Paper MCP Server

What is Paper MCP Server about?

Enables AI assistants such as Cursor and Claude to call Paper's trading endpoints directly from code prompts. It acts as a bridge that translates model‑generated tool calls into HTTP requests against the Paper paper‑trading platform.

How to use Paper MCP Server?

1. Install – use the recommended npx command:

   npx @paperinvest/mcp-server --help
   

   (You can also install globally with npm i -g @paperinvest/mcp-server.)
2. Configure – expose your Paper API credentials via environment variables:

   export PAPER_API_KEY=your_api_key
   # optional custom base URL
   export PAPER_API_BASE_URL=https://api.paperinvest.io
   

   The variables must be present in the same shell where the server is started.
3. Run – start the server (it will listen on the default MCP port):

   npx @paperinvest/mcp-server
   

4. Integrate – reference the server in your IDE's MCP config (e.g., ~/.cursor/mcp.json or Claude's desktop config) using the paper name.

Key Features

• Real‑time NBBO quote retrieval (paper.quote(symbol)).
• Batch quote fetching for multiple symbols.
• Simulated order placement with market, limit, stop, etc.
• Portfolio query returning positions and P&L.
• Simple environment‑based authentication.
• Ready‑made integration snippets for Cursor and Claude Desktop.

Use Cases

• Algorithm prototyping – let an AI assistant fetch market data and test trade ideas without leaving the prompt.
• Educational simulations – students can place paper trades via natural language commands.
• Automated research bots – generate trading signals and immediately evaluate them on a paper account.
• IDE‑level assistance – developers receive instant trading‑API suggestions while coding.

FAQ

Q: Which Node version is required? A: Node.js 16+ is recommended.

Q: Do I need to install the server globally? A: No. Running with npx is sufficient and avoids global installation.

Q: How do I change the API endpoint? A: Set PAPER_API_BASE_URL to the desired URL before starting the server.

Q: What if the server is not found in my PATH? A: Verify the installation and ensure the npm global prefix (npm prefix -g) is in your PATH, or always run via npx.

Q: Can I use this server with other AI assistants? A: Yes, any assistant that supports MCP can point to the same paper server entry.

Paper MCP Server (@paperinvest/mcp-server)

Official Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Paper's trading platform. Lets AI coding assistants (Cursor, Claude, etc.) interact with the Paper Trading API to fetch quotes, place paper orders, and inspect portfolios.

Install

# Global install (recommended for CLI usage)
npm i -g @paperinvest/mcp-server

# Or run with npx
npx @paperinvest/mcp-server --help

Node.js 16+ recommended.

Configure

Set your Paper API credentials via environment variables (shell or .env).

export PAPER_API_KEY=your_api_key
# Optional override
export PAPER_API_BASE_URL=https://api.paperinvest.io

IDE Integrations

Cursor

File: ~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "paper": {
      "command": "paper-mcp-server",
      "env": {
        "PAPER_API_KEY": "your_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

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

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "paper": {
      "command": "paper-mcp-server",
      "env": {
        "PAPER_API_KEY": "your_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tools Reference

• paper.quote(symbol) — Get real-time NBBO quote for a symbol
• paper.quotesBatch(symbols[]) — Get quotes for multiple symbols in one request
• paper.order({ ... }) — Place a simulated order (market/limit/stop, etc.)
• paper.portfolio(id) — Retrieve portfolio positions and P&L

See more tools and examples in the repository and on the MCP landing: https://paperinvest.io/mcp

Examples

Configs and demo scripts are in examples/:

• examples/.cursor/mcp.json — Cursor integration
• examples/claude/claude_desktop_config.json — Claude integration
• examples/scripts/get-quote.sh — Example prompt to fetch a quote
• examples/scripts/place-order.sh — Example prompt to place an order

Getting Started

1. Sign up at app.paperinvest.io
2. Generate an API key from your account settings
3. Add the configuration above with your API key
4. Restart Claude Desktop or Cursor

Troubleshooting

• Ensure paper-mcp-server is in your PATH (npm prefix -g may help).
• Verify PAPER_API_KEY is set in the same environment as your client.
• Restart Cursor/Claude after changing config.
• Check connectivity to https://api.paperinvest.io.

Links

• NPM: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@paperinvest/mcp-server
• GitHub: https://github.com/paperinvest/mcp-server
• MCP Landing: https://paperinvest.io/mcp
• API Docs: https://docs.paperinvest.io

Support

For support, visit paperinvest.io or email support@paperinvest.io

License

MIT © Paper Invest, Inc.