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IDE tools for external agents via MCP

Explyt's built-in MCP server passes selected IDE tools and the context of the open project to an external agent. The agent remains a separate application and connects to a local HTTP endpoint in the running IDE.

This feature helps when you need to:

  • give an external agent access to IDE navigation and refactoring;
  • run configurations and explore the program through the debugger from Claude Code, Codex, or another MCP client;
  • limit the agent's access to selected tool groups;
  • check the arguments, responses, and results of the external agent's calls in a single log.

Before you start​

  • Open the project the external agent should work with.
  • Install and configure the MCP client that will connect to Explyt.
  • Decide which tool groups the agent needs for the task.

Connect Codex and run a task through IDE tools​

  1. Open the Explyt MCP Server window.
  2. On the Welcome screen, click Start setup.
  3. On the Server step, wait for the Running status. Enable Start server on IDE startup if needed, then click Next.
  4. On the Agents step, find Codex and click Configure. After the successful setup notification, click Next.
  5. On the Tools step, leave enabled the groups the agent needs. In the scenario shown, System, Configuration, Refactoring, Navigation, and Debugger are available. Click Next.
  6. On the Done step, click Finish.
  7. Start Codex and ask it to perform the task using the IDE tools.
  8. Return to the Explyt MCP Server window and watch the calls in the log. Select an entry to see the tool's arguments and response.

After setup, the Server section shows the Running status and the local endpoint. Codex gets the Explyt MCP server configuration, and the log fills in as tools are called. A successful call is marked with a green status.

Connect another MCP client​

In the Agents section, click Configure next to a detected client. If the client is not in the list, choose Other agents, copy the JSON via Copy JSON config, and add it to the client's configuration manually.

After connecting, the client receives only the enabled tools. The System group contains the mandatory IDE context tools and is always enabled.

If the server doesn't start​

If the port is busy, the Server section shows the Port in use status. Specify a free port and restart the server with the Restart button.