Set up Kubernetes MCP in Claude Code

Interact with Kubernetes clusters via kubectl. Manage pods, deployments, services, and configurations from your AI editor.

Locate the config file

Claude Code reads MCP server configuration from the following file:

~/.claude.json

Create this file if it does not already exist.

You can configure Kubernetes MCP using the CLI command or by editing the config file directly.

Option A: CLI command

bash

claude mcp add kubernetes-mcp -- npx -y mcp-server-kubernetes

Option B: Config file

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kubernetes-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-server-kubernetes"
      ]
    }
  }
}

No environment variables needed. Kubernetes MCP works out of the box without any API keys or tokens.

Restart Claude Code. Kubernetes MCP should appear in your MCP server list with 12 tools available.

This server adds approximately 6,180 tokens to your context window for tool definitions.