How to build your first MCP server in 10 minutes

Step-by-step guide for creating a basic MCP (Model Context Protocol) server in under 10 minutes using the `create-mcp-server` command-line tool. It explains how to generate a TypeScript project, replace a sample tool with a custom `current_time` function, and run the server locally using `StdioServerTransport` to avoid HTTP and port conflicts. The guide also mentions adding the server to Claude Desktop's configuration and references the `mcp-hub` tool for discovering other MCP servers.

I built my first MCP server last week and it was way simpler than I expected. Here is exactly how, no fluff. Prerequisites - Node.js 20+ - 10 minutes Step 1: Scaffold npx create-mcp-server my-first-server cd my-first-server npm install This generates a complete TypeScript project with one example tool. Step 2: Add your tool Open src/index.ts . Replace the hello tool with whatever you want: js server.setRequestHandler CallToolRequestSchema, async request = { const { name, arguments: args } = request.params; if name === 'current time' { return { content: { type: 'text', text: new Date .toISOString } }; } throw new Error Unknown tool: ${name} ; } ; Step 3: Build and connect npm run build npm start Add to Claude Desktop config and you are done. The whole thing took me 8 minutes. Most of that was reading the docs. What I learned - The MCP SDK handles all the transport layer — you just define tools - StdioServerTransport means your server runs as a subprocess. No HTTP, no port conflicts - Error handling is important. If your tool crashes, the whole MCP connection breaks Want to try it? npm install -g mcp-hub mcp-hub search mcp Built with mcp-hub. If this helps, buy me a coffee.