Neovim MCP Server

@bigcodegen

About Neovim MCP Server

Control Neovim using Model Context Protocol (MCP) and the official neovim/node-client JavaScript library

#neovim #mcp #claude #anthropic #modelcontextprotocol

Config

Add this server to your MCP-compatible client using the configuration below.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCP Neovim Server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-neovim-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ALLOW_SHELL_COMMANDS": "true",
        "NVIM_SOCKET_PATH": "/tmp/nvim"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tools

No tools detected

We auto-extract tools from the README. The maintainer can list them under a ## Tools heading to populate this section.

Overview

What is Neovim MCP Server?

Neovim MCP Server connects MCP clients like Claude Desktop to a running Neovim instance via a Unix socket. It uses Vim’s native text editing commands and the official neovim/node-client library to provide AI‑assisted code or general text editing. Designed for developers who want to pair an AI assistant directly with their Neovim session.

How to use Neovim MCP Server?

Start Neovim with a socket, e.g. nvim --listen /tmp/nvim. Then configure the MCP server in your MCP client (e.g. Claude Desktop) using the npx -y mcp-neovim-server command. Set the NVIM_SOCKET_PATH environment variable (default /tmp/nvim) and optionally ALLOW_SHELL_COMMANDS=true to enable shell commands via !. The server exposes 19 tools for editing, navigation, search, and window management.

Key features of Neovim MCP Server

Connects to a running Neovim instance via a socket file
Views and switches between open buffers
Retrieves cursor position, mode, filename, marks, registers, and visual selections
Runs arbitrary Vim commands and optional shell commands
Edits text using insert, replace, or replaceAll modes
Search and replace with regex support and project‑wide grep with quickfix integration
Health monitoring and connection diagnostics

Use cases of Neovim MCP Server

AI‑assisted code editing and refactoring within an existing Neovim session
File navigation and buffer switching without leaving the MCP client
Project‑wide search and replace with grep and regex
Recording and playing back Vim macros via AI prompts
Managing windows, tabs, folds, and jumps in Neovim remotely

FAQ from Neovim MCP Server

What are the limitations of Neovim MCP Server?

It may not interact well with complex Neovim configurations or plugins. Shell command execution is disabled by default for security. A socket connection is required—it won’t work with standard Vim.

How do I enable shell commands?

Set the environment variable ALLOW_SHELL_COMMANDS to 'true' in your MCP client configuration. Default is false.

What socket path does the server use?

By default it uses /tmp/nvim. Override this with the NVIM_SOCKET_PATH environment variable.

How do I install the server?

You can either download the DXT package from the releases page and drag it to Claude Desktop, or add the npx -y mcp-neovim-server command to your claude_desktop_config.json with the appropriate environment variables.

Does the server require any external runtime?

Yes, it runs via npx which requires Node.js. It uses the official neovim/node-client library to communicate with Neovim.

Frequently asked questions

What are the limitations of Neovim MCP Server?

How do I enable shell commands?

Set the environment variable `ALLOW_SHELL_COMMANDS` to `'true'` in your MCP client configuration. Default is `false`.

What socket path does the server use?

By default it uses `/tmp/nvim`. Override this with the `NVIM_SOCKET_PATH` environment variable.

How do I install the server?

You can either download the DXT package from the releases page and drag it to Claude Desktop, or add the `npx -y mcp-neovim-server` command to your `claude_desktop_config.json` with the appropriate environment variables.

Does the server require any external runtime?

Yes, it runs via `npx` which requires Node.js. It uses the official neovim/node-client library to communicate with Neovim.

Comments

Basic information

More Other MCP servers

Website

FunnyWolf

Adversary simulation and Red teaming platform with AI

5.1K

Unity MCP ✨

justinpbarnett

Unity MCP acts as a bridge between AI assistants and your Unity Editor. Give your LLM tools to manage assets, control scenes, edit scripts, and automate tasks within Unity.

12.2K