Firebase MCP Server
Overview
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open protocol that enables seamless integration between LLM applications and external data sources and tools. This MCP server provides a standardized interface to interact with Firebase services including:
- Authentication: User management and verification
- Firestore: Document database operations
- Storage: File storage and retrieval
The server exposes Firebase services through MCP tools, making them accessible to LLM clients including Claude Desktop, Cursor, Roo Code, and Cline, while handling authentication and connection management.
Setup
The easiest way to install the Firebase MCP server is to simply feed your LLM client (like Cline) the llms-install.md file.
1. Firebase Configuration
- Go to Firebase Console
- Navigate to Project Settings > Service Accounts
- Click "Generate new private key"
- Save the JSON file securely
2. Environment Variables
The server requires the following environment variables:
SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY_PATH
: Path to your Firebase service account key JSON file (required)FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET
: Bucket name for Firebase Storage (optional)- If not provided, defaults to
[projectId].appspot.com
- If not provided, defaults to
3. Install MCP Server
Add the server configuration to your MCP settings file:
- Claude Desktop:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
- Cursor:
[project root]/.cursor/mcp.json
- Roo Code (VS Code Extension): (
~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/globalStorage/rooveterinaryinc.roo-cline/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json
) - Cline (VS Code Extension):
~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/globalStorage/saoudrizwan.claude-dev/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json
MCP Servers can be installed manually or at runtime via npx (recommended). How you install determines your configuration:
Configure for npx
{
"firebase-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@gannonh/firebase-mcp"
],
"env": {
"SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY_PATH": "/absolute/path/to/serviceAccountKey.json",
"FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET": "your-project-id.firebasestorage.app"
}
}
}
Configure for local installation
{
"firebase-mcp": {
"command": "node",
"args": [
"/absolute/path/to/firebase-mcp/dist/index.js"
],
"env": {
"SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY_PATH": "/absolute/path/to/serviceAccountKey.json",
"FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET": "your-project-id.firebasestorage.app"
}
}
}
Manual Installation
Install Dependencies
git clone https://github.com/gannonh/firebase-mcp
cd firebase-mcp
npm install
Build the Project
npm run build
Test your Installation
To make sure everything is working, simply prompt your client: Please run through and test all of your Firebase MCP tools.
Features
Authentication Tools
-
auth_get_user
: Get user details by ID or email{ identifier: string // User ID or email address }
Firestore Tools
-
firestore_add_document
: Add a document to a collection{ collection: string, data: object }
-
firestore_list_collections
: List available collections{ documentPath?: string, // Optional parent document path limit?: number, // Default: 20 pageToken?: string // For pagination }
-
firestore_list_documents
: List documents with optional filtering{ collection: string, filters?: Array<{ field: string, operator: string, value: any }>, limit?: number, pageToken?: string }
-
firestore_get_document
: Get a specific document{ collection: string, id: string }
-
firestore_update_document
: Update an existing document{ collection: string, id: string, data: object }
-
firestore_delete_document
: Delete a document{ collection: string, id: string }
Storage Tools
-
storage_list_files
: List files in a directory{ directoryPath?: string, // Optional path, defaults to root pageSize?: number, // Number of items per page, defaults to 10 pageToken?: string // Token for pagination }
-
storage_get_file_info
: Get file metadata and download URL{ filePath: string // Path to the file in storage }
Development
Building
npm run build
Testing
The project uses Jest for testing. Tests can be run against Firebase emulators to avoid affecting production data.
-
Install Firebase Emulators
npm install -g firebase-tools firebase init emulators
-
Start Emulators
firebase emulators:start
-
Run Tests
npm run test:emulator
Architecture
The server is structured into three main components:
src/
├── index.ts # Server entry point
└── lib/
└── firebase/
├── authClient.ts # Authentication operations
├── firebaseConfig.ts # Firebase configuration
├── firestoreClient.ts # Firestore operations
└── storageClient.ts # Storage operations
Each client module implements specific Firebase service operations and exposes them as MCP tools.
Contributing
- Fork the repository
- Create a feature branch
- Implement changes with tests
- Submit a pull request
License
MIT License - see LICENSE file for details
Related Resources
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
"The specified bucket does not exist" Error
If you encounter this error when trying to access Firebase Storage:
-
Check that your Firebase project has Storage enabled
- Go to the Firebase Console
- Navigate to Storage
- Complete the initial setup if you haven't already
-
Verify the correct bucket name
- The default bucket name is usually
[projectId].appspot.com
- Some projects use
[projectId].firebasestorage.app
instead - You can find your bucket name in the Firebase Console under Storage
- The default bucket name is usually
-
Set the
FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET
environment variable- Add the correct bucket name to your MCP configuration
- Example:
"FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET": "your-project-id.firebasestorage.app"
"Firebase is not initialized" Error
If you see this error:
-
Verify your service account key path
- Make sure the path in
SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY_PATH
is correct and absolute - Check that the file exists and is readable
- Make sure the path in
-
Check service account permissions
- Ensure the service account has the necessary permissions for the Firebase services you're using
- For Storage, the service account needs the Storage Admin role
JSON Parsing Errors
If you see errors about invalid JSON:
-
Make sure there are no
console.log
statements in the code- All logging should use
console.error
to avoid interfering with the JSON communication - The MCP protocol uses stdout for JSON communication
- All logging should use
-
Check for syntax errors in your requests
- Verify that all parameters are correctly formatted
- Check for typos in field names