Shard Tools

MCP setup guide

How to install Shard Tools MCP in Claude, Codex, Cursor, and Gemini

Shard Tools exposes a remote MCP endpoint at https://shard.tools/mcp. AI assistants can use it to run no-file conversions and calculators through edge compute, or to find the right browser-local file workflow.

Use these tools

Open the MCP endpointRead how AI workflows workRead privacy modesClaude connector docsClaude Code MCP docsCursor MCP docs

What the Shard Tools MCP does

The MCP endpoint gives AI assistants a small set of dependable tools. No-file work, such as unit conversions and business calculators, can return a direct answer in chat. File work, such as compressing a PDF or converting images, is routed to the browser-local Shard Tools page so the selected file stays on the user's device.

This split is intentional. Local Private means the file stays in the browser. Edge Assisted means the assistant sends only the no-file inputs, such as numbers and unit names, to Shard Tools edge compute. If Shard Tools ever adds edge-assisted file processing, it should be labelled separately because the file would leave the device for that request.

The endpoint to add is https://shard.tools/mcp. It uses remote HTTP MCP and does not require an API key for the current public tools.

Install in Codex

In the Codex desktop app, open Settings, then Plugins, then MCPs. Choose Add, select a custom MCP server, name it Shard Tools, choose Streamable HTTP, and enter https://shard.tools/mcp as the server URL.

After saving it, start a new Codex task and ask: Use the Shard Tools MCP server to convert 120 psi to bar. The expected result is 120 psi = 8.27371 bar. Then try: Use the Shard Tools MCP server to calculate 5% commission on a 5000 sale.

If the Codex CLI is available in your terminal, MCP support and exact commands can vary by version. Use the desktop MCP settings when you want the least fragile setup on Windows.

Install in Claude

For Claude chat or Claude Desktop with custom connectors, open Settings, then Connectors, add a custom connector, and use https://shard.tools/mcp as the remote MCP server URL. In Team or Enterprise workspaces, an owner may need to add the connector before members can enable it.

For Claude Code, use the remote HTTP transport. The command shape documented by Claude Code is: claude mcp add --transport http shard-tools https://shard.tools/mcp. After adding it, run /mcp in Claude Code if the client asks you to review or enable the server.

Claude's remote connector flow is cloud-brokered: Claude connects to the remote MCP server from Anthropic infrastructure. That is fine for Shard Tools no-file tools, but file privacy still depends on using the Local Private browser workflow for actual documents and images.

Install in Cursor

Cursor supports MCP servers through its MCP settings and configuration files. Add a server named shard-tools with type http or streamable-http and URL https://shard.tools/mcp.

Use Shard Tools in Cursor for deterministic utility steps: converting units in a README, checking business-calculator math, or finding the right browser-local tool for a file before you manually upload anything to an AI chat.

Because Shard Tools is a public remote MCP endpoint, it should not need a local process or a project-specific command. If a Cursor version asks for JSON, use a remote HTTP server entry rather than a stdio command.

Gemini and other AI tools

Gemini support for arbitrary remote MCP setup depends on the specific Gemini product and client being used. Do not assume every Gemini chat surface can add a custom MCP server today.

Shard Tools still helps Gemini users through browser-local preparation. If a Gemini chat has image-count or file-size limits, use Shard Tools to combine images into a PDF, compress a PDF, resize images, or split a document into upload-friendly batches before uploading to Gemini.

When a Gemini client supports remote MCP configuration, use the same endpoint: https://shard.tools/mcp. Until then, treat Shard Tools as the local preparation step before files are sent to Gemini.

Test prompts

After installation, use simple prompts that force the assistant to call Shard Tools instead of doing the math itself: Use Shard Tools MCP to convert 120 psi to bar. Use Shard Tools MCP to convert 90 kph to mph. Use Shard Tools MCP to calculate 5% commission on a 5000 sale.

For file workflows, test routing rather than remote file processing: Use Shard Tools MCP to find a private browser-local tool for compressing a PDF below 300 KB. Use Shard Tools MCP to find a browser-local tool for combining PNG images into one PDF.

A good response should either return a direct no-file result with mode edge_assisted_no_file, or return a Shard Tools URL with a note that the file stays in the browser.

Privacy checklist

For no-file conversions and calculators, the assistant sends numbers and unit names to Shard Tools edge compute. No file bytes are involved, and the MCP response includes a privacy note.

For PDF, image, spreadsheet, and document work, the public MCP currently points to browser-local tools. The file is not sent to the MCP endpoint. The user chooses the file on the Shard Tools page and processes it in the browser.

Do not describe browser-local file workflows as automatic remote processing. They are intentionally local. Do not describe edge-assisted no-file calculations as browser-local. They run on Cloudflare edge compute from the small inputs sent by the assistant.