Workflow

Define once. Preview. Then apply.

mcp-sync validates every supported target before the first write and preserves configuration it does not own.

Create the canonical definition

Initialize from compatible local client entries, then add complete STDIO definitions as executable plus ordered arguments—not as shell command strings.

Define locally

mcp-sync init
mcp-sync add project-files --command example-mcp-server --arg --transport --arg stdio

Review the redacted plan

Dry-run parses and renders all selected targets in memory. It reports changes without mutating client files or starting a configured server.

Preview

mcp-sync sync --dry-run

Apply the same plan recoverably

Apply skips semantic no-ops, preserves client-owned fields, retains adjacent backups, and rolls back earlier writes when a later target fails.

Apply

mcp-sync sync

Only test starts a server

init, list, sync, dry-run, and restore do not execute configured MCP servers. mcp-sync test <name> performs one bounded initialize exchange for the selected local definition.