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Prerequisites

  • Python 3.11+ installed on your machine
  • An OpenAPI specification for the API you want to wrap (JSON or YAML)
Don’t have a spec handy? Use the Petstore sample spec to follow along.

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Step 1: Generate your server

1

Open the dashboard

Go to mcpblacksmith.com/dashboard and create a new project.
2

Upload your spec

Drag and drop your OpenAPI spec file (JSON or YAML) into the upload zone. Blacksmith supports OpenAPI 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2.
3

Generate

Click Generate. Blacksmith analyzes your spec, extracts all operations, builds typed models, configures authentication, and generates the complete server code.
4

Download

Download the generated server as a ZIP file. Extract it to a directory of your choice.

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Step 2: Install dependencies

cd my-api-server
pip install -r requirements.txt

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Step 3: Configure credentials

If your API requires authentication, open the .env file and fill in your credentials:
.env
# Example: API Key authentication
API_KEY=your-api-key-here

# Example: Bearer token
BEARER_TOKEN=your-token-here

# Example: OAuth2
OAUTH2_CLIENT_ID=your-client-id
OAUTH2_CLIENT_SECRET=your-client-secret
The .env file is pre-configured with the correct variable names for your API’s authentication scheme. See Authentication for details on each auth type.

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Step 4: Run the server

python server.py
By default, the server starts with stdio transport — the standard for local MCP connections. You’ll see output like: 
INFO: MCP server 'Petstore API' started (transport: stdio)

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Step 5: Connect to an MCP client

Add your server to your MCP client’s configuration. Most clients use a JSON config file: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "petstore": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/server.py"]
    }
  }
}
Restart your MCP client. Your API tools are now available to the AI agent.
See the full guide at Connecting to AI Agents for transport options, virtual environments, and troubleshooting.

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What’s next?

Server structure

Understand what each generated file does.

Authentication

Configure OAuth2, API keys, JWT, and more.

Security features

Circuit breakers, rate limiting, and retries.

AI-enhanced passes

Optimize your server with AI curation.