mcp-argocd

mcp-argocd is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for the Argo CD REST API. It gives AI assistants 37 tools, 7 resources, and 7 prompts to triage application status, sync, roll back, inspect drift, read logs, and manage ApplicationSets, clusters, projects, and repositories. Works with Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code Copilot, and any MCP-compatible client.

Works with Argo CD 3.3+ (any install: OSS, Akuity, OpenShift GitOps). Needs an API token, no cluster access.

Supports the MCP 2026-07-28 specification, often called MCP 2.0, and stays compatible with 2025-11-25 clients.

Built with FastMCP 4.x, httpx, and Pydantic.

Install: uvx mcp-argocd | PyPI | MCP Registry | Changelog

1-Click Installation

Tip: For other AI assistants (Claude Code, Windsurf, IntelliJ, Gemini CLI), visit the Argo CD MCP Installation Gateway.

claude mcp add argocd -- uvx mcp-argocd

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "argocd": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["mcp-argocd"],
      "env": {
        "ARGOCD_URL": "https://argocd.example.com",
        "ARGOCD_TOKEN": "<token>"
      }
    }
  }
}

uvx mcp-argocd            # run without installing
pip install mcp-argocd    # or install into an environment

Configuration

Getting an API token

Argo CD tokens come from a local account with the apiKey capability, or from a project role.

1. Add a local account in argocd-cm: set accounts.ci-bot: apiKey.
2. Generate a token: argocd account generate-token --account ci-bot --expires-in 24h.
3. Set ARGOCD_URL and ARGOCD_TOKEN.

Minimum read-only RBAC:

p, role:mcp-ro, applications, get, */*, allow
p, role:mcp-ro, logs, get, */*, allow
p, role:mcp-ro, applicationsets, get, */*, allow
p, role:mcp-ro, projects, get, *, allow
p, role:mcp-ro, clusters, get, *, allow
p, role:mcp-ro, repositories, get, *, allow

Compatibility

Protocol support

Supports the MCP 2026-07-28 specification (MCP 2.0) and stays compatible with 2025-11-25 clients. Built on FastMCP 4.x. A regression test lists all 37 tools with an in-memory MCP client pinned to 2026-07-28. The sse transport is deprecated by the 2026-07-28 specification; it still works and prints a warning. The server uses no roots, sampling, logging, elicitation, or resource subscriptions.

Error results

Expected failures — a missing app (404), a denied permission (403), a write that reaches the read-only guard — return a tool result with isError: true rather than a success envelope. (In locked read-only mode the write tools are hidden, so calling one returns an Unknown tool error; the envelope below is the guard's own response, returned only when a client reaches a write tool anyway.) The body is a JSON object {"error", "status_code"?, "body"?, "hint"?}, where hint names a corrective action when one applies. The body is the result's pretty-printed text content; the result carries no structuredContent, because a strict MCP client (the TypeScript SDK) validates structuredContent against the tool's outputSchema even when isError is true and would reject the error otherwise. Unexpected bugs are also isError: true but carry TypeName: message text and a logged traceback. Successful results carry the same JSON object as structuredContent alongside the pretty-printed text, so a client may read either. Tools advertise no outputSchema: payloads pass upstream fields through untyped, and a typed schema is opt-in per tool via output_schema=.

Tools (37)

Resources (7)

The server exposes curated GitOps rules and guides as MCP resources.

• resource://rules/sync-safety — Sync Safety Rules.
• resource://rules/rollback — Rollback Rules.
• resource://rules/gitops-change-flow — GitOps Change Flow.
• resource://rules/applicationsets — ApplicationSet Rules.
• resource://guides/status-triage — Status Triage Guide.
• resource://guides/rbac — RBAC and Permission Errors.
• resource://guides/api-token-setup — API Token Setup.

Prompts (7)

The server provides MCP prompts — multi-tool workflow templates clients surface as slash commands.

• triage_application — Diagnose a Degraded or OutOfSync application.
• diagnose_sync_failure — Classify why the last sync failed.
• review_drift — Review OutOfSync apps and recommend a fix.
• safe_sync — Check sync windows, dry-run, then sync and wait.
• rollback_application — Roll back with the auto-sync check.
• fleet_status — Report clusters and apps that are not Synced/Healthy.
• inspect_applicationset — Compare generated vs existing apps.

Usage Examples

• Triage: "Why is payments Degraded?" runs triage_application — app conditions, unhealthy nodes, warning events, then pod logs.
• Drift: "What has drifted in prod?" runs review_drift — lists OutOfSync apps and shows each diff.
• Safe sync: "Sync web safely" runs safe_sync — checks sync windows, dry-runs, then syncs and waits.
• Rollback: "Roll api back to the last good deploy" runs rollback_application — checks auto-sync first.
• Fleet: "Show cluster health" runs fleet_status — clusters and the apps that are not healthy.

Security Considerations

• Token scope: use the minimum RBAC the workflow needs. A read-only role needs applications, get and logs, get.
• Read-only mode: set MCP_READ_ONLY=true (or the ARGOCD_READ_ONLY alias, or --read-only) to lock the server read-only. The 9 write tools and the write-workflow prompts are not listed and cannot be enabled from the client; a falsy value never unlocks it. Set it in a launch the deployer owns (Claude Code managed-mcp.json env, a container/k8s env), so no user can override it.
• SSL verification: on by default. Disable only for self-signed certificates in trusted networks.
• Secret scrubbing: repository, cluster, and project payloads are scrubbed of credentials, cluster config, and role jwtTokens, even with full=True.
• MCP tool annotations: every tool declares readOnlyHint, destructiveHint, and idempotentHint.
• No credential storage: the server reads the token from the environment at startup and never persists it.
• Destructive tools: argocd_sync_application, argocd_rollback_application, argocd_terminate_operation, argocd_delete_application, argocd_run_resource_action, argocd_delete_resource.

Permissions

CLI & Transport Options

uvx mcp-argocd                                   # stdio (default)
uvx mcp-argocd --transport streamable-http --port 9000
uvx mcp-argocd --transport sse                   # deprecated; prints a warning
uvx mcp-argocd --read-only --insecure

FAQ

Does mcp-argocd support MCP 2026-07-28 (MCP 2.0)? Yes. It supports the MCP 2026-07-28 specification, often called MCP 2.0, and stays compatible with 2025-11-25 clients.

How is it different from argoproj-labs/mcp-for-argocd? argoproj-labs/mcp-for-argocd is the official TypeScript server with 15 tools. mcp-argocd adds 37 tools with slim payloads by default, plus diff, rollback, terminate, wait-for-operation, ApplicationSet dry-run, and RBAC error hints.

Which Argo CD versions work? Argo CD 3.3 and newer. Most tools also work on 2.x; only run_resource_action uses a 3.x endpoint.

Does it need kubectl or cluster credentials? No. It talks to the Argo CD API over HTTPS with a bearer token. It never touches the cluster directly.

Is it safe for read-only use? Yes. Set MCP_READ_ONLY=true (or the ARGOCD_READ_ONLY alias). The server hides all nine write tools and refuses them before any API call, and nothing can turn it back off at runtime.

Which token does it need? It needs a bearer token in ARGOCD_TOKEN. Generate one from a local account with the apiKey capability, or use a project-role token. It also reads ARGOCD_AUTH_TOKEN and ARGOCD_API_TOKEN.

Why do I get a 403 for an app that exists? Without project, Argo CD returns 403 for an app that does not exist. Pass project to get a real 404.

Can it sync only one resource? Yes. Pass resources to argocd_sync_application with [group:]kind:name[/namespace] selectors.

Can it roll back? Yes. Use argocd_rollback_application with a history id. It refuses while auto-sync is on and tells you how to disable it.

How does it keep responses small? Every tool returns a slim payload by default and pages lists client-side. Pass full=True for the raw payload.

Which transports? stdio, streamable-http, and sse. sse is deprecated by the 2026-07-28 spec but still works.

How do I install? Run uvx mcp-argocd, or add it to your MCP client config.

Related MCP Servers

• mcp-gitlab — GitLab integration (83 tools, 7 resources, 6 prompts)
• mcp-atlassian-extended — Jira + Confluence integration (22 tools, 15 resources, 5 prompts)
• mcp-coda — Coda integration (53 tools, 12 resources, 5 prompts)

Development

git clone https://github.com/vish288/mcp-argocd.git
cd mcp-argocd
uv sync --all-extras

uv run pytest --cov
uv run ruff check .
uv run ruff format --check .

License

MIT — see LICENSE.