Follow the steps below to manually set up the toolkit components for your AI development environment.

1. Connect to the MCP server

The Esri MCP server for developer documentation The Esri MCP server for developer documentation is a core component of the ArcGIS agentic developer toolkit. It is hosted by Esri and provides tools that allow AI agents to search and retrieve official ArcGIS developer resources. Learn more provides access to official ArcGIS developer documentation and resources. Learn more in MCP server.

Follow the steps below to manually connect your coding agent to the MCP server.

Follow the VS Code instructions to connect to the Esri MCP server for developer documentation. Then, start the MCP server.

Use the following configuration when prompted:

Server URL: https://developers-mcp.arcgis.com/mcp
Name or Server ID: esri-mcp-server-for-developer-documentation
Type: http

JSON configuration:

{
  "servers": {
    "esri-mcp-server-for-developer-documentation": {
      "url": "https://developers-mcp.arcgis.com/mcp",
      "type": "http"
    }
  }
}

Configure Xcode to allow access to external agents.
In Xcode’s Intelligence settings, install, sign in, or add your coding agent.
To customize your coding agent and connect to the MCP server, create and add a configuration file with the following settings and place it in your agent’s Xcode subfolder.
- Server URL: https://developers-mcp.arcgis.com/mcp
- Name or Server ID: esri-mcp-server-for-developer-documentation
- Type: http
- JSON configuration:
  { "mcpServers": { "esri-mcp-server-for-developer-documentation": { "url": "https://developers-mcp.arcgis.com/mcp", "type": "http" } } }

Using Gemini

Follow the Android Studio instructions to connect to the Esri MCP server for developer documentation.

Using GitHub Copilot

Install the GitHub Copilot plugin and sign in.
Open File > Settings > GitHub Copilot > Model Context Protocol (MCP) to configure the Esri MCP server for developer documentation. See configuring MCP servers in JetBrains IDE in the GitHub Copilot documentation. The interface described in the documentation may differ from your version of Android Studio.

MCP server configuration

Use the following configuration when prompted, for either Gemini or GitHub Copilot:

Server URL: https://developers-mcp.arcgis.com/mcp
Name or Server ID: esri-mcp-server-for-developer-documentation
Type: http

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "esri-mcp-server-for-developer-documentation": {
      "url": "https://developers-mcp.arcgis.com/mcp",
      "type": "http"
    }
  }
}

Follow the Visual Studio instructions to connect to the Esri MCP server for developer documentation.

Use the following configuration when prompted:

Server URL: https://developers-mcp.arcgis.com/mcp
Name or Server ID: esri-mcp-server-for-developer-documentation
Type: http

JSON configuration:

{
  "servers": {
    "esri-mcp-server-for-developer-documentation": {
      "url": "https://developers-mcp.arcgis.com/mcp",
      "type": "http"
    }
  }
}

Follow the Claude Code instructions to connect to the Esri MCP server for developer documentation.

Use the following configuration when prompted:

Server URL: https://developers-mcp.arcgis.com/mcp
Name or Server ID: esri-mcp-server-for-developer-documentation
Type: http

Follow the Cursor instructions to connect to the Esri MCP server for developer documentation.

Use the following configuration when prompted:

Server URL: https://developers-mcp.arcgis.com/mcp
Name or Server ID: esri-mcp-server-for-developer-documentation
Type: http

JSON configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "esri-mcp-server-for-developer-documentation": {
      "url": "https://developers-mcp.arcgis.com/mcp",
      "type": "http"
    }
  }
}

Follow the Kiro instructions to connect to the Esri MCP server for developer documentation.

Use the following configuration when prompted:

Server URL: https://developers-mcp.arcgis.com/mcp
Name or Server ID: esri-mcp-server-for-developer-documentation
Type: http

JSON configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "esri-mcp-server-for-developer-documentation": {
      "url": "https://developers-mcp.arcgis.com/mcp",
      "type": "http"
    }
  }
}

2. Install agent skills

The Esri developer agent skills Esri developer agent skills are reusable instructions that provide contextual guidance for agents to perform AI-assisted ArcGIS development tasks. Learn more provide guidance for coding agents to perform ArcGIS development tasks. The skills are designed to work with the MCP server. Learn more in Agent skills.

To install the skills manually, use the npx skills command. Before installing skills, make sure Node.js 22.20.0 or later (including npm and npx) and Git are installed and available in your terminal. Run the following command in a terminal:

npx skills add Esri/esri-developer-agent-skills

3. Verify your connection

Verify that your AI agent is connected to the MCP server and has access to the installed agent skills.

In your client’s MCP settings, confirm that the Esri MCP server for developer documentation is enabled and connected. Start it if your client requires this.
Open a new agent chat and run the following prompt. Approve any requests from the agent to use tools or access folders needed to verify your setup.
Prompt
Return the URL of the Esri MCP server for developer documentation that I am connected to. Indicate if it is not connected or turned on yet. Also return the tools accessible from the MCP server and my installed Esri developer agent skills.
Your setup is ready when:
- The agent reports that the MCP server is connected.
- The agent lists available tools from the MCP server, including search_esri_developer_docs, fetch_esri_developer_doc, and fetch_esri_developer_focus_areas.
- The agent lists the installed Esri developer agent skills, including gather-arcgis-application-requirements and follow-arcgis-authentication-patterns.

Use the result of the verification prompt to identify which part of your setup needs attention:

The server is not listed: For a plugin installation, confirm that your selected plugin is installed and enabled, not just that its repository has been added as a source. For manual configuration, confirm that the MCP configuration was saved for the client and workspace you are using. Restart the client if the server still does not appear.
The server is listed but disconnected: Start or reconnect it in your client’s MCP settings. Check the connection logs for an incorrect URL, a timeout, or a network error. Confirm that your network, proxy, or firewall allows HTTPS access to the configured server URL.
The server is connected but tools are unavailable: Check that your current chat mode supports MCP tools and that the server’s tools are enabled for that chat. Ask the agent to test search_esri_developer_docs with a simple query, such as ArcGIS API key authentication, to confirm that it can call the server rather than just list its tools.
Tools are available but skills are missing: Open a new chat after enabling or installing skills. You might also need to restart the client.

To ask your AI agent for help, run the following prompt and include any error message from your client’s MCP settings or logs.

Prompt

Help troubleshoot my ArcGIS agentic developer toolkit setup. Check the MCP configuration, connection errors, tool permissions, and installed skills where you have access. Otherwise, guide me through the checks. Ask before changing configuration, and rerun verification after the fix.

What’s next?

Explore the MCP server, agent skills, and examples to learn how to implement it in your development workflow.

MCP server

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