Client Configuration

Different AI clients have varying configuration formats for MCP servers. This page documents the configuration specifics for each supported client.

Standard Configuration Pattern

Most AI clients follow this basic pattern:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stata-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["stata-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

However, each client may have slight variations in file location, format, or supported features.

Client-Specific Configurations

Claude Code

Configuration Method: CLI command or .mcp.json

Global Installation:

claude mcp add stata-mcp -- uvx stata-mcp

Project-based Installation (Recommended):

cd ~/Documents/MyResearch
claude mcp add stata-mcp \
  --env STATA_MCP_CWD=$(pwd) \
  --scope project \
  -- uvx --directory $(pwd) stata-mcp

Configuration File: .mcp.json (created in project directory)

Format: JSON

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stata-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["stata-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "STATA_MCP_CWD": "/absolute/path/to/project"
      }
    }
  }
}

Unique Features: - ✅ Project-scoped configuration (--scope project) - ✅ Environment variable injection (--env) - ✅ Directory specification (--directory) - ✅ Version pinning support (stata-mcp==1.13.0)

Claude Desktop

Configuration File: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS)

Format: JSON

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stata-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["stata-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "STATA_MCP_CWD": "/path/to/project",
        "STATA_CLI": "/Applications/Stata/StataMP"
      }
    }
  }
}

Unique Features: - ✅ Environment variable support via env object - ✅ Manual configuration file editing required

Codex (VS Code Extension)

Configuration File: ~/.codex/config.toml

Format: TOML

[mcp_servers.stata-mcp]
command = "uvx"
args = ["stata-mcp"]

With environment variables:

[mcp_servers.stata-mcp]
command = "uvx"
args = ["stata-mcp"]
env = { STATA_MCP_CWD = "/path/to/project" }

Unique Features: - ⚠️ Uses TOML format instead of JSON - ✅ Environment variables via env table

Cline

Configuration File: ~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/globalStorage/saoudrizwan.claude-dev/setting/cline_mcp_settings.json

Format: JSON

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stata-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "stata-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Unique Features: - ⚠️ Standard JSON format - ⚠️ No special features or extensions

Cursor

Configuration File: Cursor settings (location varies by OS)

Format: JSON

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stata-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "/absolute/path/to/project",
        "stata-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "STATA_MCP_CWD": "/absolute/path/to/project"
      }
    }
  }
}

Known Issues: - ⚠️ File system access limitations (may not access Documents directory) - ⚠️ Requires both --directory in args and STATA_MCP_CWD environment variable (both must point to same path) - ⚠️ Must use absolute paths (relative paths not supported) - ✅ Environment variables supported

Cherry Studio

Configuration File: Cherry Studio settings

Format: JSON (same as Claude Desktop)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stata-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["stata-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Unique Features: - ✅ Standard MCP configuration - ✅ Compatible with Claude Desktop format

Configuration Options

Command Variations

Standard (uses latest version):

"command": "uvx",
"args": ["stata-mcp"]

Pinned Version:

"command": "uvx",
"args": ["stata-mcp==1.13.0"]

With Custom Directory:

"command": "uvx",
"args": [
  "--directory",
  "/path/to/project",
  "stata-mcp"
]

Environment Variables

Core Variables

Variable	Purpose	Example
`STATA_MCP_CWD`	Working directory for Stata operations	`"/Users/user/research"`
`STATA_CLI`	Path to specific Stata executable	`"/Applications/Stata/StataMP"`
`STATA_MCP_MODEL`	LLM model for agent mode	`"gpt-4"`
`STATA_MCP_API_KEY`	API key for LLM provider	`"sk-..."`
`STATA_MCP_API_BASE_URL`	Custom API endpoint	`"https://api.openai.com/v1"`

Security Variables

Variable	Purpose	Default	Example
`STATA_MCP__IS_GUARD`	Enable security guard validation	`true`	`"true"` or `"false"`

Monitoring Variables

Variable	Purpose	Default	Example
`STATA_MCP__IS_MONITOR`	Enable RAM monitoring	`false`	`"true"` or `"false"`
`STATA_MCP__RAM_LIMIT`	Maximum RAM in MB	`-1` (no limit)	`"8192"` for 8GB

Debug Variables

Variable	Purpose	Default	Example
`STATA_MCP__IS_DEBUG`	Enable debug mode	`false`	`"true"` or `"false"`
`STATA_MCP__LOGGING_ON`	Enable logging	`true`	`"true"` or `"false"`
`STATA_MCP__LOGGING_CONSOLE_HANDLER_ON`	Enable console logging	`false`	`"true"` or `"false"`
`STATA_MCP__LOGGING_FILE_HANDLER_ON`	Enable file logging	`true`	`"true"` or `"false"`
`STATA_MCP__LOG_FILE`	Custom log file path	`~/.statamcp/stata_mcp_debug.log`	`"/var/log/stata-mcp/debug.log"`

JSON Format:

"env": {
  "STATA_MCP_CWD": "/path/to/project",
  "STATA_CLI": "/path/to/stata"
}

With Security and Monitoring:

"env": {
  "STATA_MCP_CWD": "/path/to/project",
  "STATA_MCP__IS_GUARD": "true",
  "STATA_MCP__IS_MONITOR": "true",
  "STATA_MCP__RAM_LIMIT": "8192"
}

TOML Format (Codex):

env = { STATA_MCP_CWD = "/path/to/project" }

With All Features:

env.STATA_MCP_CWD = "/path/to/project"
env.STATA_MCP__IS_GUARD = "true"
env.STATA_MCP__IS_MONITOR = "true"
env.STATA_MCP__RAM_LIMIT = "8192"
env.STATA_MCP__LOGGING_CONSOLE_HANDLER_ON = "true"

Configuration File Locations

Client	Config File Location	Format
Claude Code	`.mcp.json` (project) or global config	JSON
Claude Desktop	`~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`	JSON
Codex	`~/.codex/config.toml`	TOML
Cline	`~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/globalStorage/saoudrizwan.claude-dev/setting/cline_mcp_settings.json`	JSON
Cursor	Cursor settings directory	JSON
Cherry Studio	Cherry Studio settings directory	JSON

Troubleshooting

Configuration Not Detected

Verify file path: Check if configuration file exists in the correct location
Validate JSON/TOML syntax: Use online validators to check for syntax errors
Restart client: Most clients require restart after configuration changes
Check logs: Look for MCP server connection errors in client logs

Path Issues

Problem: Stata-MCP cannot access project files

Solution: - Use absolute paths for STATA_MCP_CWD - Ensure paths are within client's allowed directories - Check client's file system access permissions

Version Conflicts

Problem: Wrong Stata-MCP version loaded

Solution: - Clear Python package cache: pip cache purge stata-mcp - Pin specific version: uvx stata-mcp==1.13.0 - Use uvx --refresh stata-mcp to force refresh

Best Practices

Use project-scoped configuration when available (Claude Code)
Pin versions in production environments
Set absolute paths for working directories
Test configuration with uvx stata-mcp --usable before adding to client
Document custom configurations for team collaboration

Additional Resources

Usage Guide - Comprehensive usage examples
Overview - Architecture and design
MCP Tools - Available tools reference