Xcode MCP

You MUST use this skill for ANY Xcode MCP interaction — setup, tool usage, workflow patterns, or troubleshooting.

Xcode 26.3 ships an MCP server (xcrun mcpbridge) that exposes 20 IDE tools to external AI clients. This skill suite covers setup, tool reference, workflow patterns, and troubleshooting.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Setting up Xcode MCP for the first time

• Configuring xcrun mcpbridge for any MCP client

• Using any Xcode MCP tool (file ops, build, test, preview)

• Building, testing, or previewing via MCP tools

• Troubleshooting mcpbridge connection issues

• Window/tab targeting questions

• Permission dialog confusion

Routing Logic

1. Setup/Connection → xcode-mcp-setup

Triggers:

• First-time Xcode MCP setup

• Client-specific config (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, VS Code, Gemini CLI)

• Connection errors ("Connection refused", "No windows")

• Permission dialog confusion

• Multi-Xcode targeting (MCP_XCODE_PID)

• Schema compliance issues with strict clients

Read: skills/xcode-mcp-setup.md

2. Using Tools & Workflows → xcode-mcp-tools

Triggers:

• How to build/test/preview via MCP

• Workflow patterns (BuildFix loop, TestFix loop)

• Tool gotchas and anti-patterns

• Window/tab targeting strategy

• When to use MCP tools vs CLI (xcodebuild)

• Destructive operation safety (XcodeRM, XcodeMV)

Read: skills/xcode-mcp-tools.md

3. Tool API Reference → xcode-mcp-ref

Triggers:

• Specific tool parameters and schemas

• Input/output format for a tool

• "How does XcodeGrep work?"

• "What params does BuildProject take?"

• Tool category listing

Read: skills/xcode-mcp-ref.md

Decision Tree

digraph xcode_mcp_router {

    rankdir=TB;

    "User has Xcode MCP question" [shape=ellipse];

    "Setup or connection?" [shape=diamond];

    "Using tools or workflows?" [shape=diamond];

    "Need specific tool params?" [shape=diamond];

    "xcode-mcp-setup" [shape=box];

    "xcode-mcp-tools" [shape=box];

    "xcode-mcp-ref" [shape=box];

    "User has Xcode MCP question" -> "Setup or connection?";

    "Setup or connection?" -> "xcode-mcp-setup" [label="yes"];

    "Setup or connection?" -> "Using tools or workflows?" [label="no"];

    "Using tools or workflows?" -> "xcode-mcp-tools" [label="yes"];

    "Using tools or workflows?" -> "Need specific tool params?" [label="no"];

    "Need specific tool params?" -> "xcode-mcp-ref" [label="yes"];

    "Need specific tool params?" -> "xcode-mcp-tools" [label="general question"];

}

Anti-Rationalization

Thought

Reality

"I'll just use xcodebuild directly"

MCP gives IDE state, diagnostics, previews, and navigator issues that CLI doesn't expose

"I already know how to set up MCP"

Client configs differ. Permission dialog behavior is specific. Check setup skill.

"I can figure out the tool params"

Tool schemas have required fields and gotchas. Check ref skill.

"Tab identifiers are obvious"

Most tools fail silently without correct tabIdentifier. Tools skill explains targeting.

"This is just file reading, I'll use Read tool"

XcodeRead sees Xcode's project view including generated files and resolved packages

Conflict Resolution (vs Other Routers)

Domain

Owner

Why

MCP-specific interaction (mcpbridge, MCP tools, tab identifiers)

xcode-mcp

MCP protocol and tool-specific

Xcode environment (Derived Data, zombie processes, simulators)

axiom-build

Environment diagnostics, not MCP

Apple's bundled documentation (for-LLM guides/diagnostics)

apple-docs

Bundled docs, not MCP tool

DocumentationSearch MCP tool usage specifically

xcode-mcp

MCP tool invocation

Build failures diagnosed via CLI

axiom-build

Traditional build debugging

Build failures diagnosed via MCP tools

xcode-mcp

MCP workflow patterns

Example Invocations

User: "How do I set up Xcode MCP with Claude Code?"

-> Read: skills/xcode-mcp-setup.md

User: "How do I build my project using MCP tools?"

-> Read: skills/xcode-mcp-tools.md

User: "What parameters does BuildProject take?"

-> Read: skills/xcode-mcp-ref.md

User: "My mcpbridge connection keeps failing"

-> Read: skills/xcode-mcp-setup.md

User: "How do I target a specific Xcode window?"

-> Read: skills/xcode-mcp-tools.md

User: "Can I render SwiftUI previews via MCP?"

-> Read: skills/xcode-mcp-tools.md (workflow), then skills/xcode-mcp-ref.md (params)

User: "Cursor can't parse Xcode's MCP responses"

-> Read: skills/xcode-mcp-setup.md (schema compliance section)

Resources

References: skills/xcode-mcp-setup.md, skills/xcode-mcp-tools.md, skills/xcode-mcp-ref.md, skills/axe-ref.md