spaceship-mcp

A community-built Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for the Spaceship API. Manage domains, DNS records, contacts, marketplace listings, and more — all through natural language via any MCP-compatible AI client.

> Note: This is an unofficial, community-maintained project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Spaceship.

Features

- 48 tools across 8 categories covering the full Spaceship API
- 13 DNS record types with dedicated, type-safe creation tools (A, AAAA, ALIAS, CAA, CNAME, HTTPS, MX, NS, PTR, SRV, SVCB, TLSA, TXT)
- Complete domain lifecycle — register, renew, transfer, and restore domains
- SellerHub integration — list domains for sale and generate checkout links
- DNS alignment analysis — compare expected vs actual records to catch misconfigurations
- WHOIS privacy and contact management with TLD-specific attribute support
- Input and output validation via Zod schemas on every tool for safe, predictable operations
- 5 MCP Resources for passive context loading (domain list, domain details, DNS records, contacts, SellerHub)
- 9 MCP Prompts — 5 guided workflows and 4 with argument auto-complete
- Resource subscriptions with polling-based change detection and automatic notifications
- Response caching with configurable TTL and automatic invalidation on writes
- Rate limit handling with exponential backoff and Retry-After header support
- Toolset filtering to expose only the tool categories you need
- Dynamic tool loading mode for agents with constrained context windows
- Actionable error messages with context-aware recovery suggestions
- Docker support for containerized deployment
- 453 unit tests with near-complete coverage

Supported Clients

This MCP server works with any client that supports the Model Context Protocol, including:

| Client | Easiest install |
|---|---|
| Claude Code | One-liner: claude mcp add |
| Codex CLI (OpenAI) | One-liner: codex mcp add |
| Gemini CLI (Google) | One-liner: gemini mcp add |
| VS Code (Copilot) | Command Palette: MCP: Add Server |
| Claude Desktop | JSON config file |
| Cursor | JSON config file |
| Windsurf | JSON config file |
| Cline | UI settings |
| Zed | JSON settings file |

Installation

Claude Code

claude mcp add --scope user spaceship-mcp \
  --env SPACESHIP_API_KEY=your-key \
  --env SPACESHIP_API_SECRET=your-secret \
  -- npx -y spaceship-mcp

Codex CLI (OpenAI)

codex mcp add spaceship-mcp \
  --env SPACESHIP_API_KEY=your-key \
  --env SPACESHIP_API_SECRET=your-secret \
  -- npx -y spaceship-mcp

Gemini CLI (Google)

gemini mcp add spaceship-mcp -- npx -y spaceship-mcp

Set environment variables SPACESHIP_API_KEY and SPACESHIP_API_SECRET separately via ~/.gemini/settings.json.

VS Code (Copilot)

Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P) > MCP: Add Server > select Command (stdio).

Or add to .vscode/mcp.json in your project directory:

{
  "servers": {
    "spaceship-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "spaceship-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "SPACESHIP_API_KEY": "your-key",
        "SPACESHIP_API_SECRET": "your-secret"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop / Cursor / Windsurf / Cline

These clients share the same JSON format. Add the config below to the appropriate file:

| Client | Config file |
|---|---|
| Claude Desktop (macOS) | ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json |
| Claude Desktop (Windows) | %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json |
| Cursor (project) | .cursor/mcp.json |
| Cursor (global) | ~/.cursor/mcp.json |
| Windsurf | ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json |
| Cline | Settings > MCP Servers > Edit |

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "spaceship-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "spaceship-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "SPACESHIP_API_KEY": "your-key",
        "SPACESHIP_API_SECRET": "your-secret"
      }
    }
  }
}

Zed

Add to your Zed settings (~/.zed/settings.json on macOS, ~/.config/zed/settings.json on Linux):

{
  "context_servers": {
    "spaceship-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "spaceship-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "SPACESHIP_API_KEY": "your-key",
        "SPACESHIP_API_SECRET": "your-secret"
      }
    }
  }
}

Docker

docker run -i --rm \
  -e SPACESHIP_API_KEY=your-key \
  -e SPACESHIP_API_SECRET=your-secret \
  ghcr.io/bartwaardenburg/spaceship-mcp

Codex CLI (TOML config alternative)

If you prefer editing ~/.codex/config.toml directly:

[mcp_servers.spaceship-mcp]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "spaceship-mcp"]
env = { "SPACESHIP_API_KEY" = "your-key", "SPACESHIP_API_SECRET" = "your-secret" }

Other MCP Clients

For any MCP-compatible client, use this server configuration:

- Command: npx
- Args: ["-y", "spaceship-mcp"]
- Environment variables: SPACESHIP_API_KEY and SPACESHIP_API_SECRET

Configuration

Required

| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
| SPACESHIP_API_KEY | Your Spaceship API key |
| SPACESHIP_API_SECRET | Your Spaceship API secret |

Generate your credentials in the Spaceship API Manager.

Optional

| Variable | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| SPACESHIP_CACHE_TTL | Response cache lifetime in seconds. Set to 0 to disable caching. | 120 |
| SPACESHIP_MAX_RETRIES | Maximum retry attempts for rate-limited (429) requests with exponential backoff. | 3 |
| SPACESHIP_TOOLSETS | Comma-separated list of tool categories to enable (see Toolset Filtering). | All toolsets |
| SPACESHIP_DYNAMIC_TOOLS | Set to true to enable dynamic tool loading mode (see Dynamic Tool Loading). | false |

API Key Setup

Creating Your API Key

1. Log in to your Spaceship account
2. Navigate to API Manager (direct link)
3. Click New API key
4. Give the key a descriptive name (e.g. "MCP Server")
5. Select the scopes you need (see below)
6. Copy both the API key and API secret — the secret is only shown once

Available Scopes

Each scope controls access to a specific part of the Spaceship API. When creating your key, enable only the scopes you need.

| Scope | Access |
|---|---|
| domains:read | List domains, check availability, view domain details and settings |
| domains:write | Modify domain settings (nameservers, auto-renew, contacts, privacy) |
| domains:billing | Register, renew, restore, and transfer domains (financial operations) |
| domains:transfer | Transfer lock, auth codes, and transfer status |
| contacts:read | Read saved contact profiles and attributes |
| contacts:write | Create and update contact profiles and attributes |
| dnsrecords:read | List DNS records for your domains |
| dnsrecords:write | Create, update, and delete DNS records |
| sellerhub:read | View marketplace listings and verification records |
| sellerhub:write | List/delist domains for sale, update pricing, generate checkout links |
| asyncoperations:read | Poll status of async operations (registration, renewal, transfer) |

Scopes Per Feature

The table below shows which scopes are required for each group of tools.

| Feature | Tools | Required scopes |
|---|---|---|
| DNS Records | list_dns_records | dnsrecords:read |
| | save_dns_records, delete_dns_records, all create_*_record tools | dnsrecords:read dnsrecords:write |
| Domain Info | list_domains, get_domain, check_domain_availability | domains:read |
| Domain Settings | update_nameservers, set_auto_renew, set_privacy_level, set_email_protection, update_domain_contacts | domains:write |
| Domain Lifecycle | register_domain, renew_domain, restore_domain, transfer_domain | domains:billing |
| Transfer | set_transfer_lock, get_auth_code, get_transfer_status | domains:transfer |
| Contacts | get_contact, get_contact_attributes | contacts:read |
| | save_contact, save_contact_attributes | contacts:write |
| Personal NS | list_personal_nameservers, get_personal_nameserver | domains:read |
| | update_personal_nameserver, delete_personal_nameserver | domains:write |
| SellerHub | list_sellerhub_domains, get_sellerhub_domain, get_verification_records | sellerhub:read |
| | create_sellerhub_domain, update_sellerhub_domain, delete_sellerhub_domain, create_checkout_link | sellerhub:write |
| Async Operations | get_async_operation | asyncoperations:read |
| Analysis | check_dns_alignment | dnsrecords:read |

Recommended Scope Presets

Full access — enable everything for unrestricted use:

domains:read  domains:write  domains:billing  domains:transfer
contacts:read  contacts:write
dnsrecords:read  dnsrecords:write
sellerhub:read  sellerhub:write
asyncoperations:read

DNS management only — just read/write DNS records:

dnsrecords:read  dnsrecords:write

Read-only — browse domains and records without making changes:

domains:read  contacts:read  dnsrecords:read  sellerhub:read  asyncoperations:read

Available Tools

DNS Records

| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| list_dns_records | List all DNS records for a domain with pagination |
| save_dns_records | Save (upsert) DNS records — replaces records with the same name and type |
| delete_dns_records | Delete DNS records by name and type |

Type-Specific Record Creation

Each DNS record type has a dedicated tool with type-safe parameters and validation.

| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| create_a_record | Create an A record (IPv4 address) |
| create_aaaa_record | Create an AAAA record (IPv6 address) |
| create_alias_record | Create an ALIAS record (CNAME flattening at zone apex) |
| create_caa_record | Create a CAA record (Certificate Authority Authorization) |
| create_cname_record | Create a CNAME record (canonical name) |
| create_https_record | Create an HTTPS record (SVCB-compatible) |
| create_mx_record | Create an MX record (mail exchange) |
| create_ns_record | Create an NS record (nameserver delegation) |
| create_ptr_record | Create a PTR record (reverse DNS) |
| create_srv_record | Create an SRV record (service locator) |
| create_svcb_record | Create an SVCB record (general service binding) |
| create_tlsa_record | Create a TLSA record (DANE/TLS certificate association) |
| create_txt_record | Create a TXT record (text data) |

Domain Management

| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| list_domains | List all domains in the account with pagination |
| get_domain | Get detailed domain information |
| check_domain_availability | Check availability for up to 20 domains at once |
| update_nameservers | Update nameservers for a domain |
| set_auto_renew | Toggle auto-renewal for a domain |
| set_transfer_lock | Toggle transfer lock for a domain |
| get_auth_code | Get the transfer auth/EPP code |

Domain Lifecycle

| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| register_domain | Register a new domain (financial operation, async) |
| renew_domain | Renew a domain registration (financial operation, async) |
| restore_domain | Restore a domain from redemption grace period (financial operation, async) |
| transfer_domain | Transfer a domain to Spaceship (financial operation, async) |
| get_transfer_status | Check the status of a domain transfer |
| get_async_operation | Poll the status of an async operation by its operation ID |

Contacts & Privacy

| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| save_contact | Create or update a reusable contact profile |
| get_contact | Retrieve a saved contact by ID |
| save_contact_attributes | Save TLD-specific contact attributes (e.g. tax IDs) |
| get_contact_attributes | Retrieve all stored contact attributes |
| update_domain_contacts | Update domain contacts (registrant, admin, tech, billing) |
| set_privacy_level | Set WHOIS privacy level (high or public) |
| set_email_protection | Toggle contact form display in WHOIS |

Personal Nameservers

| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| list_personal_nameservers | List vanity/glue nameservers for a domain |
| get_personal_nameserver | Get details of a personal nameserver by hostname |
| update_personal_nameserver | Create or update a personal nameserver (glue record) |
| delete_personal_nameserver | Delete a personal nameserver |

SellerHub

| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| list_sellerhub_domains | List domains for sale on the marketplace |
| create_sellerhub_domain | List a domain for sale with pricing |
| get_sellerhub_domain | Get listing details |
| update_sellerhub_domain | Update listing display name, description, and pricing |
| delete_sellerhub_domain | Remove a listing from the marketplace |
| create_checkout_link | Generate a buy-now checkout link for a listing |
| get_verification_records | Get DNS verification records for a listing |

Analysis

| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| check_dns_alignment | Compare expected vs actual DNS records to detect missing or unexpected entries |

MCP Resources

Resources provide passive context that clients can load without calling tools.

| Resource | URI | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Domain List | spaceship://domains | All domains in the account |
| Domain Details | spaceship://domains/{domain} | Detailed info for a specific domain |
| DNS Records | spaceship://domains/{domain}/dns | DNS records for a specific domain |
| Domain Contacts | spaceship://domains/{domain}/contacts | Contact assignments for a domain |
| SellerHub Listings | spaceship://sellerhub | All SellerHub marketplace listings |

Clients that support resource subscriptions will receive automatic notifications when data changes (polled every 30 seconds).

MCP Prompts

Prompts provide guided workflows that clients can present as slash commands or quick actions.

Guided Workflows

| Prompt | Description |
|---|---|
| setup-domain | Register and configure a new domain (availability check, registration, DNS, privacy) |
| audit-domain | Health check for an existing domain (status, DNS, privacy, auto-renew, contacts) |
| setup-email | Configure email DNS records for Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Fastmail, or a custom provider |
| migrate-dns | Step-by-step guide to migrate DNS records to Spaceship |
| list-for-sale | List a domain on the SellerHub marketplace with pricing and checkout link |

Auto-Complete Prompts

These prompts support argument auto-complete for domain names and common values:

| Prompt | Description |
|---|---|
| domain-lookup | Look up domain details with domain name auto-complete |
| dns-records | List DNS records with domain and record type auto-complete |
| set-privacy | Set WHOIS privacy with domain and level auto-complete |
| update-nameservers | Update nameservers with domain and provider auto-complete |

Toolset Filtering

Reduce context window usage by enabling only the tool categories you need. Set the SPACESHIP_TOOLSETS environment variable to a comma-separated list:

SPACESHIP_TOOLSETS=dns,domains

| Toolset | Tools included |
|---|---|
| domains | Domain management and lifecycle tools |
| dns | DNS records, record creators, and analysis |
| contacts | Contact and privacy management |
| privacy | Privacy management (same tools as contacts) |
| nameservers | Personal nameserver management |
| sellerhub | SellerHub marketplace tools |
| availability | Domain availability checking |

When not set, all toolsets are enabled. Invalid names are ignored; if all names are invalid, all toolsets are enabled as a fallback.

Dynamic Tool Loading

For agents with constrained context windows, dynamic mode replaces all 48 tools with 3 lightweight meta-tools:

SPACESHIP_DYNAMIC_TOOLS=true

| Meta-Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| search_tools | Search available tools by keyword to discover what's available |
| describe_tools | Get full parameter schemas for one or more tools before executing |
| execute_tool | Execute any Spaceship tool by name with arguments |

Workflow:

1. search_tools({ query: "dns" }) — discover relevant tools
2. describe_tools({ tools: ["create_a_record"] }) — get the full parameter schema
3. execute_tool({ tool: "create_a_record", arguments: { ... } }) — execute

Resources, prompts, and completions remain available in dynamic mode.

Example Usage

Once connected, you can interact with the Spaceship API using natural language:

- "List all my domains"
- "Check if example.com is available for registration"
- "Create an A record for api.example.com pointing to 203.0.113.10"
- "Set up MX records for example.com to use Google Workspace"
- "Enable WHOIS privacy on example.com"
- "Check if my DNS records for example.com match what I expect"
- "List my domains for sale on SellerHub"
- "Transfer example.com to Spaceship"

Development

```bash