dashclaw — Claude Code MCP server: what it does, how to install
Evaluates governance policies and halts execution until human operator approval. Keeps an audit trail for automated workflows.
claude mcp add --env DASHCLAW_URL=<DASHCLAW_URL> --env DASHCLAW_API_KEY=<DASHCLAW_API_KEY> --env DASHCLAW_AGENT_ID=<DASHCLAW_AGENT_ID> --transport stdio mcp-server -- npx -y @dashclaw/mcp-serverWhat dashclaw does
The server provides 17 governance tools and audit resources via the Model Context Protocol. It lets an agent evaluate risk before triggering actions with dashclaw_guard, record audit events through dashclaw_record, and pause execution via dashclaw_wait_for_approval.
Capability execution runs through dashclaw_invoke. It verifies current rules and atomically claims an execution slot before initiating external network requests. Both environment variables are mandatory. Without setting both DASHCLAW_URL and DASHCLAW_API_KEY, the server registers no governance tools at all.
Local stdio execution in Claude Desktop chat crash-loops because of the bundled Node environment, which makes the remote OAuth connector the only viable choice there.
What it helps with
- evaluate policies before executing risky agent actions
- pause agent execution until a human operator approves
- record an audit trail for automated tool sessions
- track timeline events across multi-agent team tasks
Example prompts for the agent
- Evaluate governance policies with DashClaw before updating production records.
- Wait for human approval before executing this external capability call.
- Start an agent session and write the task timeline event to the ledger.
How to install dashclaw
Platform CLI
claude mcp add --env DASHCLAW_URL=<DASHCLAW_URL> --env DASHCLAW_API_KEY=<DASHCLAW_API_KEY> --env DASHCLAW_AGENT_ID=<DASHCLAW_AGENT_ID> --transport stdio mcp-server -- npx -y @dashclaw/mcp-serverReplace <…> with your own values
Platform CLI
codex mcp add mcp-server --env DASHCLAW_URL=<DASHCLAW_URL> --env DASHCLAW_API_KEY=<DASHCLAW_API_KEY> --env DASHCLAW_AGENT_ID=<DASHCLAW_AGENT_ID> -- npx -y @dashclaw/mcp-serverReplace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-server": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@dashclaw/mcp-server"
],
"env": {
"DASHCLAW_URL": "<DASHCLAW_URL>",
"DASHCLAW_API_KEY": "<DASHCLAW_API_KEY>",
"DASHCLAW_AGENT_ID": "<DASHCLAW_AGENT_ID>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"servers": {
"mcp-server": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@dashclaw/mcp-server"
],
"env": {
"DASHCLAW_URL": "<DASHCLAW_URL>",
"DASHCLAW_API_KEY": "<DASHCLAW_API_KEY>",
"DASHCLAW_AGENT_ID": "<DASHCLAW_AGENT_ID>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Platform CLI
gemini mcp add -e DASHCLAW_URL=<DASHCLAW_URL> -e DASHCLAW_API_KEY=<DASHCLAW_API_KEY> -e DASHCLAW_AGENT_ID=<DASHCLAW_AGENT_ID> mcp-server npx -y @dashclaw/mcp-serverReplace <…> with your own values
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about dashclaw
How to install dashclaw in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add dashclaw -e DASHCLAW_URL=<DASHCLAW_URL> -e DASHCLAW_API_KEY=<DASHCLAW_API_KEY> -- npx -y @dashclaw/mcp-server. Replace <DASHCLAW_URL> and <DASHCLAW_API_KEY> with your instance endpoint and access token.
What does dashclaw do?
It provides policy checks, approval gates, and structured audit logs for autonomous agents. It also mediates external calls through an execution-claim seam.
Why are no governance tools showing up?
The tools register only when both DASHCLAW_URL and DASHCLAW_API_KEY are provided. Omitting either variable starts an empty server that warns on stderr.
