Running Your MCP Server with FastMCP v2.0
About
This guide explains how to run a custom MCP server using FastMCP v2.0 and install it for use with Claude Desktop. It is intended for developers who already have a server script (e.g., server.py) ready.
Details
- Author
- GanonUchiha
- Downloads
- 302
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- Provides fastmcp run and fastmcp install commands
- Supports specifying additional Python dependencies
- Allows passing environment variables during installation
- Supports loading environment variables from a .env file
Setting up with Highlight
This MCP is not yet compatible with Highlight’s one-click setup. However, you can still use it with Highlight by following these steps:
- Download and install Highlight from highlightai.com/download
- Navigate to the plugins tab and select "Add Custom Plugin"
-
Configure the plugin with the settings below
Plugin Name
Running Your MCP Server with FastMCP v2.0Command (node, npx, python, etc.)Please refer to the README for specific instructions on how to obtain API keys or other required environment variables.
- Enable "Start Automatically" if you want the plugin to start when Highlight launches
From the repository
Install FastMCP, run the server with fastmcp run server.py (or python server.py if using the standard entry point), then install it for Claude Desktop with fastmcp install server.py and restart Claude Desktop.
Claude Desktop / Cursor
Paste into your MCP client config file to install this server.
{
"mcpServers": {
"running your mcp server with fastmcp v2.0": {
"My-FastMCP-Example": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"pip",
"install",
"fastmcp"
]
}
}
}
}McpServers
{
"My-FastMCP-Example": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"pip",
"install",
"fastmcp"
]
}
}Running Your MCP Server with FastMCP v2.0
This guide walks you through how to run your MCP server using FastMCP v2.0 and install it for use with Claude Desktop.
---
✅ Prerequisites
Assumes: - Your environment is already set up - Your server code (e.g.,server.py) is complete and ready to run
---
🚀 Running the Server
1. Install FastMCP (if not already installed)
It's recommended to use uv:
uv pip install fastmcp
If you don’t have uv, you can install it via Homebrew (macOS):
brew install uv
Or use pip directly:
pip install fastmcp
2. Run Your Server
Using FastMCP’s run command:
fastmcp run server.py
If your script uses the standard entry point:
if __name__ == "__main__":
mcp.run()
Then you can also simply:
python server.py
---
🛠️ Installing Server for Claude Desktop
1. Install the Server
This command prepares your server for Claude Desktop integration:
fastmcp install server.py
2. Restart Claude Desktop
After installing, restart Claude Desktop to load your newly installed server.
---
🔧 Additional Tips
Specify Dependencies
Declare additional packages when instantiating FastMCP:mcp = FastMCP("My Server", dependencies=["pandas", "numpy"])
Set Environment Variables
Pass env variables during installation:fastmcp install server.py -e API_KEY=your_api_key
Use a .env File
Load environment configuration from a file:
fastmcp install server.py -f .env
---
✅ Example Claude Prompt
If you’ve defined a tool likeadd, you can talk to Claude like this:
> "Please add 5 and 7."
Claude will then use the MCP server to calculate the result.
---
For more info, visit: https://github.com/jlowin/fastmcp
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