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 mcpbridgefor 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