Investigate MCP Traffic with MCP Shark
Wireshark-like forensic analysis for Model Context Protocol communications. Capture, inspect, and debug MCP traffic with real-time monitoring and an integrated playground.
Universal IDE Support
Works with Any IDE
MCP Shark is compatible with all IDEs that support the Model Context Protocol
Whether you use Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Code, or any other MCP-compatible IDE, MCP Shark seamlessly integrates to capture and analyze your MCP traffic. Includes an integrated MCP playground for safe testing and exploration.
Cursor
AI-powered code editor
Fully Supported
Windsurf
AI-native IDE
Fully Supported
Claude Code
Anthropic's coding assistant
Fully Supported
✨ Bundled Feature
MCP Playground Included
MCP Shark comes bundled with an MCP playground where you can run commands and see results. Call tools, test prompts, and read resources—all without leaving the application. Perfect for debugging, exploring capabilities, and validating your MCP integrations.
Universal MCP Protocol Support
MCP Shark works with any IDE or application that implements the Model Context Protocol standard. As long as your IDE can connect to MCP servers via HTTP or stdio, MCP Shark can capture and analyze the traffic. With its integrated MCP playground for testing tools and resources, it's the perfect tool for developers using Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Code, or any other MCP-compatible development environment.
Features
MCP Playground (Bundled)
Integrated MCP playground for safely testing tools, prompts, and resources. Call tools, test prompts, and read resources. Perfect for debugging and exploring MCP server capabilities without affecting your production setup.
✨ Featured
Forensic Investigation
Deep dive into MCP communications with detailed request/response inspection for debugging and analysis
Traffic Capture
Capture all HTTP traffic between your IDE and MCP servers in real-time with Wireshark-like capabilities
Advanced Filtering
Filter traffic by session, server, method, status, and more with multiple view modes for investigation
Real-Time Monitoring
Live web interface showing all MCP traffic as it happens with comprehensive search and inspection
Export for Analysis
Export captured traffic and logs in JSON, CSV, or TXT formats for further investigation and reporting
Multi-Server Support
Aggregate multiple MCP servers (HTTP and stdio) through a single unified endpoint for investigation
Investigate MCP Communications
MCP Shark is a powerful MCP proxy and traffic monitor designed for forensic investigation of Model Context Protocol (MCP) communications. Like Wireshark for network traffic, MCP Shark acts as an intermediary gateway between your IDE and MCP servers, capturing and analyzing all HTTP requests and responses to provide deep visibility into every interaction. This MCP debugger enables you to monitor, filter, and audit all MCP traffic in real-time.
Perfect for investigating issues, debugging integrations, detecting suspicious MCP server behavior, or understanding exactly how your MCP servers communicate. MCP Shark gives you the forensic tools you need to inspect, filter, and export traffic for thorough investigation. The application includes an integrated MCP playground where you can safely test tools, prompts, and resources to explore MCP server capabilities.
How MCP Shark Works
A simple visual guide to understand the architecture and data flow
Request Flow
IDE connects directly to MCP Shark Server (mcp.json overwritten). Server acts as gateway to MCP servers.
UI & Logging
UI reads from SQLite DB in real-time and can start/stop the server. All traffic is logged automatically.
Response Flow
Responses flow back through MCP Shark Server to IDE. Server captures and logs everything.
How It Looks
How to Use
Get started with MCP Shark in just a few simple steps
Quick Tips
Traffic Capture Features
- •Use the search bar to find requests by method, URL, or JSON-RPC method
- •Filter by session ID to track a specific conversation
- •Filter by server name to see all traffic for a specific MCP server
View Modes
- •General List: View all requests in chronological order
- •Grouped by Session: Organize by session ID, then by server
- •Grouped by Server: Organize by server, then by session
Download MCP Shark
Get the desktop application for your platform
📦 v1.2.0
⚠️ Alpha Version
This is an alpha version of MCP Shark. The software is under active development and testing. Features may change, and there may be bugs. Please report any bugs or issues to the repository.
macOS
Windows
Linux
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about MCP Shark
Learn More: Guides & Tutorials
Explore our comprehensive guides on capturing MCP traffic, securing your MCP setup, and understanding how Model Context Protocol works.
How to Capture and Inspect MCP Traffic
Step-by-step guide for capturing MCP HTTP calls from Cursor, Windsurf, and Claude Code using MCP Shark as an MCP proxy.
Detecting Malicious MCP Servers
Learn how to identify suspicious MCP server behavior and audit tool lists for security threats.
Building a Secure MCP Setup
Best practices for MCP audit logging, observability, and securing your MCP infrastructure.
View All Guides →
Explore all our tutorials, guides, and deep dives on MCP traffic analysis and security.
Report an Issue
Found a bug or have a feature request? Report it on GitHub.
MCP Shark Issues
Report bugs, request features, or ask questions about MCP Shark (Inspector).