Cline is a popular AI coding assistant VS Code extension that integrates Claude and other models directly into your editor. It stores its MCP server config in VS Code's global extension storage rather than a workspace file, meaning servers are available across all your projects. Cline extends the standard mcpServers format by adding two fields to every server entry: alwaysAllow (an array of tool names that can run without confirmation) and disabled (a boolean to temporarily pause a server without removing it). These extra fields are managed by Cline's settings UI and should not be removed manually. The getmcp CLI adds sensible defaults — alwaysAllow: [] and disabled: false — when generating configs for Cline.
Quick Install with getmcp
The fastest way to install MCP servers in Cline is with the getmcp CLI:
•VS Code installed (version 1.85 or higher recommended)
•Cline extension installed from the VS Code Marketplace (saoudrizwan.claude-dev)
•An AI model API key configured in Cline settings (Anthropic, OpenAI, etc.)
•Node.js 18 or higher for running npx-based servers
Popular Servers for Cline
Troubleshooting
▸Config file not found: Cline creates its config directory only after the extension is installed and VS Code has been opened at least once. Install Cline, restart VS Code, then try adding servers.
▸Server shows as disabled: Check the disabled field in the config — Cline's UI may have toggled it off. Set it to false or use the Cline UI to re-enable the server.
▸alwaysAllow not persisting: Cline manages the alwaysAllow list through its own UI. After adding a server with getmcp, open the Cline MCP settings panel to configure which tools are pre-approved.
▸Extension ID changed: If you see errors about the extension path, verify the extension is still published under saoudrizwan.claude-dev. The config path includes the extension ID.
