.

Plugin Dependencies

The C++ bridge plugin enables these UE plugins (adding them to .uproject if missing):

PythonScriptPlugin — for editor(action="execute_python")
EnhancedInput — for input action/mapping creation
GameplayAbilities — for GAS tools
Niagara — for VFX tools
PCG — for procedural generation tools

Editor Lifecycle

The server can manage the editor process:

Command	Description
`editor(action="start_editor")`	Launch UE with the current project
`editor(action="stop_editor")`	Gracefully stop the editor
`editor(action="restart_editor")`	Stop and relaunch

Configuration

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