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Configuration
Environment Variables
MCP Explorer is configured via environment variables. When using Docker Compose, place these in a .env file alongside docker-compose.yml.
| Variable | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
MCP_CLIENT_NAME | mcp-explorer | Name sent in the User-Agent header and MCP ClientInfo when connecting to MCP servers |
ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT | Production | Set to Development for verbose logging |
Example .env
# .env
MCP_CLIENT_NAME=acme-mcp-explorer
Persistent Data
MCP Explorer stores all state — connections, models, workflows, chat history, and settings — in a single JSON file at /app/data/data.json inside the container.
Always mount a volume to avoid losing data on container restart:
# docker run
-v mcp-explorer-data:/app/data
# docker-compose.yml
volumes:
- mcp-explorer-data:/app/data
User-Agent Header
When MCP Explorer connects to an MCP server over HTTP/SSE, it sends:
User-Agent: <MCP_CLIENT_NAME>/<version> (<hostname>)
For example:
User-Agent: mcp-explorer/1.0.0 (my-laptop.local)
This helps MCP server operators identify requests from MCP Explorer in their logs.
Port Mapping
The default port inside the container is 8080. Map it to any host port you prefer:
# Use port 3000 on the host
docker run -p 3000:8080 ghcr.io/your-username/mcp-explorer-x:latest