MCP Server

MCP is a common plug that lets AI programs share tools. Pando can sit on both sides of it. This page is about one side: offering Pando’s own tools to other programs (another assistant, an editor), so they can use its web search, browser, memory and file tools. It is reference material: commands and settings.

Looking for the other side, plugging extra tools into Pando? Follow the guide Connect MCP servers and see the MCP reference.

Starting the MCP server

# Start as MCP server (stdio + HTTP /mcp)
pando mcp-server

# Stdio only
pando mcp-server --no-http

# HTTP only
pando mcp-server --no-stdio

Configuration in MCP clients

Add Pando as an MCP server in your compatible client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pando": {
      "command": "pando",
      "args": ["mcp-server", "--no-http"]
    }
  }
}

Available tools

Pando’s MCP server exposes tools that allow clients to:

• Execute commands in the project context
• Read, modify, and search files (with page-by-page reading optimizations and pagination)
• Browse the web with the built-in browser tools, including the light Lightpanda browser
• Interact with session history and recall memory

Consuming external MCP servers

Pando can also use MCP servers made by others as extra tools. The easy way is the Web UI, as shown in the guide Connect MCP servers. In .pando.toml it looks like this (all keys are in the MCP reference):

[mcpServers.my-server]
command = "my-mcp-server"
args = ["--flag"]
env = { MY_VAR = "value" }

Encrypting Sensitive MCP Parameters

If your external MCP server requires credentials or secret tokens, you can encrypt them using AGE:

[mcpServers.my-secure-server]
command = "database-connector"
env = { SECRET_TOKEN = "age1y7g9w...encrypted-value..." }

Pando automatically decrypts these parameters securely in memory at startup, protecting your private credentials.

Or in JSON:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "my-server": {
      "command": "my-mcp-server",
      "args": ["--flag"],
      "env": {
        "MY_VAR": "value"
      }
    }
  }
}

HTTP access token

When Pando runs as an MCP server over HTTP, every request needs an access token: Authorization: Bearer <token>. This applies on your own machine too.

• On localhost, Pando creates a token the first time, shows it once in the terminal and reuses it on later starts.
• To choose the token yourself, set MCPServer.HttpToken.
• On any other address, Pando does not start without a token.
• Browsers can connect only from the origins listed in MCPServer.HttpAllowedOrigins.

Clients that connect over stdio are not affected.