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HTTP Transport

The HTTP transport connects ChatShell to a remote MCP server over HTTP using the Streamable HTTP protocol.

Adding an HTTP MCP server requires only the endpoint URL:

  1. Go to Settings → MCP Servers
  2. Click Add Server
  3. Select HTTP as the transport type
  4. Enter the server endpoint URL
  5. Click Save

Tip: You can also click Paste JSON config to import a server from a JSON definition. See JSON Config Import for supported formats.

https://example-server.modelcontextprotocol.io/mcp

The endpoint should be the MCP endpoint of the server (use a URL ending in /mcp, not /sse).

For servers that require authentication, ChatShell supports:

  • OAuth 2.0 / 2.1 with PKCE — ChatShell will handle the OAuth flow automatically when you first connect to the server
  • Bearer tokens — Some servers accept a token in the endpoint URL or header

Connection refused / timeout Check that the URL is correct and the server is running. Ensure no firewall blocks outbound HTTP requests.

Tool discovery fails Some servers require authentication before returning tools. Complete the OAuth flow first.

SSL errors ChatShell requires valid SSL certificates for HTTPS endpoints. Self-signed certificates are not supported without additional configuration.