Agent skill · software engineering · nousresearch
fastmcp
Build, test, and deploy Python MCP servers.
Why this skill is useful
Adds specific templates and scripts for building and deploying Python MCP servers that are not widely known.
What it needs
Requires fastmcp, httpx installed locally. About 5k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-07. 226,679 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
FastMCP Build MCP servers in Python with FastMCP, validate them locally, install them into MCP clients, and deploy them as HTTP endpoints. When to Use Use this skill when the task is to: create a new MCP server in Python wrap an API, database, CLI, or file-processing workflow as MCP tools expose resources or prompts in addition to tools smoke-test a server with the FastMCP CLI before wiring it into Hermes or another client install a server into Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, or a similar MCP client prepare a FastMCP server repo for HTTP deployment Use native-mcp when the server already exists and only needs to be connected to Hermes. Use mcporter when the goal is ad-hoc CLI access to an existing MCP server instead of building one. Prerequisites Install FastMCP in the working environment first: For the API template, install httpx if it is not already present: Included Files Templates templates/apiwrapper.py - REST API wrapper with auth header support templates/databaseserver.py - read-only SQLite query server templates/fileprocessor.py - text-file inspection and search server Scripts scripts/scaffoldfastmcp.py - copy a starter template and replace the server name placeholder References references/fastmcp-cli.md - FastMCP CLI workflow, installation targets, and deployment checks Workflow 1. Pick the Smallest Viable Server Shape Choose the narrowest useful surface area first: API wrapper: start with 1-3 high-value endpoints, not the whole API database server: expose read-only introspection and a constrained query path file processor: expose deterministic operations with explicit path arguments prompts/resources: add only when the client needs reusable prompt templates or discoverable documents Prefer a thin server with good names, docstrings, and schemas over a large server with vague tools. 2. Scaffold from a Template Copy a template directly or use the scaffold helper: Available templates: If copying manually, replace SERVERNAME with a real server name. 3. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills nousresearch/fastmcp