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Tilt MCP Server

MCP server for Tilt CLI integration, enabling AI assistants to interact with Tilt development workflows

Installation

Add the following to your MCP client configuration file.

Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "0xbigboss-tilt-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@0xbigboss/tilt-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "TILT_HOST": "localhost",
        "TILT_PORT": "10350"
      }
    }
  }
}

You set up a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integrates Tilt CLI workflows with AI assistants. This server exposes commands to check status, manage Tilt resources, view logs, and perform actions like triggering updates, enabling or disabling resources, and waiting for readiness. It allows you to interact with Tilt from an MCP-enabled assistant in a safe, structured, and real-time way.

How to use

You interact with the Tilt MCP server through an MCP client. Start by configuring the MCP server in your client to run locally (stdio transport) or remotely (http transport) as shown in the example configurations. Once connected, you can perform practical workflows such as listing resources, inspecting a resource in detail, viewing logs with optional filtering, triggering updates, and waiting for resources to become ready. Use verbose responses when you need post-action state to confirm changes.

How to install

Prerequisites you need installed on your system before running the Tilt MCP server include Bun (for runtime and tooling) and Tilt CLI (version 0.35.0 or later). You will also use a Claude Code integration or similar MCP client to connect via stdio transport.

Install dependencies and prepare the project by running the package manager command appropriate to your setup. The setup often includes installing dependencies with Bun.

If you plan to run the MCP server locally via stdio, you will typically install and run the server from source using Bun or a comparable tool. Then you configure your MCP client to connect through the port you expose (for example 10350) and set the host if needed.

Configuration and usage notes

Connection configuration is done by defining TILT_PORT in your MCP server environment (and optionally TILT_HOST if you connect to a remote Tilt instance). Tools validate the port and fail fast if it is missing or invalid. The default host is localhost if TILT_HOST is not set.

Two practical way to connect from Claude Code are shown here. Both use stdio transport and rely on an MCP server command to run the Tilt MCP server locally.

Troubleshooting and tips

If you encounter issues with Tiltfile arguments or other state, you can reset stored Tiltfile arguments using the relevant MCP tool to avoid misconfiguration. For log filtering, remember that the level option filters Tilt system messages; application logs are returned unfiltered.

Tools and capabilities

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tilt": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@0xbigboss/tilt-mcp"],
      "env": [
        {"name": "TILT_PORT", "value": "10350"},
        {"name": "TILT_HOST", "value": "localhost"}
      ]
    },
    "tilt_bunx": {
      "command": "bunx",
      "args": ["@0xbigboss/tilt-mcp"],
      "env": [
        {"name": "TILT_PORT", "value": "10350"},
        {"name": "TILT_HOST", "value": "localhost"}
      ]
    }
  },
  "envVars": [
    {"name": "TILT_PORT", "description": "Tilt API port to connect to", "required": true, "example": "10350"},
    {"name": "TILT_HOST", "description": "Tilt host address, defaults to localhost if not set", "required": false, "example": "tilt.example.com"}
  ]
}

What you can do with the Tilt MCP server

The server exposes a set of tools to manage Tilt resources and retrieve status and logs. You can start by listing resources, inspecting a specific resource, or tailing logs. You can also trigger updates, enable or disable resources, set Tiltfile arguments, and wait for resources to reach a ready state. Verbose options provide post-action state snapshots to help you verify outcomes.

Examples of typical workflows

List resources with slim summaries and optional filters to focus on specific resources or statuses. Get detailed information about a resource to understand its configuration and current state. Tail logs for a resource with the ability to search client-side and filter by log level. Trigger an update for a resource and request a slim post-action state to confirm the updated status. Wait for a resource to become ready and receive a concise readiness snapshot.

Available tools

tilt_status

Get Tilt session status summary with counts by status and errors to understand the current health and distribution of your Tilt resources.

tilt_get_resources

List resources with filtering, pagination, and slim or verbose modes to inspect resource groups and states.

tilt_describe_resource

Fetch detailed information about a specific resource in a cleaned, readable format for quick inspection.

tilt_logs

View logs from Tilt resources as plain text with optional client-side search; supports level-based filtering for Tilt system messages.

tilt_trigger

Manually trigger a resource update; append verbose to receive the updated resource state after the trigger.

tilt_enable

Enable a disabled resource; append verbose to include the updated resource state after the change.

tilt_disable

Disable a resource; append verbose to include the updated resource state after the change.

tilt_args

Set, get, or clear Tiltfile arguments to control build/test behavior; manage arguments safely.

tilt_wait

Wait for resources to reach a ready state; use verbose for a slim status summary after the wait.