Firebase

What is Firebase MCP?

Firebase MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a server that enables AI assistants to directly interact with various Firebase services. It acts as a bridge, allowing AI clients like Claude Desktop, Augment Code, VS Code, and Cursor to perform operations on Firebase Firestore (document database), Firebase Storage (file management), and Firebase Authentication (user management).

How to use Firebase MCP?

To use Firebase MCP, you need a Firebase project with service account credentials and a Node.js environment. The server can be installed manually or via npx (recommended). You then configure your MCP client (e.g., Claude Desktop, Augment, Cursor) by adding the server configuration to its settings file. This involves specifying the command to run the server and environment variables like SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY_PATH and FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET. After configuration, you can test the installation by asking your AI client to "test all Firebase MCP tools."

Key Features of Firebase MCP

Firestore Tools

firestore_add_document: Add a document to a collection.
firestore_list_documents: List documents with filtering.
firestore_get_document: Get a specific document.
firestore_update_document: Update an existing document.
firestore_delete_document: Delete a document.
firestore_list_collections: List root collections.
firestore_query_collection_group: Query across subcollections.

Storage Tools

storage_list_files: List files in a directory.
storage_get_file_info: Get file metadata and URL.
storage_upload: Upload file from content.
storage_upload_from_url: Upload file from URL.

Authentication Tools

auth_get_user: Get user by ID or email.

Other Features

HTTP Transport Support: Allows running the server as a standalone HTTP service for multiple clients.
Session Management: Supports unique session IDs for maintaining state between requests in HTTP transport.
Detailed Logging: Option to enable file logging for debugging.

Use Cases of Firebase MCP

Firebase MCP is ideal for scenarios where AI assistants need to directly manage and interact with Firebase backend services. This includes:

Automated Data Management: AI assistants can add, retrieve, update, and delete documents in Firestore.
File Handling: AI can manage files in Firebase Storage, including uploading and retrieving file information.
User Management: AI can fetch user details from Firebase Authentication.
Integration with AI Clients: Seamlessly integrate Firebase functionalities into AI-powered applications like code editors (VS Code, Cursor) and desktop assistants (Claude Desktop, Augment Code).

FAQ about Firebase MCP

Q: What are the prerequisites for using Firebase MCP? A: You need a Firebase project with service account credentials and a Node.js environment.

Q: How do I configure Firebase MCP for my AI client? A: You need to add the server configuration to your MCP client's settings file, specifying the command to run the server and necessary environment variables.

Q: What is the firestore_list_collections Zod validation error? A: This is a known, erroneous validation error in the MCP SDK that does not affect functionality. The query still works correctly and returns the proper collection data.

Q: How can I enable logging for debugging? A: You can enable file logging by setting the DEBUG_LOG_FILE environment variable to true or a custom file path.

Q: Does Firebase MCP support HTTP transport? A: Yes, Firebase MCP supports HTTP transport, allowing it to run as a standalone HTTP service that multiple clients can access.

Firebase MCP

Overview

Firebase MCP enables AI assistants to work directly with Firebase services, including:

Firestore: Document database operations
Storage: File management with robust upload capabilities
Authentication: User management and verification

The server works with MCP client applicatios such as Claude Desktop, Augment Code, VS Code, and Cursor.

⚠️ Known Issue: The firestore_list_collections tool may return a Zod validation error in the client logs. This is an erroneous validation error in the MCP SDK, as our investigation confirmed no boolean values are present in the response. Despite the error message, the query still works correctly and returns the proper collection data. This is a log-level error that doesn't affect functionality.

⚡ Quick Start

Prerequisites

Firebase project with service account credentials
Node.js environment

1. Install MCP Server

Add the server configuration to your MCP settings file:

Claude Desktop: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Augment: ~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/settings.json
Cursor: [project root]/.cursor/mcp.json

MCP Servers can be installed manually or at runtime via npx (recommended). How you install determines your configuration:

Configure for npx (recommended)

{
  "firebase-mcp": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": [
      "-y",
      "@gannonh/firebase-mcp"
    ],
    "env": {
      "SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY_PATH": "/absolute/path/to/serviceAccountKey.json",
      "FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET": "your-project-id.firebasestorage.app"
    }
  }
}

Configure for local installation

{
  "firebase-mcp": {
    "command": "node",
    "args": [
      "/absolute/path/to/firebase-mcp/dist/index.js"
    ],
    "env": {
      "SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY_PATH": "/absolute/path/to/serviceAccountKey.json",
      "FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET": "your-project-id.firebasestorage.app"
    }
  }
}

2. Test the Installation

Ask your AI client: "Please test all Firebase MCP tools."

🛠️ Setup & Configuration

1. Firebase Configuration

Go to Firebase Console → Project Settings → Service Accounts
Click "Generate new private key"
Save the JSON file securely

2. Environment Variables

Required

SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY_PATH: Path to your Firebase service account key JSON (required)

Optional

FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET: Bucket name for Firebase Storage (defaults to [projectId].appspot.com)
MCP_TRANSPORT: Transport type to use (stdio or http) (defaults to stdio)
MCP_HTTP_PORT: Port for HTTP transport (defaults to 3000)
MCP_HTTP_HOST: Host for HTTP transport (defaults to localhost)
MCP_HTTP_PATH: Path for HTTP transport (defaults to /mcp)
DEBUG_LOG_FILE: Enable file logging:
- Set to true to log to ~/.firebase-mcp/debug.log
- Set to a file path to log to a custom location

3. Client Integration

Claude Desktop

Edit: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

VS Code / Augment

Edit: ~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/settings.json

Cursor

Edit: [project root]/.cursor/mcp.json

📚 API Reference

Firestore Tools

Tool	Description	Required Parameters
`firestore_add_document`	Add a document to a collection	`collection`, `data`
`firestore_list_documents`	List documents with filtering	`collection`
`firestore_get_document`	Get a specific document	`collection`, `id`
`firestore_update_document`	Update an existing document	`collection`, `id`, `data`
`firestore_delete_document`	Delete a document	`collection`, `id`
`firestore_list_collections`	List root collections	None
`firestore_query_collection_group`	Query across subcollections	`collectionId`

Storage Tools

Tool	Description	Required Parameters
`storage_list_files`	List files in a directory	None (optional: `directoryPath`)
`storage_get_file_info`	Get file metadata and URL	`filePath`
`storage_upload`	Upload file from content	`filePath`, `content`
`storage_upload_from_url`	Upload file from URL	`filePath`, `url`

Authentication Tools

Tool	Description	Required Parameters
`auth_get_user`	Get user by ID or email	`identifier`

💻 Developer Guide

Installation & Building

git clone https://github.com/gannonh/firebase-mcp
cd firebase-mcp
npm install
npm run build

Running Tests

First, install and start Firebase emulators:

npm install -g firebase-tools
firebase init emulators
firebase emulators:start

Then run tests:

# Run tests with emulator
npm run test:emulator

# Run tests with coverage
npm run test:coverage:emulator

Project Structure

src/
├── index.ts                  # Server entry point
├── utils/                    # Utility functions
└── lib/
    └── firebase/              # Firebase service clients
        ├── authClient.ts     # Authentication operations
        ├── firebaseConfig.ts   # Firebase configuration
        ├── firestoreClient.ts # Firestore operations
        └── storageClient.ts  # Storage operations

🌐 HTTP Transport

Firebase MCP now supports HTTP transport in addition to the default stdio transport. This allows you to run the server as a standalone HTTP service that can be accessed by multiple clients.

Running with HTTP Transport

To run the server with HTTP transport:

# Using environment variables
MCP_TRANSPORT=http MCP_HTTP_PORT=3000 node dist/index.js

# Or with npx
MCP_TRANSPORT=http MCP_HTTP_PORT=3000 npx @gannonh/firebase-mcp

Client Configuration for HTTP

When using HTTP transport, configure your MCP client to connect to the HTTP endpoint:

{
  "firebase-mcp": {
    "url": "http://localhost:3000/mcp"
  }
}

Session Management

The HTTP transport supports session management, allowing multiple clients to connect to the same server instance. Each client receives a unique session ID that is used to maintain state between requests.

🔍 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Storage Bucket Not Found

If you see "The specified bucket does not exist" error:

Verify your bucket name in Firebase Console → Storage
Set the correct bucket name in FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET environment variable

Firebase Initialization Failed

If you see "Firebase is not initialized" error:

Check that your service account key path is correct and absolute
Ensure the service account has proper permissions for Firebase services

Composite Index Required

If you receive "This query requires a composite index" error:

Look for the provided URL in the error message
Follow the link to create the required index in Firebase Console
Retry your query after the index is created (may take a few minutes)

Zod Validation Error with `firestore_list_collections`

If you see a Zod validation error with message "Expected object, received boolean" when using the firestore_list_collections tool:

⚠️ Known Issue: The firestore_list_collections tool may return a Zod validation error in the client logs. This is an erroneous validation error in the MCP SDK, as our investigation confirmed no boolean values are present in the response. Despite the error message, the query still works correctly and returns the proper collection data. This is a log-level error that doesn't affect functionality.

Debugging

Enable File Logging

To help diagnose issues, you can enable file logging:

# Log to default location (~/.firebase-mcp/debug.log)
DEBUG_LOG_FILE=true npx @gannonh/firebase-mcp

# Log to a custom location
DEBUG_LOG_FILE=/path/to/custom/debug.log npx @gannonh/firebase-mcp

You can also enable logging in your MCP client configuration:

{
  "firebase-mcp": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y", "@gannonh/firebase-mcp"],
    "env": {
      "SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY_PATH": "/path/to/serviceAccountKey.json",
      "FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET": "your-project-id.firebasestorage.app",
      "DEBUG_LOG_FILE": "true"
    }
  }
}

Real-time Log Viewing

To view logs in real-time:

# Using tail to follow the log file
tail -f ~/.firebase-mcp/debug.log

# Using a split terminal to capture stderr
npm start 2>&1 | tee logs.txt

Using MCP Inspector

The MCP Inspector provides interactive debugging:

# Install MCP Inspector
npm install -g @mcp/inspector

# Connect to your MCP server
mcp-inspector --connect stdio --command "node ./dist/index.js"

📋 Response Formatting

Storage Upload Response Example

{
  "name": "reports/quarterly.pdf",
  "size": "1024000",
  "contentType": "application/pdf",
  "updated": "2025-04-11T15:37:10.290Z",
  "downloadUrl": "https://storage.googleapis.com/bucket/reports/quarterly.pdf?alt=media",
  "bucket": "your-project.appspot.com"
}

Displayed to the user as:

## File Successfully Uploaded! 📁

Your file has been uploaded to Firebase Storage:

**File Details:**
- **Name:** reports/quarterly.pdf
- **Size:** 1024000 bytes
- **Type:** application/pdf
- **Last Updated:** April 11, 2025 at 15:37:10 UTC

**[Click here to download your file](https://storage.googleapis.com/bucket/reports/quarterly.pdf?alt=media)**

🤝 Contributing

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch
Implement changes with tests (80%+ coverage required)
Submit a pull request

📄 License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

Firebase Overview

What is Firebase MCP?

How to use Firebase MCP?

Key Features of Firebase MCP

Firestore Tools

Storage Tools

Authentication Tools

Other Features

Use Cases of Firebase MCP

FAQ about Firebase MCP

Firebase's README

Firebase MCP

Overview

⚡ Quick Start

Prerequisites

1. Install MCP Server

Configure for npx (recommended)

Configure for local installation

2. Test the Installation

🛠️ Setup & Configuration

1. Firebase Configuration

2. Environment Variables

Required

Optional

3. Client Integration

Claude Desktop

VS Code / Augment

Cursor

📚 API Reference

Firestore Tools

Storage Tools

Authentication Tools

💻 Developer Guide

Installation & Building

Running Tests

Project Structure

🌐 HTTP Transport

Running with HTTP Transport

Client Configuration for HTTP

Session Management

🔍 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Storage Bucket Not Found

Firebase Initialization Failed

Composite Index Required

Zod Validation Error with firestore_list_collections

Debugging

Enable File Logging

Real-time Log Viewing

Using MCP Inspector

📋 Response Formatting

Storage Upload Response Example

🤝 Contributing

📄 License

🔗 Related Resources

Firebase Reviews

Actions

Firebase's Information

Zod Validation Error with `firestore_list_collections`