MCP Server Installation

This guide will help you install and configure the Renamify MCP Server for use with AI assistants.

Prerequisites

Before installing the MCP Server, you need:

Renamify CLI

The core Renamify command-line tool must be installed and accessible

Node.js 18+

Required to run the MCP Server (check with node --version)

Step 1: Install Renamify CLI

Quick Install (Recommended)

The easiest way to install Renamify:

curl -fsSL https://docspring.github.io/renamify/install.sh | bash

Manual Installation by Platform

Linux

x86_64 / amd64

curl -L https://github.com/DocSpring/renamify/releases/latest/download/renamify-linux-amd64.tar.gz | tar xz
sudo mv renamify /usr/local/bin/renamify
sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/renamify
renamify --version

arm64

curl -L https://github.com/DocSpring/renamify/releases/latest/download/renamify-linux-arm64.tar.gz | tar xz
sudo mv renamify /usr/local/bin/renamify
sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/renamify
renamify --version

macOS

Intel (x86_64)

curl -L https://github.com/DocSpring/renamify/releases/latest/download/renamify-macos-amd64.tar.gz | tar xz
sudo mv renamify /usr/local/bin/renamify
sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/renamify
renamify --version

Apple Silicon (arm64)

curl -L https://github.com/DocSpring/renamify/releases/latest/download/renamify-macos-arm64.tar.gz | tar xz
sudo mv renamify /usr/local/bin/renamify
sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/renamify
renamify --version

Windows

x86_64 / amd64

# Download the latest release
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://github.com/DocSpring/renamify/releases/latest/download/renamify-windows-amd64.zip" -OutFile "renamify.zip"

# Extract to Program Files
Expand-Archive -Path "renamify.zip" -DestinationPath "$env:ProgramFiles\renamify"

# Add to PATH (requires admin privileges)
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "$env:Path;$env:ProgramFiles\renamify", [EnvironmentVariableTarget]::Machine)

# Verify installation (open new terminal)
renamify --version

arm64

# Download the latest release
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://github.com/DocSpring/renamify/releases/latest/download/renamify-windows-arm64.zip" -OutFile "renamify.zip"

# Extract to Program Files
Expand-Archive -Path "renamify.zip" -DestinationPath "$env:ProgramFiles\renamify"

# Add to PATH (requires admin privileges)
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "$env:Path;$env:ProgramFiles\renamify", [EnvironmentVariableTarget]::Machine)

# Verify installation (open new terminal)
renamify --version

Build from Source (Alternative)

# Install Rust for Windows from https://win.rustup.rs/
# Clone and build from source
git clone https://github.com/DocSpring/renamify.git
cd renamify
cargo build --release
# Copy target/release/renamify.exe to your PATH

Step 2: Configure the MCP Server

Recommended: Use with npx (No Installation Required)

The simplest way to use the MCP Server is with npx, which requires no installation:

# This command will be used in your MCP configuration
npx @renamify/mcp-server

This approach ensures you always use the latest version and avoids global package management issues.

Alternative: Global Installation

If you prefer a global installation:

# Install globally with npm
npm install -g @renamify/mcp-server

Step 3: Configure Your AI Assistant

Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop Configuration

1. Open Claude Desktop settings
2. Navigate to the Developer section
3. Add the following to your MCP servers configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "renamify": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@renamify/mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

4. Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect

Cursor

Cursor Configuration

1. Open Cursor settings (Cmd/Ctrl + ,)
2. Search for “MCP” in settings
3. Edit the MCP configuration file
4. Add the Renamify server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "renamify": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@renamify/mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

5. Reload Cursor window (Cmd/Ctrl + R)

Continue

Continue Configuration

1. Open your Continue configuration file (~/.continue/config.json)
2. Add the MCP server to the mcpServers section:

{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "renamify",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@renamify/mcp-server"]
    }
  ]
}

3. Restart Continue or reload the configuration

Other MCP Clients

Generic MCP Client Configuration

For any MCP-compatible client, use these connection details:

Command: npx Arguments: ["-y", "@renamify/mcp-server"]

Or if installed globally:

Command: renamify-mcp Arguments: []

The server communicates via standard input/output (stdio) following the MCP protocol.

Step 4: Verify Installation

1. Check Renamify CLI

   renamify --version
   # Should output: renamify x.y.z

2. Check Node.js version

   node --version
   # Should output: v18.x.x or higher

3. Test MCP Server directly (optional)

   # This should start the server (Ctrl+C to exit)
   npx @renamify/mcp-server

4. Test in your AI assistant Ask your AI assistant: “Can you check if the Renamify MCP tools are available?”

   The assistant should list the 7 available Renamify tools:

   • renamify_plan
   • renamify_apply
   • renamify_undo
   • renamify_redo
   • renamify_history
   • renamify_status
   • renamify_preview

Troubleshooting

”Renamify CLI is not available”

This error means the MCP Server cannot find the renamify binary:

1. Verify installation:

   which renamify  # On macOS/Linux
   where renamify  # On Windows

2. Check PATH environment variable:

   echo $PATH  # On macOS/Linux
   echo %PATH%  # On Windows

3. Ensure the renamify binary is in a PATH directory

”Command not found: renamify-mcp”

If you see this error with global installation:

1. Check global npm/pnpm bin directory is in PATH:

   npm config get prefix
   # Add <prefix>/bin to your PATH

2. Try using npx instead:

   {
     "command": "npx",
     "args": ["-y", "@renamify/mcp-server"]
   }

MCP Server not appearing in AI assistant

1. Restart your AI assistant application
2. Check the configuration file location
3. Verify JSON syntax is correct
4. Check application logs for MCP errors

Permission errors on macOS/Linux

If you get permission errors when moving the binary:

# Use sudo for system directories
sudo mv renamify /usr/local/bin/

# Or use a user directory instead
mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
mv renamify ~/.local/bin/
# Add ~/.local/bin to your PATH in ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc

Platform-Specific Notes

macOS

• If you use Homebrew, you can create a custom formula for easier updates
• Apple Silicon (M1/M2) users should download the aarch64 version
• Intel Mac users should download the x86_64 version

Linux

• Most distributions work with the standard Linux binary
• For Alpine Linux or musl-based systems, build from source
• Add to /usr/local/bin or ~/.local/bin depending on your preference

Windows

• Run terminals as Administrator if installing to system directories
• Use PowerShell or Windows Terminal for best compatibility
• Consider using WSL2 for a more Unix-like experience

Next Steps

Now that you have the MCP Server configured:

• Configuration - Customize the MCP Server settings
• Tools Reference - Learn about each available tool
• Usage Examples - See real-world renaming examples