QGIS

What is QGISMCP?

QGISMCP (QGIS Model Context Protocol) is a Python-based project that integrates QGIS Desktop with Claude AI via the Model Context Protocol (MCP). This allows users to control and interact with QGIS using natural language prompts through Claude AI, effectively bridging the gap between AI capabilities and geospatial data processing.

How to use QGISMCP?

To use QGISMCP, you need to set up both the QGIS plugin and the MCP Server, and then configure Claude for Desktop to recognize the QGIS MCP server.

1. Prerequisites: Ensure you have QGIS 3.X (tested on 3.22), Claude desktop, Python 3.10+, and the uv package manager installed.
2. Download Code: Clone the QGISMCP repository from GitHub.
3. QGIS Plugin Installation: Copy the qgis_mcp_plugin folder into your QGIS profile plugins directory. Restart QGIS and enable the "QGIS MCP" plugin from the Plugins menu.
4. Claude for Desktop Integration: Edit the claude_desktop_config.json file in Claude's developer settings to include the QGIS MCP server configuration, specifying the command to run the qgis_mcp_server.py.
5. Start Connection: In QGIS, go to plugins -> QGIS MCP -> QGIS MCP and click "Start Server".
6. Using with Claude: Once configured and the server is running, Claude will display a hammer icon with tools for QGIS MCP, allowing you to use commands like ping, load_project, add_vector_layer, execute_processing, and execute_code.

Key Features of QGISMCP

• Two-way Communication: Establishes a socket-based server to connect Claude AI directly with QGIS.
• Project Manipulation: Enables creation, loading, and saving of QGIS projects.
• Layer Manipulation: Allows adding and removing vector or raster layers within a project.
• Execute Processing: Facilitates the execution of processing algorithms available in the QGIS Processing Toolbox.
• Code Execution: Provides the capability to run arbitrary Python code (PyQGIS) within QGIS directly from Claude, offering powerful customization and automation.

Use Cases of QGISMCP

QGISMCP is ideal for users who want to streamline their geospatial workflows and leverage AI for more intuitive interaction with QGIS. Potential use cases include:

• Prompt-assisted Project Creation: Quickly set up new QGIS projects with specific layers and configurations using natural language commands.
• Automated Data Loading and Analysis: Load various geospatial data formats (vector, raster) and perform complex analyses (e.g., centroid calculation, choropleth mapping) through AI prompts.
• Scripting and Customization: Execute custom PyQGIS scripts for advanced operations without directly interacting with the QGIS Python console.
• Educational Purposes: Provides an accessible way for new users to learn QGIS functionalities by interacting with an AI assistant.
• Rapid Prototyping: Quickly test and visualize geospatial data and analyses by issuing commands through Claude AI.

FAQ from QGISMCP

Q: What are the main components of QGISMCP? A: The system consists of two main components: a QGIS plugin that creates a socket server within QGIS, and an MCP Server (a Python server) that implements the Model Context Protocol and connects to the QGIS plugin.

Q: What versions of QGIS are supported? A: QGISMCP has been tested on QGIS 3.22, but it should be compatible with QGIS 3.X versions.

Q: Can I run arbitrary Python code in QGIS using Claude? A: Yes, the execute_code tool allows you to run arbitrary PyQGIS code. However, it's a very powerful tool and should be used with caution.

Q: How do I know if the connection between Claude and QGIS is working? A: You can use the ping command through Claude to check server connectivity. Once configured, Claude will also display a hammer icon with tools for the QGIS MCP, indicating that the integration is active.

Q: Where can I find more documentation or examples? A: The project's README provides detailed installation instructions, usage examples, and links to relevant documentation for both QGIS and the Model Context Protocol.

QGISMCP - QGIS Model Context Protocol Integration

QGISMCP connects QGIS to Claude AI through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), allowing Claude to directly interact with and control QGIS. This integration enables prompt assisted project creation, layer loading, code execution and more.

This project is strongly based on the BlenderMCP project by Siddharth Ahuja

Features

• Two-way communication: Connect Claude AI to QGIS through a socket-based server.
• Project manipulation: Create, load and save projects in QGIS.
• Layer manipulation: Add and remove vector or raster layers to a project.
• Execute processing: Execute processing algorithms (Processing Toolbox).
• Code execution: Run arbitrary Python code in QGIS from Claude. Very powerful, but also be very cautious using this tool.

Components

The system consists of two main components:

1. QGIS plugin: A QGIS plugin that creates a socket server within QGIS to receive and execute commands.
2. MCP Server: A Python server that implements the Model Context Protocol and connects to the QGIS plugin.

Installation

Prerequisites

• QGIS 3.X (only tested on 3.22)
• Cloud desktop
• Python 3.10 or newer
• uv package manager:

If you're on Mac, please install uv as

brew install uv

On Windows Powershell

powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

Otherwise installation instructions are on their website: Install uv

⚠️ Do not proceed before installing UV

Download code

Download this repo to your computer. You can clone it with:

git clone git@github.com:jjsantos01/qgis_mcp.git

QGIS plugin

You need to copy the folder qgis_mcp_plugin and its content on your QGIS profile plugins folder.

You can get your profile folder in QGIS going to menu Settings -> User profiles -> Open active profile folder Then, go to Python/plugins and paste the folder qgis_mcp_plugin.

On a Windows machine the plugins folder is usually located at: C:\Users\USER\AppData\Roaming\QGIS\QGIS3\profiles\default\python\plugins and on MacOS: ~/Library/Application\ Support/QGIS/QGIS3/profiles/default/python/plugins

Then close QGIS and open it again. Go to the menu option Plugins -> Installing and Managing Plugins, select the All tab and search for "QGIS MCP", then mark the QGIS MCP checkbox.

Claude for Desktop Integration

Go to Claude > Settings > Developer > Edit Config > claude_desktop_config.json to include the following:

If you cann't find the "Developers tab" or the claude_desktop_config.json look at this documentation.

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "qgis": {
            "command": "uv",
            "args": [
                "--directory",
                "/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/PARENT/REPO/FOLDER/qgis_mcp/src/qgis_mcp",
                "run",
                "qgis_mcp_server.py"
            ]
        }

    }
}

Usage

Starting the Connection

1. In QGIS, go to plugins -> QGIS MCP-> QGIS MCP
2. Click "Start Server"

Using with Claude

Once the config file has been set on Claude, and the server is running on QGIS, you will see a hammer icon with tools for the QGIS MCP.

Tools

• ping - Simple ping command to check server connectivity
• get_qgis_info - Get QGIS information about the current installation
• load_project - Load a QGIS project from the specified path
• create_new_project - Create a new project and save it
• get_project_info - Get current project information
• add_vector_layer - Add a vector layer to the project
• add_raster_layer - Add a raster layer to the project
• get_layers - Retrieve all layers in the current project
• remove_layer - Remove a layer from the project by its ID
• zoom_to_layer - Zoom to the extent of a specified layer
• get_layer_features - Retrieve features from a vector layer with an optional limit
• execute_processing - Execute a processing algorithm with the given parameters
• save_project - Save the current project to the given path
• render_map - Render the current map view to an image file
• execute_code - Execute arbitrary PyQGIS code provided as a string

Example Commands

This is the example I used for the demo:

You have access to the tools to work with QGIS. You will do the following:
	1. Ping to check the connection. If it works, continue with the following steps.
	2. Create a new project and save it at: "C:/Users/USER/GitHub/qgis_mcp/data/cdmx.qgz"
	3. Load the vector layer: ""C:/Users/USER/GitHub/qgis_mcp/data/cdmx/mgpc_2019.shp" and name it "Colonias".
	4. Load the raster layer: "C:/Users/USER/GitHub/qgis_mcp/data/09014.tif" and name it "BJ"
	5. Zoom to the "BJ" layer.
	6. Execute the centroid algorithm on the "Colonias" layer. Skip the geometry check. Save the output to "colonias_centroids.geojson".
	7. Execute code to create a choropleth map using the "POB2010" field in the "Colonias" layer. Use the quantile classification method with 5 classes and the Spectral color ramp.
	8. Render the map to "C:/Users/USER/GitHub/qgis_mcp/data/cdmx.png"
	9. Save the project.