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Hoista’s MCP server gives an agent the same projects and tools you use in Desktop and the CLI. Each agent connects with its own identity and access. Your provider credentials stay in Hoista and never go into the agent’s configuration.
A coding agent starts hoist mcp and asks the daemon to connect. Hoista shows you the request with a code, in the app or a browser page. You allow it with an access level, and from then on the daemon checks each call the agent makes against that access.A coding agent starts hoist mcp and asks the daemon to connect. Hoista shows you the request with a code, in the app or a browser page. You allow it with an access level, and from then on the daemon checks each call the agent makes against that access.

The agent asks, you allow it with an access level, and the daemon checks every call after that.

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Step-by-step for your tool

Claude Code

One command, on this computer.

Codex

CLI and IDE extension, on this computer.

Cursor

An MCP server in Cursor’s settings.

Windsurf

An MCP server in Cascade’s settings.

VS Code (Copilot)

An MCP server for Copilot’s agent mode.

ChatGPT

A custom MCP app, from your computer or a remote.

Claude

A custom connector, from your computer or a remote.

Grok

A custom connector, from your computer or a remote.

Gemini

A custom app, from your computer or a remote.

Hermes Agent

On this computer or a server, on a schedule.

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Connect from Desktop

  1. Open Agents and choose Connect an agent.
  2. Under Which agent do you use?, pick your tool.
  3. Follow the steps it shows. A coding tool gets a command to run or an MCP server to add. A chat app gets your Hoista URL to paste into its connector settings.
  4. Approve it:
    • A chat app or web agent signs in through your browser. On Hoista’s page there, choose What it may do and Authorize, then confirm with your passkey on a remote, or Touch ID or your password on this computer. The page then sends you back to the app. If you closed it, the Hoista app shows the request and can open the page again.
    • A coding tool on this computer shows up in the Hoista app, under Agents or as a card. Check its code matches, choose what it may do and allow it.
  5. Ask the agent “what projects do I have on Hoista?”
A chat app runs in the cloud, so it needs Hoista at an HTTPS address. Hoista on your computer serves MCP over HTTP on 127.0.0.1:8788, and only there. Point a tunnel or proxy at it, as in From your computer, or use a remote. Only a remote keeps working while your computer is off.

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Connect from the CLI

Add Hoista to your tool:
For Cursor, Windsurf and other tools, hoist mcp config prints the configuration to add to the tool’s MCP settings. VS Code needs a different shape; see VS Code. The configuration uses the full path to hoist and holds no token. With a remote in use, it prints the remote’s /mcp address instead. Then approve the request:
In a terminal, hoist agents allow without an ID lets you pick the request. --access takes view (View only), ask (Ask for approval) or full (Full access), and --projects my-app,api limits it to some projects. To turn a request down, run hoist agents deny REQUEST_ID. Start with view and widen it later in permissions. To install Hoista’s skills for Claude Code or Codex, run hoist skills install.

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After it connects

The agent reuses its credential, and the daemon checks its access on every request. If you revoke or let the access expire, the agent must connect again. A new tool is a new agent. Your provider accounts stay connected.

Agent permissions

Change or narrow what an agent can do.

Approvals

What Hoista asks you before an agent acts.

Webhooks

Send events to a background agent.