Laravel Artisan MCP Server

Laravel Artisan MCP Server avatar

by diggy

phplaravelBrowser Automation

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables secure execution of Laravel Artisan commands through Claude and other MCP clients.

What is Laravel Artisan MCP Server

Laravel Artisan MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables secure execution of Laravel Artisan commands through Claude and other MCP clients. This server acts as a bridge between AI assistants and your local Laravel applications, allowing controlled management of Laravel projects through natural language conversations.

Features

  • Access a single directory containing a Laravel project
  • Automatically locate PHP on your system
  • Execute only whitelisted Artisan commands
  • View all available Artisan commands
  • Secure by design with robust input validation

Examples

Example

Requirements

  • Python 3.10 or higher
  • Laravel project with Artisan CLI
  • PHP installed and accessible in your PATH
  • MCP-compatible client (such as Claude Desktop)

Installation

  1. Clone this repository:

    git clone https://github.com/diggy/laravel-artisan-mcp.git
    cd laravel-artisan-mcp
    
  2. Create a virtual environment:

    uv init
    uv venv
    source .venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
    
  3. Install dependencies:

    uv add "mcp[cli]"
    

Configuration

The server requires the following environment variables:

  • ARTISAN_DIRECTORY: Absolute path to the Laravel project containing the Artisan executable
  • WHITELISTED_COMMANDS: Comma-separated list of allowed Artisan commands (e.g., route:list,cache:clear,make:controller or any default or custom Commands registered in your Laravel application)

You can provide these variables in several ways:

  1. Directly in the command line:

    ARTISAN_DIRECTORY="/absolute/path/to/your/laravel/project" WHITELISTED_COMMANDS="route:list,cache:clear,make:controller" uv run artisan_mcp_server.py
    
  2. Using a .env file:

    ARTISAN_DIRECTORY=/absolute/path/to/your/laravel/project
    WHITELISTED_COMMANDS=route:list,cache:clear,make:controller
    
  3. In the Claude Desktop configuration (cf. section on Claude Integration below)

Testing with MCP Inspector

The MCP Inspector provides a graphical interface for testing your server before integrating it with Claude:

# Run with direct environment variables
ARTISAN_DIRECTORY="/absolute/path/to/your/laravel/project" WHITELISTED_COMMANDS="route:list,cache:clear,make:controller" uv run mcp dev artisan_mcp_server.py

# Or using an env file
uv run mcp dev artisan_mcp_server.py --env-file .env

Once the Inspector is running:

  1. Open the web interface at http://localhost:5173
  2. Explore the "Resources" tab to see available resources
  3. Test the tools under the "Tools" tab:
    • list_all_artisan_commands: Shows all commands in your Laravel project
    • run_artisan: Executes a specific command (must be whitelisted)

Claude Integration

To use this server with Claude Desktop:

  1. Ensure Claude Desktop is installed

  2. Edit the Claude Desktop configuration file:

    macOS:

    nano ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
    

    Windows:

    notepad %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
    
  3. Add the following configuration (adjust paths as needed):

    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "laravel-artisan": {
          "command": "uv",
          "args": [
            "--directory", 
            "/absolute/path/to/laravel-artisan-mcp",
            "run", 
            "artisan_mcp_server.py"
          ],
          "env": {
            "ARTISAN_DIRECTORY": "/absolute/path/to/your/laravel/project",
            "WHITELISTED_COMMANDS": "route:list,cache:clear,make:controller"
          }
        }
      }
    }
    
  4. Restart Claude Desktop

Available Tools

run_artisan

Executes a whitelisted Artisan command.

Parameters:

  • command: The Artisan command to run (e.g., 'cache:clear')

Example usage in Claude: "Run the route:list command to show all available routes in my Laravel app."

list_all_artisan_commands

Displays all available Artisan commands in the Laravel application.

Example usage in Claude: "Show me all available Artisan commands in my Laravel project."

Available Resources

artisan://commands

Returns a list of all whitelisted commands configured for the server.

Example usage in Claude: "What Artisan commands can I use through you?"

Security Considerations

This server implements several security measures (according to Claude):

  • Directory Isolation: Only accesses the explicitly configured Laravel directory
  • Command Whitelisting: Only executes commands that are specifically allowed
  • Input Validation: Verifies all inputs before execution
  • Error Handling: Prevents sensitive information leakage

Troubleshooting

"ARTISAN_DIRECTORY must be provided in configuration"

The server cannot find the path to your Laravel project. Check that:

  • The environment variable is properly set
  • The directory exists and is accessible

"Artisan not found at: /path/to/artisan"

The specified directory does not contain the Artisan executable. Verify that:

  • The path points to a valid Laravel project directory
  • The Artisan file exists and has executable permissions

"PHP executable not found"

The server cannot find PHP in your PATH. Ensure that:

  • PHP is installed on your system
  • The PHP executable is in your system PATH

Disclaimer

This Laravel Artisan MCP Server is provided as-is, without any warranties or guarantees of any kind. By using this software, you assume all risks associated with its operation. The server has access to execute commands within your Laravel environment, which could potentially impact your application data and functionality. We strongly recommend using this tool only in development or testing environments. Use this server with production Laravel applications only if you fully understand the security implications and have implemented appropriate safeguards. Always maintain proper backups of your Laravel project before allowing AI assistants to execute Artisan commands through this interface. The authors and contributors of this software cannot be held responsible for any damages, data loss, or security breaches that may result from the use or misuse of this tool. You are solely responsible for configuring appropriate command whitelisting and access controls. This software has not undergone formal security auditing and should be considered experimental. Use at your own risk.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Author

This MCP server was crafted with assistance from Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant (who insisted on adding this humble credit while promising it wouldn't include smiley emoticons or excessive enthusiasm).

Leave a Comment

Comments section will be available soon. Stay tuned!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is MCP?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open protocol that standardizes how applications provide context to LLMs. Think of MCP like a USB-C port for AI applications, providing a standardized way to connect AI models to different data sources and tools.

What are MCP Servers?

MCP Servers are lightweight programs that expose specific capabilities through the standardized Model Context Protocol. They act as bridges between LLMs like Claude and various data sources or services, allowing secure access to files, databases, APIs, and other resources.

How do MCP Servers work?

MCP Servers follow a client-server architecture where a host application (like Claude Desktop) connects to multiple servers. Each server provides specific functionality through standardized endpoints and protocols, enabling Claude to access data and perform actions through the standardized protocol.

Are MCP Servers secure?

Yes, MCP Servers are designed with security in mind. They run locally with explicit configuration and permissions, require user approval for actions, and include built-in security features to prevent unauthorized access and ensure data privacy.