---
title: MCP and CLI | Vibecodr Docs
description: Use the Vibecodr MCP and CLI to upload, import, publish, and check status from agents or a terminal, with the same rules as Studio and no access to secrets or private storage.
canonical: https://vibecodr.space/docs/mcp-cli
---

# MCP and CLI

MCP is for AI agents. The CLI is for your terminal. Either way, the rules match Studio: you can upload, inspect, import, publish, and check status, but you can't reach secrets, private storage, or platform internals.

Marker: MCP and CLI capability guide for Vibecodr agent and terminal workflows.

## Implementation focus

Use this when you're connecting an agent, uploading from the terminal, sorting out a CLI import that failed, or deciding which actions are safe to automate.

## Expected outcomes

- Pick MCP or the CLI based on who's acting — an agent or a person at a terminal.
- Keep your uploads and publishes working the same way they do in Studio.
- Understand why some actions need sign-in or a confirmation, and why a few aren't available.
- Keep secrets and private storage out of anything you automate.

## Same rules for agents and terminals

MCP is the surface for AI agents. The CLI is the surface for your terminal. Both are here to help with real Vibecodr work — not to become a back door into platform admin, secret inspection, storage browsing, or deploy tokens.

Reach for MCP when an agent needs public context, launch prep, metadata help, or a supported signed-in action. Reach for the CLI when you want to upload, inspect, import, publish, or check status from a terminal, following the same rules as Studio.

- MCP connects through the documented remote endpoint.

- On a headless server (SSH, CI), an agent can't finish that endpoint's browser sign-in — drive the hosted tools through the CLI instead, and run `vibecodr status` or `vibecodr doctor` for the recipe.

- CLI upload and import follow the same staged-upload and build steps you'd see in Studio.

- Neither one exposes secrets, private storage internals, or platform controls.

- Agents and scripts should prefer real product actions over raw, low-level access.

## When a command fails

When a CLI upload or publish fails, sort it the same way you would in Studio: is it sign-in, the file shape, the staged upload, the recipe, the build output, the metadata, or publish permission? Matching the terminal to the web product makes the fix easy to spot.

When an MCP action fails, check what kind of tool it is — public, signed-in, confirmation-required, or simply unavailable. Don't assume every action is safe to run on autopilot.

- Share the command name, the route or project ID, the status, and the `errorKey` when you have it.

- Never paste tokens or private source into an agent prompt.

- Retry only when the error says it's safe, or when repeating the step can't cause harm twice.

## Example and read next

Example: an upload fails from the terminal. Sort it like Studio — sign-in, the staged upload, the recipe, the build output, the metadata, or publish permission — before you retry.

Use these related pages when you need the next layer of guidance. They point to the most likely follow-up tasks, not every page that happens to touch the same system.

- Read next: [Vibecodr CLI](/docs/vc-tools)

- Read next: [MCP for Agents](/docs/mcp-agents)

- Read next: [Import a Project](/docs/import-project)

- Read next: [Support Diagnostics](/docs/support-diagnostics)

- Read next: [Troubleshooting](/docs/troubleshooting)

## Structured route body

### Same rules for agents and terminals

MCP is the surface for AI agents. The CLI is the surface for your terminal. Both are here to help with real Vibecodr work — not to become a back door into platform admin, secret inspection, storage browsing, or deploy tokens.

Reach for MCP when an agent needs public context, launch prep, metadata help, or a supported signed-in action. Reach for the CLI when you want to upload, inspect, import, publish, or check status from a terminal, following the same rules as Studio.

- MCP connects through the documented remote endpoint.
- On a headless server (SSH, CI), an agent can't finish that endpoint's browser sign-in — drive the hosted tools through the CLI instead, and run `vibecodr status` or `vibecodr doctor` for the recipe.
- CLI upload and import follow the same staged-upload and build steps you'd see in Studio.
- Neither one exposes secrets, private storage internals, or platform controls.
- Agents and scripts should prefer real product actions over raw, low-level access.

### When a command fails

When a CLI upload or publish fails, sort it the same way you would in Studio: is it sign-in, the file shape, the staged upload, the recipe, the build output, the metadata, or publish permission? Matching the terminal to the web product makes the fix easy to spot.

When an MCP action fails, check what kind of tool it is — public, signed-in, confirmation-required, or simply unavailable. Don't assume every action is safe to run on autopilot.

- Share the command name, the route or project ID, the status, and the `errorKey` when you have it.
- Never paste tokens or private source into an agent prompt.
- Retry only when the error says it's safe, or when repeating the step can't cause harm twice.

### Example and read next

Example: an upload fails from the terminal. Sort it like Studio — sign-in, the staged upload, the recipe, the build output, the metadata, or publish permission — before you retry.

Use these related pages when you need the next layer of guidance. They point to the most likely follow-up tasks, not every page that happens to touch the same system.

- Read next: [Vibecodr CLI](/docs/vc-tools)
- Read next: [MCP for Agents](/docs/mcp-agents)
- Read next: [Import a Project](/docs/import-project)
- Read next: [Support Diagnostics](/docs/support-diagnostics)
- Read next: [Troubleshooting](/docs/troubleshooting)

## Related documentation

- [/docs/vc-tools](https://vibecodr.space/docs/vc-tools/index.md)
- [/docs/mcp-agents](https://vibecodr.space/docs/mcp-agents/index.md)
- [/docs/import-project](https://vibecodr.space/docs/import-project/index.md)
- [/docs/support-diagnostics](https://vibecodr.space/docs/support-diagnostics/index.md)
- [/docs/troubleshooting](https://vibecodr.space/docs/troubleshooting/index.md)