What it does
Arcade-mcp is a Python framework for building Model Context Protocol servers and the tools they expose. It provides decorators covering the full MCP spec—tools, resources, prompts, sampling, progress reporting—and automates OAuth token handling so that your tools can authorize requests to upstream APIs without ever exposing tokens to the client or LLM. The framework powers 7,500+ prebuilt tools across 81 MCP servers at Arcade.dev, and is open-source for building custom integrations.
Who it's for
Python developers building custom MCP servers for internal APIs, private tools, and domain-specific integrations. Teams extending Claude Desktop, Cursor, or VS Code with authorized tool calling—particularly those needing OAuth flows (GitHub, Slack, Google, etc.) without managing tokens in application code. Integration-heavy teams wanting a vendor-neutral framework that works with any MCP client or agent framework.
Common use cases
- Build a custom MCP server for proprietary internal APIs or business logic
- Add GitHub, Slack, or Notion authorization to tools without hardcoding credentials
- Host servers on Arcade Cloud with automatic OAuth token refresh and per-call scoping
- Test tool-call accuracy against real LLMs using
arcade evals - Extend Claude Desktop or VS Code with authorized integrations over stdio or HTTP
Setup pitfalls
- Requires Python 3.10+ and
uv; older versions are not supported - Framework reads and writes filesystem and makes network calls; deploy with appropriate sandboxing and permission restrictions
- OAuth setup requires registering apps in the Arcade Dashboard for custom providers; 22 prebuilt providers (GitHub, Slack, Google, etc.) are included but need scope declaration
- Scanner detected one secret in the codebase; audit any hardcoded credentials or API keys before deployment