# Google Colab MCP server

> Connect a local agent to a Google Colab notebook session open in your browser.

- Listing: https://mcp.tc/i/colab
- Connect: this is a local (stdio) server; install it on your machine (see Install). The listing link is a page, not an MCP endpoint.
- Type: local (stdio)
- Auth: no API key needed
- Category: [Developer Tools](https://mcp.tc/c/developer-tools)
- Vendor: Google (Colab)
- Verified: yes, mcp.tc checked that this is the official server (https://mcp.tc/verify). It says who runs the server, not that it is safe.
- Repository: <https://github.com/googlecolab/colab-mcp>
- Package: pypi `colab-mcp`

## About

Bridges a local AI agent to a Google Colab session running in your browser, so the agent can work with the notebook you have open. The server relies on tool list change notifications, so the set of available tools can update as the session connects.

It runs locally over stdio and is installed from GitHub with uvx, not from PyPI, because the PyPI name colab-mcp belongs to someone else. No API key is needed. The client must run on your own machine and support notifications/tools/list\_changed, for example Gemini CLI, Claude Code or Windsurf.

## What it can do

- Bridge a local agent to a Colab session open in the browser
- Work with a notebook from Gemini CLI, Claude Code or Windsurf
- Runs locally over stdio with no API key

## Example prompts

- "Connect to my open Colab notebook and tell me what it does."
- "Use my Colab session to run this data analysis on the notebook."
- "Add a cell to my Colab notebook that plots the training loss."

## Install

### Claude Code

1. Run this in a terminal, in your project folder:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport stdio colab -- uvx git+https://github.com/googlecolab/colab-mcp
```

2. Start Claude Code and type `/mcp`. **colab** should show as connected.

Add `--scope user` to make it available in every project.

### Claude Desktop

1. Open **Settings → Developer → Edit Config**. It opens `claude_desktop_config.json`. Add:

`claude_desktop_config.json`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "colab": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "git+https://github.com/googlecolab/colab-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

2. Save the file and restart Claude Desktop.

Needs uv (Python) on your computer. The file lives in `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/` on macOS and `%APPDATA%\Claude\` on Windows.

### Cursor

[Add to Cursor](<https://cursor.com/install-mcp?name=colab&config=eyJjb21tYW5kIjoidXZ4IiwiYXJncyI6WyJnaXQraHR0cHM6Ly9naXRodWIuY29tL2dvb2dsZWNvbGFiL2NvbGFiLW1jcCJdfQ%3D%3D>) (opens Cursor)

Or add it by hand to `~/.cursor/mcp.json` (all projects) or `.cursor/mcp.json` (this project):

`mcp.json`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "colab": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "git+https://github.com/googlecolab/colab-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

Needs uv (Python) on your computer.

### VS Code

[Install in VS Code](<https://vscode.dev/redirect/mcp/install?name=colab&config=%7B%22type%22%3A%22stdio%22%2C%22command%22%3A%22uvx%22%2C%22args%22%3A%5B%22git%2Bhttps%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fgooglecolab%2Fcolab-mcp%22%5D%7D>) (opens VS Code)

Or from a terminal:

```bash
code --add-mcp '{"name":"colab","type":"stdio","command":"uvx","args":["git+https://github.com/googlecolab/colab-mcp"]}'
```

Or commit it to the repo in `.vscode/mcp.json`:

`.vscode/mcp.json`:

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "colab": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "git+https://github.com/googlecolab/colab-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

Needs uv (Python) on your computer.

### Devin Desktop

1. Add it to `~/.config/devin/mcp_config.json` (macOS and Linux) or `%APPDATA%\devin\mcp_config.json` (Windows):

`mcp_config.json`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "colab": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "git+https://github.com/googlecolab/colab-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

2. Refresh the MCP server list in Cascade.

Devin Desktop is the new name for Windsurf.

### Codex

```bash
codex mcp add colab -- uvx git+https://github.com/googlecolab/colab-mcp
```

Or edit `~/.codex/config.toml` directly:

`config.toml`:

```toml
[mcp_servers.colab]
command = "uvx"
args = ["git+https://github.com/googlecolab/colab-mcp"]
```

Needs uv (Python) on your computer.

### Gemini CLI

```bash
gemini mcp add colab uvx git+https://github.com/googlecolab/colab-mcp
```

This adds it to the current project. Add `-s user` to use it everywhere.

### Any client

Most clients that start local servers accept this shape:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "colab": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "git+https://github.com/googlecolab/colab-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

Zed puts servers under `context_servers` in its settings, with the same `command`, `args` and `env` fields.

Needs uv (Python) on your computer.

## Details

- Server version: 0.1.0
- Last checked: 2026-10-03
- Listed: 2026-10-03
- Updated: 2026-10-03

---
Source: https://mcp.tc/i/colab (mcp.tc is an independent directory, not affiliated with this server's publisher). Corrections: https://mcp.tc/report