# Zihin

Zihin connects MCP clients to Zihin.ai agents and their tools. Use it to discover agents and bring platform-specific skills into your coding environment.

- MCP server · `type=mcp` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), Cline, Zed, Gemini CLI
- Author: zihin-ai
- License: MIT · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/zihin-ai/zihin-mcp
- Updated: 2026-10-05
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/zihin

## What it does

The `@zihin/mcp-server` package bridges a local MCP client and Zihin.ai over HTTP. The client communicates with the package through stdio, while the package forwards requests to the remote MCP endpoint. Available tools, resources, and prompts are discovered automatically. The API key determines the user's role and enforces access boundaries on the server side.

Zihin exposes skills covering agent creation, tool setup, triggers, troubleshooting, and governance. Clients can read them through `zihin://skills/*`, or you can place them in native IDE formats with `install-skills`. Claude Code uses `.claude/skills/`, Cursor uses `.cursor/rules/*.mdc`, and Codex receives a managed section in `AGENTS.md` alongside skill files under `.zihin/skills/`.

A `ZIHIN_API_KEY` is required for a normal connection and for fetching current skills. If the remote lookup fails, the installer can use copies bundled with the npm package. Offline installation works with `--bundled`; without that flag or an API key, the skill installer exits with an error. That requirement matters when setting up a project without network access.

## Requirements
- Needs: Node.js (commands run via npx)
- Remote server: `https://llm.zihin.ai/mcp`
- Environment variables: `ZIHIN_API_KEY` — keys and tokens: ask the human for the values, never commit them or put them in shared files.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Platform CLI**
```bash
claude mcp add mcp-server -e ZIHIN_API_KEY=<ZIHIN_API_KEY> -- npx -y @zihin/mcp-server
```
Replace <…> with your own values

2. **Platform CLI: remote server**
```bash
claude mcp add --transport http zihin https://llm.zihin.ai/mcp
```

### Codex

1. **Platform CLI: remote server**
```bash
codex mcp add zihin --url https://llm.zihin.ai/mcp
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
codex mcp add zihin --env ZIHIN_API_KEY=<ZIHIN_API_KEY> -- npx -y @zihin/mcp-server
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### Cursor

**Config file**
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "zihin": {
            "url": "https://llm.zihin.ai/mcp"
        }
    }
}
```
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "zihin": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "@zihin/mcp-server"
            ],
            "env": {
                "ZIHIN_API_KEY": "<ZIHIN_API_KEY>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### GitHub Copilot

**Config file**
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "zihin": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://llm.zihin.ai/mcp"
        }
    }
}
```
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "zihin": {
            "type": "stdio",
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "@zihin/mcp-server"
            ],
            "env": {
                "ZIHIN_API_KEY": "<ZIHIN_API_KEY>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### Gemini CLI

1. **Platform CLI: remote server**
```bash
gemini mcp add -t http zihin https://llm.zihin.ai/mcp
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini mcp add -e ZIHIN_API_KEY=<ZIHIN_API_KEY> zihin npx -y @zihin/mcp-server
```
Replace <…> with your own values

## When to use it
- Connect Zihin.ai agents to Claude Code over MCP
- Discover available agents and call their tools
- Install Zihin skills in native IDE directories
- Access guidance for creating agents and configuring triggers
- Use packaged skill copies when the remote lookup fails

## Example prompts
- Connect the Zihin MCP server using my `ZIHIN_API_KEY` and show me its available tools.
- List the Zihin.ai agents I can access and help me choose one for this task.
- Install the Zihin skills for Claude Code with `npx @zihin/mcp-server install-skills --client claude`.

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NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md