Build Mcpb

anthropics/claude-plugins-officialOfficial

Packages a local MCP server with its runtime into a single .mcpb file that users can install without Node or Python on their machine. You'd reach for this when your server needs to read local files, control desktop apps, or talk to localhost services. Anthropic prefers remote MCP servers for most use cases, so don't pay the packaging tax unless you genuinely need local filesystem or OS-level access. The manifest lets you define install-time config like directory pickers, but there's no sandbox whatsoever. Your server runs with full user privileges, so path validation and security are entirely on you. Realistically, this is the "I need to ship something that touches the user's actual machine" path, not the default.

skills.sh installs: 6.9K
GitHub stars: 46.7K
last updated: Aug 21, 2026

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Install

$ npx -y skills add anthropics/claude-plugins-official --skill build-mcpb --agent claude-code

Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.

Files

Build an MCPB (Bundled Local MCP Server)

MCPB is a local MCP server packaged with its runtime. The user installs one file; it runs without needing Node, Python, or any toolchain on their machine. It's the sanctioned way to distribute local MCP servers.

MCPB is the secondary distribution path. Anthropic recommends remote MCP servers for directory listing — see https://claude.com/docs/connectors/building/what-to-build.

Use MCPB when the server must run on the user's machine — reading local files, driving a desktop app, talking to localhost services, OS-level APIs. If your server only hits cloud APIs, you almost certainly want a remote HTTP server instead (see build-mcp-server). Don't pay the MCPB packaging tax for something that could be a URL.

What an MCPB bundle contains

my-server.mcpb              (zip archive)
├── manifest.json           ← identity, entry point, config schema, compatibility
├── server/                 ← your MCP server code
│   ├── index.js
│   └── node_modules/       ← bundled dependencies (or vendored)
└── icon.png

SKILL.md on GitHub

Details

Repository: github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-official
Categories: Backend & APIs, DevOps & CI/CD, AI & Agent Building, Release Management, Python
First seen: Apr 16, 2026