# Google Compute Engine MCP server

> Create, start, stop and inspect Compute Engine VMs, disks, instance templates, instance groups and reservations.

- Listing: https://mcp.tc/i/compute-engine
- Connect: use the server's own URL `https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp` (OAuth sign-in at the server); clients connect to it directly. The listing link is a page, not an MCP endpoint.
- Type: remote (Streamable HTTP)
- Auth: OAuth sign-in
- Category: [Cloud & DevOps](https://mcp.tc/c/cloud-devops)
- Vendor: Google Cloud
- 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.
- Homepage: <https://docs.cloud.google.com/compute/docs/use-compute-engine-mcp>

## About

Connects an assistant to Google Compute Engine in a Google Cloud project. It can create, start, stop, reset, resize and delete VM instances, and inspect instances, attached disks, instance templates, managed instance groups, images, snapshots, reservations and commitments. It also lists machine types and accelerator types per zone and checks zone operations.

Runs as a hosted remote endpoint over streamable HTTP at https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp. Access uses Google OAuth 2.0 and is limited by the IAM permissions of the signed-in account. Several tools change or delete resources, so review requests before approving them.

## What it can do

- Create, start, stop, reset and delete VM instances
- Change the machine type of a stopped instance
- List instances and view basic instance info
- Inspect disks, disk performance and attached disks
- Browse instance templates and managed instance groups
- List machine types, accelerator types, images and snapshots
- View reservations and commitments
- Check the status of zone operations

## Tools (29)

- `create_instance`: Create a VM instance; defaults to e2-medium and a debian-12 image. (can modify or delete data)
- `delete_instance`: Delete a VM instance by project, zone and name. (can modify or delete data)
- `start_instance`: Start a VM instance. (can modify or delete data)
- `stop_instance`: Stop a VM instance. (can modify or delete data)
- `reset_instance`: Reset a VM instance. (can modify or delete data)
- `get_instance_basic_info`: Get name, ID, status, machine type, creation time and accelerators of an instance. (read-only)
- `set_instance_machine_type`: Set the machine type of a stopped instance. (can modify or delete data)
- `list_instance_attached_disks`: List disks attached to an instance with their details. (read-only)
- `list_instances`: List VM instances in a zone with basic info. (read-only)
- `get_instance_group_manager_basic_info`: Get basic info about a managed instance group. (read-only)
- `list_instance_group_managers`: List managed instance groups in a zone. (read-only)
- `list_managed_instances`: List instances managed by a managed instance group. (read-only)
- `list_instance_templates`: List instance templates in a project. (read-only)
- `get_instance_template_basic_info`: Get basic info about an instance template. (read-only)
- `get_instance_template_properties`: Get full instance properties of a template, including disks and network. (read-only)
- `get_disk_basic_info`: Get size, type, status and attach times of a disk. (read-only)
- `get_disk_performance_config`: Get disk IOPS, throughput, block size and access mode. (read-only)
- `list_disks`: List disks in a zone with basic info. (read-only)
- `list_accelerator_types`: List available accelerator types in a zone. (read-only)
- `list_machine_types`: List available machine types in a zone. (read-only)
- `list_images`: List Compute Engine images in a project. (read-only)
- `get_zone_operation`: Get status and errors of a zone operation. (read-only)
- `get_reservation_basic_info`: Get basic info about a reservation. (read-only)
- `get_reservation_details`: Get detailed reservation properties and sharing settings. (read-only)
- `list_reservations`: List reservations in a zone. (read-only)
- `list_commitments`: List commitments in a region. (read-only)
- `get_commitment_basic_info`: Get basic info about a regional commitment. (read-only)
- `list_commitment_reservations`: List reservations that belong to a commitment. (read-only)
- `list_snapshots`: List disk snapshots in a project. (read-only)

## Example prompts

- "List the VM instances in zone us-central1-a of project my-project"
- "Create a VM named test-vm in europe-west1-b with the default image"
- "Stop the instance web-1 in us-east1-b and confirm the operation finished"
- "Show the properties of instance template web-template in my-project"

## Install

### Claude Code

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

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http compute-engine https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp
```

2. Start Claude Code, type `/mcp`, pick **compute-engine** and choose **Authenticate**. A browser window opens for the Google Cloud sign-in.

Add `--scope user` to make it available in every project, not just this one.

### Claude Desktop

1. Open **Settings → Connectors** and click **Add custom connector**.

2. Name it **Google Compute Engine** and paste this URL:

```url
https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp
```

3. Click **Add**, then **Connect**, and sign in when Google Cloud asks.

Claude Desktop’s JSON config file only starts local servers. Remote servers go through Connectors, and connectors you add on claude.ai show up here too.

### claude.ai

1. Open the connector form on claude.ai. This button fills in the name and URL for you:

[Add to claude.ai](<https://claude.ai/customize/connectors?modal=add-custom-connector&connectorName=Google%20Compute%20Engine&connectorUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fcompute.googleapis.com%2Fmcp>) (opens connector settings)

2. Check that the URL reads `https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp` and click **Add**.

3. Click **Connect** and sign in when Google Cloud asks.

Free plans allow one custom connector. On Team and Enterprise plans an owner adds it under **Organization settings → Connectors**.

### ChatGPT

1. On chatgpt.com, open **Settings → Security and login** and turn on **Developer mode**.

2. Go to `chatgpt.com/plugins` and click **+** to create an app for a remote MCP server.

3. Paste `https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp` as the server URL and choose **OAuth**. ChatGPT sends you to Google Cloud to sign in.

Developer mode is available on the web for Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education accounts.

### Cursor

[Add to Cursor](<https://cursor.com/install-mcp?name=compute-engine&config=eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2NvbXB1dGUuZ29vZ2xlYXBpcy5jb20vbWNwIn0%3D>) (opens Cursor)

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

`mcp.json`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "compute-engine": {
      "url": "https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

Cursor shows **Needs login** next to the server. Click it to sign in.

### VS Code

[Install in VS Code](<https://vscode.dev/redirect/mcp/install?name=compute-engine&config=%7B%22type%22%3A%22http%22%2C%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fcompute.googleapis.com%2Fmcp%22%7D>) (opens VS Code)

Or from a terminal:

```bash
code --add-mcp '{"name":"compute-engine","type":"http","url":"https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp"}'
```

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

`.vscode/mcp.json`:

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "compute-engine": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

VS Code asks you to sign in the first time the server starts.

### 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": {
    "compute-engine": {
      "serverUrl": "https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

2. Refresh the MCP server list in Cascade and sign in when asked.

Devin Desktop is the new name for Windsurf. It reads `serverUrl` (or `url`) for remote servers.

### Codex

```bash
codex mcp add compute-engine --url https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp
codex mcp login compute-engine
```

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

`config.toml`:

```toml
[mcp_servers.compute-engine]
url = "https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp"
```

### Gemini CLI

```bash
gemini mcp add --transport http compute-engine https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp
```

Then, inside Gemini CLI, run `/mcp auth compute-engine` to sign in.

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

### Any client

Most clients accept this shape. Some name the URL field differently: `serverUrl` in Devin Desktop, `httpUrl` in Gemini CLI’s settings file.

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "compute-engine": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

Zed puts servers under `context_servers` in its settings. Cline needs `"type": "streamableHttp"`, or it assumes SSE.

Client only starts local servers? Bridge it with `npx -y mcp-remote https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp`.

## Details

- Server version: ESF
- MCP protocol version: 2025-11-25
- Last checked: 2026-10-03 (reachable)
- Listed: 2026-10-03
- Updated: 2026-10-03

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