# Qiskit IBM Transpiler MCP Server

An MCP server that hands your coding agent the Qiskit IBM transpiler: routing and AI synthesis passes for IBM Quantum backends. Useful when circuits must run on actual hardware.

- MCP server · `type=mcp` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), Cline, Zed, Gemini CLI · ★ 41
- Author: Qiskit
- License: Apache-2.0 · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/Qiskit/mcp-servers/tree/HEAD/qiskit-ibm-transpiler-mcp-server
- Updated: 2026-10-08
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/qiskit-ibm-transpiler-mcp-server

## What it does

The server exposes transpiler tools to an agent. Routing inserts SWAP operations so two-qubit gates fit the coupling map of the chosen backend. After that come the synthesis passes: AI Clifford, AI Linear Function, AI Permutation and AI Pauli Network. Everything speaks QASM 3.0.

Input can be a QASM 3.0 string or base64-encoded QPY. Output is QPY, which keeps chained passes precise. Account setup is a separate tool: pass the IBM Quantum token as a parameter, set it in `QISKIT_IBM_TOKEN`, or rely on credentials saved in `~/.qiskit/qiskit-ibm.json`. Saved credentials mean you can skip that step.

Python 3.10 through 3.14 is required, along with `qiskit-ibm-transpiler` 0.15.0 and `fastmcp` 2.12.4 or newer. No IBM Quantum token, no synthesis: both routing and synthesis run on IBM's service, not on your machine.

## Requirements
- Needs: Python and uv (commands run via uvx)
- Environment variables: `QISKIT_IBM_TOKEN` — keys and tokens: ask the human for the values, never commit them or put them in shared files.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

**Platform CLI**
```bash
claude mcp add qiskit-ibm-transpiler-mcp-server -e QISKIT_IBM_TOKEN=<QISKIT_IBM_TOKEN> -- uvx qiskit-ibm-transpiler-mcp-server
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from qiskit-ibm-transpiler-mcp-server <command>

### Codex

**Platform CLI**
```bash
codex mcp add qiskit-ibm-transpiler-mcp-server --env QISKIT_IBM_TOKEN=<QISKIT_IBM_TOKEN> -- uvx qiskit-ibm-transpiler-mcp-server
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from qiskit-ibm-transpiler-mcp-server <command>

### Cursor

**Config file**
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "qiskit-ibm-transpiler-mcp-server": {
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": [
                "qiskit-ibm-transpiler-mcp-server"
            ],
            "env": {
                "QISKIT_IBM_TOKEN": "<QISKIT_IBM_TOKEN>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from qiskit-ibm-transpiler-mcp-server <command>

### GitHub Copilot

**Config file**
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "qiskit-ibm-transpiler-mcp-server": {
            "type": "stdio",
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": [
                "qiskit-ibm-transpiler-mcp-server"
            ],
            "env": {
                "QISKIT_IBM_TOKEN": "<QISKIT_IBM_TOKEN>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from qiskit-ibm-transpiler-mcp-server <command>

### Gemini CLI

**Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini mcp add -e QISKIT_IBM_TOKEN=<QISKIT_IBM_TOKEN> qiskit-ibm-transpiler-mcp-server uvx qiskit-ibm-transpiler-mcp-server
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from qiskit-ibm-transpiler-mcp-server <command>

## When to use it
- fit two-qubit gates to a backend's coupling map
- run a Clifford circuit through AI synthesis in QASM 3.0
- chain transpiler passes without losing precision via QPY
- set up IBM Quantum access from inside the agent chat
- check synthesis output against a backend such as `ibm_fez`

## Example prompts
- Synthesize this Clifford circuit for `ibm_fez`: `OPENQASM 3.0; include "stdgates.inc"; qubit[3] q; h q[0]; cx q[0], q[1]; s q[2];`
- Route this circuit for the backend first, then run AI Clifford synthesis on the QPY output
- Set up my IBM Quantum account with the token in `QISKIT_IBM_TOKEN` and confirm access works

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From the same set: [qiskit/mcp-servers](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/qiskit/mcp-servers.md) — 5 cards

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