zulipchat-mcp 0.7.1

Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that connects AI assistants to Zulip Chat with a 20-tool core mode and 56-tool extended mode

ZulipChat MCP Server

Model Context Protocol server for Zulip Chat. Connect Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code Copilot, and other MCP clients to Zulip.

Quick Start · Setup Wizard · Integrations · Two-Tier Tools · Contributing

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Quick Start

uvx zulipchat-mcp --zulip-config-file ~/.zuliprc

That's it. Your AI assistant can now read and write Zulip messages.

Need a zuliprc? Zulip Settings > Personal > Account & privacy > API key — download the file, save it as ~/.zuliprc.

Interactive onboarding:

uvx --from zulipchat-mcp zulipchat-mcp-setup

What This Does

ZulipChat MCP bridges any MCP-compatible AI assistant (Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.) to your Zulip workspace. The assistant can:

• Send and read messages — stream messages, DMs, replies, reactions
• Search conversation history — full-text search with filters for sender, stream, time range
• Resolve people by name — "message Jaime" just works, no hunting for formal emails
• Switch identities — post as yourself or as a bot, in the same session
• Monitor activity — search recent messages, get stream info, check who's online
• Bind sessions to Zulip topics — give long-running agent sessions a stable control topic
• Request approvals in-topic — owner replies with approve / deny in the session topic

Two-Tier Tool Architecture

v0.6.0 introduced a deliberate split: 20 core tools by default, 56 tools when you need more.

Core Mode (default)

The 20 tools that cover most daily use:

Category	Tools
Messaging	send_message, edit_message, get_message, add_reaction
Search	search_messages, get_streams, get_stream_info, get_stream_topics
Users	resolve_user, get_users, get_own_user
Agent Comms	teleport_chat, register_agent, ensure_agent_session, agent_message, request_user_input, wait_for_response
System	switch_identity, server_info, manage_message_flags

Why 20 instead of 56? Fewer tools means faster tool selection, lower token overhead, and less confusion for the AI. Most tasks — sending messages, searching, reacting, and binding an agent session to Zulip — only need the core set.

Extended Mode

Need scheduled messages, event queues, file uploads, analytics, or advanced search?

uvx zulipchat-mcp --zulip-config-file ~/.zuliprc --extended-tools

Or via environment variable:

ZULIPCHAT_EXTENDED_TOOLS=1 uvx zulipchat-mcp --zulip-config-file ~/.zuliprc

Extended mode adds: toggle_reaction, cross_post_message, advanced_search, construct_narrow, get_scheduled_messages, manage_scheduled_message, register_events, get_events, listen_events, upload_file, manage_files, get_daily_summary, manage_user_mute, get_user, get_presence, get_user_groups, and more.

Installation

Full per-client setup guide: docs/integrations/README.md

Claude Code

claude mcp add zulipchat -- uvx zulipchat-mcp --zulip-config-file ~/.zuliprc

With dual identity (you + a bot):

claude mcp add zulipchat -- uvx zulipchat-mcp \
  --zulip-config-file ~/.zuliprc \
  --zulip-bot-config-file ~/.zuliprc-bot

Optional Claude hook bridge for lifecycle and approval routing:

uvx zulipchat-mcp-hook \
  --zulip-config-file ~/.zuliprc \
  --zulip-bot-config-file ~/.zuliprc-bot

Optional Claude package export for project-local hooks, skills, and subagents:

uvx zulipchat-mcp-integrate export \
  --client claude-code \
  --mode standalone \
  --output-dir . \
  --zulip-config-file ~/.zuliprc \
  --zulip-bot-config-file ~/.zuliprc-bot

Gemini CLI

Add to ~/.gemini/settings.json under mcpServers:

{
  "zulipchat": {
    "command": "uvx",
    "args": ["zulipchat-mcp", "--zulip-config-file", "/path/to/.zuliprc"]
  }
}

Claude Desktop / Cursor / Any MCP Client

Add to your MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zulipchat": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["zulipchat-mcp", "--zulip-config-file", "/path/to/.zuliprc"]
    }
  }
}

Configuration Options

Option	Description
--zulip-config-file PATH	Path to your zuliprc file
--zulip-bot-config-file PATH	Bot zuliprc for dual identity
--extended-tools	Register all 56 tools instead of the 20-tool core set
--unsafe	Enable administrative tools (use with caution)
--debug	Enable debug logging

More clients

Dedicated setup pages:

• Gemini CLI
• Codex
• OpenCode
• VS Code + GitHub Copilot
• Cursor
• Windsurf
• Antigravity
• Generic MCP

Dual Identity

Configure both a user and a bot zuliprc to let your assistant switch between identities mid-session:

uvx zulipchat-mcp \
  --zulip-config-file ~/.zuliprc \
  --zulip-bot-config-file ~/.zuliprc-bot

The assistant posts as you by default. Call switch_identity to post as the bot — useful for automated notifications, agent-to-agent communication, or keeping human vs. bot messages distinct.

Real-World Examples

"Catch me up on what happened in #engineering today" → Assistant calls search_messages with stream + time filter, summarizes the thread.

"Tell the team we're deploying at 3pm" → Assistant calls send_message to #engineering with the announcement.

"Who sent that message about the API migration?" → Assistant calls search_messages with keywords, returns sender and context.

"React with :thumbs_up: to Sarah's last message" → Assistant calls resolve_user ("Sarah"), search_messages (sender), then add_reaction.

"DM Jaime that the PR is ready" → Assistant calls teleport_chat with fuzzy name resolution — no email needed.

Development

git clone https://github.com/akougkas/zulipchat-mcp.git
cd zulipchat-mcp
uv sync
uv run zulipchat-mcp --zulip-config-file ~/.zuliprc

Run checks:

uv run pytest -q              # full test suite, 60% coverage gate
uv run ruff check .           # Linting
uv run mypy src               # Type checking

For packaging, dependency, FastMCP, or startup changes, run the release smoke:

uv build
scripts/pre_release_smoke.sh --version X.Y.Z --allow-dirty

See CONTRIBUTING.md for the full guide, and CLAUDE.md / AGENTS.md for AI agent instructions.

Architecture

src/zulipchat_mcp/
├── core/           # Client wrapper, identity, caching, security
├── tools/          # MCP tool implementations (two-tier registration)
├── services/       # Background listener and session event routing
├── utils/          # Logging, DuckDB persistence, metrics
└── config.py       # config loading (zuliprc + environment fallback)

Built on FastMCP with async-first design, DuckDB for agent state persistence, and smart user/stream caching for fast fuzzy resolution.

Privacy

• No data collection — nothing leaves your machine except Zulip API calls
• No telemetry — zero analytics, tracking, or usage reporting
• Local execution — all processing happens on your hardware
• Credentials stay local — API keys are never logged or transmitted beyond your Zulip server

Full policy: PRIVACY.md

License

MIT — See LICENSE

Links

• Documentation Index
• Support
• Security Policy
• Zulip API Documentation
• Model Context Protocol
• Report Issues
• Discussions

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_{Built for the Zulip community}