MCP Quickstart

This guide connects an MCP-capable client to a running Dagu server.

Start Dagu

Install Dagu with one of the installation methods, then start the HTTP server:

dagu start-all

Set the MCP endpoint URL for the server:

export DAGU_MCP_URL=http://localhost:8080/mcp

Use localhost only when the MCP client and Dagu server run on the same machine.

Server setup	MCP URL
Same-machine local server	http://localhost:8080/mcp
Same-machine custom port	http://localhost:<port>/mcp
Remote or shared server	https://dagu.example.com/mcp
Server base path such as /dagu	https://dagu.example.com/dagu/mcp

Add Authentication

If Dagu uses builtin authentication, create an API key and export it before launching the MCP client:

export DAGU_MCP_API_KEY=dagu_...

For most self-hosted MCP clients, API keys are the recommended setup. Use a role that matches what the client should do: viewer is enough for read-only inspection, operator can run and stop workflows, and developer can create or edit workflows.

Community self-hosted servers can create up to 2 API keys without an active self-host license. For shared teams, prefer individual keys when you need per-user auditability; use an active self-host license when that means you need more than 2 keys.

Connect A Client

In your MCP client, add an HTTP or Streamable HTTP MCP server:

Field	Value
Name	dagu
URL	$DAGU_MCP_URL
Auth	Authorization: Bearer $DAGU_MCP_API_KEY when Dagu authentication is enabled

For specific client commands, see Clients.

First Operations

After the client connects, verify the three core tools are available:

• dagu_read
• dagu_change
• dagu_execute

A good first read is the built-in authoring reference:

dagu://reference/authoring

For workflow edits, call dagu_change with mode=preview before mode=apply. For run control, call dagu_execute, then read the returned run and log resources.