dxt-packaging

Guidelines for building and packaging MCP servers as MCP Bundles (MCPB). DXT references are legacy.

Overview

MCP Bundles (MCPB) allow AI assistants to discover and use MCP servers from a package archive. This skill covers the complete MCPB development workflow.

Getting Started

Read the Specifications

1. Architecture & Overview: https://github.com/anthropics/mcpb
2. MCPB Repository: https://github.com/anthropics/mcpb

• README.md - Architecture overview, capabilities, and integration patterns
• MANIFEST.md - Complete bundle manifest structure and field definitions
• examples/ - Reference implementations including a "Hello World" example

Create Proper Bundle Structure

• Generate a valid manifest.json following the MANIFEST.md spec
• Implement an MCP server using @modelcontextprotocol/sdk with proper tool definitions
• Include proper error handling and timeout management

Development Best Practices

MCP Protocol Communication

• Implement proper MCP protocol communication via stdio transport
• Structure tools with clear schemas, validation, and consistent JSON responses
• Make use of the fact that this bundle will be running locally

Logging & Debugging

• Add appropriate logging and debugging capabilities
• Use structured logging for error tracking
• Include proper documentation and setup instructions

Testing Considerations

• Validate that all tool calls return properly structured responses
• Verify manifest loads correctly and host integration works
• Generate complete, production-ready code that can be immediately tested
• Focus on defensive programming and clear error messages
• Follow the exact MCPB specifications to ensure ecosystem compatibility

Key Files

• manifest.json - Bundle metadata and configuration
• src/index.ts - Main entry point for the MCP server
• build/ - Compiled output for distribution

References

• MCPB GitHub Repository
• MCP TypeScript SDK