Ziva as an MCP Server

Ziva can share its Godot tools with other AI applications through the Model Context Protocol (MCP). This lets you work from Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, or another MCP-compatible client while the client inspects and changes your game through Ziva.

For example, an external AI application can use Ziva to:

• Inspect the scene tree and project files
• Create or update nodes, scenes, scripts, and resources
• Read Godot errors
• Run and stop your game
• Interact with the Godot editor

Ziva as an MCP server gives Ziva’s Godot tools to an external AI application. To give Ziva tools from other services instead, see MCP Servers.

Connect an AI application

1. Open your game project in Godot and wait for Ziva to finish starting.
2. Open Ziva Settings.
3. Select Integrations, then find Ziva as an MCP server.
4. Confirm that the status shows Running and a tool count.
5. Choose your AI application from the list.
6. Select Install for [application].
7. Restart or reload the AI application so it discovers ziva-godot.

Open the same game project in your AI application, then ask it to use Ziva’s Godot tools:

Use ziva-godot to inspect the current scene and explain how the player controller works.

Your AI application decides when to call a tool and handles its own approval prompts. Review each proposed action before allowing changes to your project.

Supported AI applications

Ziva provides setup for:

• Claude Code and Claude Desktop
• Codex and Gemini CLI
• Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, and Zed
• Cline, Roo Code, Kilo Code, and Kiro
• Trae and OpenCode
• Other MCP clients through the raw local URL

The available list in Ziva Settings is the source of truth for your installed version.

Configure a client manually

If you prefer not to use one-click setup, or installation fails:

1. Choose the AI application in Ziva Settings.
2. Select Copy beside the generated configuration.
3. Add the copied command or configuration to that application’s MCP settings.
4. Restart or reload the application.

The generated configuration is specific to your computer, so copy it from Ziva rather than reusing one from another person or machine. Select MCP Docs beside an application to open its official configuration instructions.

For an application that is not listed, choose Other / Raw URL and copy the local MCP URL. Follow the application’s instructions for adding a remote or streamable HTTP MCP server.

Work with Godot open or closed

The full set of Ziva tools is available while the target project is open in Godot and Ziva is running.

If Godot is closed, clients configured with Ziva’s generated command can still see a start_godot tool. Start your command-line AI application from the game project’s folder—the folder containing project.godot—then ask it to start Godot:

Use ziva-godot to start Godot for this project, then inspect the main scene.

Ziva opens the editor, waits for the plugin to become ready, and then makes the full tool list available. If your client does not refresh MCP tools automatically, start a new session after Godot opens.

For desktop clients, the simplest workflow is to open the target project in Godot before using Ziva’s tools.

Keep the two MCP directions separate

The two MCP sections in Ziva Settings solve different problems:

Servers you add under MCP servers are available to Ziva’s own agent. They are not passed through to external AI applications connected to Ziva as an MCP server.

Troubleshooting

Ziva shows “Ziva server not ready”

Wait for Ziva to finish starting, then leave and reopen the Integrations section. If Ziva itself is disconnected, follow the Connection & Server troubleshooting guide.

One-click installation fails

Read the error shown below the install button. If the client already has a configuration file that Ziva cannot safely update, use the generated manual configuration instead:

1. Select Copy.
2. Open the client’s MCP settings.
3. Add the ziva-godot entry without removing your other MCP servers.
4. Restart or reload the client.

The client does not show ziva-godot

• Restart or reload the client after installation.
• Confirm that you installed the configuration for the correct application.
• Return to Ziva Settings and run the installation again.
• Use MCP Docs to check where that client expects its MCP configuration.

The client connects but only shows start_godot

Godot or Ziva is not currently reachable. Call start_godot from a client launched inside the game project’s folder, or open the project in Godot yourself. Start a new client session if its tool list does not refresh after Godot opens.

Ziva opens the wrong project or cannot find one

For command-line clients, open the terminal in the intended project folder before starting the client. Ziva looks for project.godot in that folder or its parent folders.