Run the Vault MCP server binary

We recommend running the MCP server binary directly when you require a lightweight deployment, have specific OS needs, need to minimize resource usage, or work in environments with restricted container access.

Step 1: Install the binary

1. Download an appropriate binary from the full release library.

2. Add the following configuration to your client settings. Replace the /path/to/vault-mcp-server placeholder with the local path to your downloaded binary.

   {
     "mcp": {
       "servers": {
         "vault": {
           "command": "/path/to/vault-mcp-server",
           "args": ["stdio"],
           "env": {
             "VAULT_ADDR": "<<vault_address_here>>",
             "VAULT_NAMESPACE": "<<vault_namespace_here>>",
             "VAULT_TOKEN": "<<vault_token_here>>"
               }
         }
       }
     }
   }
   

Step 2: Start the server

You can use the vault-mcp-server CLI and specify the transport protocol you want to use to start the server.

Option 1: Start the server in stdio mode

Run the following command on the local instance to start the server in stdio mode:

$ vault-mcp-server stdio [--log-file /path/to/log]

Option 1: Start the server in streamable-http mode

Run the following command on the local instance to start the server in streamable-http mode:

$ vault-mcp-server streamable-http \
    [--transport-port 8080]        \
    [--transport-host 127.0.0.1]   \
    [--mcp-endpoint /mcp]          \
    [--log-file /path/to/log]

Next steps

• Try the Write secrets to kv example prompt to begin prompting your AI model about Vault operations.
• Ask your AI agent for help with specific Vault operations and workflows.
• Explore advanced configuration options for your specific deployment needs.