Quickly Create an MCP Server with ShowRun and OpenClaw

Introduction

In today's rapidly evolving AI landscape, integrating tools effectively is crucial for leveraging advanced capabilities. This tutorial outlines how to create a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server using ShowRun and OpenClaw. The MCP protocol provides a secure bridge, enabling seamless interaction between your AI assistant and external services.

Prerequisites

• Basic knowledge of JavaScript and Node.js
• An MCP360 account
• OpenClaw installed on your local machine
• Familiarity with Git and command-line interfaces

Learning Objectives

• Understand MCP server setup using ShowRun
• Configure OpenClaw to interact with the MCP server
• Implement secure authentication with OAuth2
• Troubleshoot common issues during setup

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Create an MCP360 Account

Start by signing up for an MCP360 account. This account is essential for generating your MCP endpoint, which serves as your connection credential.

Step 2: Generate MCP Endpoint

Log in to your MCP360 account and navigate to the dashboard to generate your MCP endpoint. Record this URL for future use.

Step 3: Install ShowRun

Clone the ShowRun repository from GitHub. Run the following command in your terminal:

git clone https://github.com/useshowrun/showrun

Once cloned, navigate to the project directory:

cd showrun

Then install the required dependencies using npm:

npm install

Step 4: Configure Your MCP Server

To connect your ShowRun setup with OpenClaw, you need to configure your MCP server settings. Open the openclaw.json file and add your server configurations.

{
  "mcp": {
    "name": "Your MCP Server Name",
    "url": "Your MCP Endpoint URL",
    "clientId": "openclaw",
    "clientSecret": "Your MCP Client Secret"
  }
}

Ensure you replace placeholders with actual values from your MCP360 account.

Step 5: Implement OAuth2 Authentication

As you have set up the server, the next step is to enable OAuth2 authentication. This process verifies user permissions to utilize your MCP server safely.

• Obtain the MCP_CLIENT_ID and MCP_CLIENT_SECRET from your MCP360 account.
• In your configuration, ensure these values are reflected appropriately.

Step 6: Test Your Setup

After everything is configured, run your ShowRun instance:

npm start

Open a browser and navigate to your ShowRun application. Input your credentials and check for a successful connection with OpenClaw. You should now be able to access tools directly.

Troubleshooting

• Issue: Connection Failed
• Solution: Verify that your MCP endpoint URL and credentials are correctly configured in openclaw.json.
• Issue: OAuth2 Authentication Error
• Solution: Check that the MCP_CLIENT_ID and MCP_CLIENT_SECRET are accurate and match those in the MCP360 console.
• Issue: Tools Not Accessible
• Solution: Ensure your MCP server is properly running and that the configurations in OpenClaw are correctly pointing to it.

Best Practices

• Regularly update your dependencies to mitigate security vulnerabilities.
• Document any changes to your configuration for future reference.
• Monitor API requests to manage and optimize resource usage.

Conclusion

Setting up an MCP server using ShowRun and OpenClaw dramatically enhances the functionality of your AI assistant. Following this tutorial, you have learned to create a server, configure it with OpenClaw, and troubleshoot common issues. As you move forward, explore additional integrations and enhance your AI capabilities even further.

For further information, check out the official Antfarm: Multi-Agent Workflow Orchestration for OpenClaw and MCP Server Integration with Moltbook API for AI Agents.