Source: https://swgbar.com/en/mcp/
Language: en

# SWG bar MCP Guide

Connect MCP-compatible AI clients to SWG bar on macOS to query HTTPS inspection status, inspect certificates, and manage SWG bypass.

SWG bar · Updated October 31, 2026

SWG bar provides native, built-in support for the **Model Context Protocol (MCP)**. Once connected via stdio, any MCP-compatible AI client—such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, or Claude Code—can query your local SWG bar status, inspect observed domains and certificates, and manage domain-level SWG bypass rules on macOS.

## Configure your MCP client

Ensure [SWG bar is installed](<https://swgbar.com/en/install/>) in `/Applications/SWGBar.app`, then add `swgbar` to your AI client’s MCP configuration.

### Standard `mcp.json` configuration

Add the following entry to your MCP configuration file (for example, `claude_desktop_config.json` for Claude Desktop, or `.cursor/mcp.json` for Cursor):

```
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "swgbar": {
      "command": "/Applications/SWGBar.app/Contents/MacOS/swgbar",
      "args": ["mcp"]
    }
  }
}
```

### CLI registration (Claude Code)

If you are using Claude Code, register the MCP server with a single terminal command:

```
claude mcp add swgbar -- /Applications/SWGBar.app/Contents/MacOS/swgbar mcp
```

## Available capabilities

Through the Model Context Protocol, your AI assistant can invoke the same underlying capabilities available in the SWG bar menu bar app:

| Area | Available capabilities |
| --- | --- |
| **Overview** | Query overall HTTPS inspection percentage, classification counts (`Confirmed`, `Suspected`, `Public`, `Intranet`), and top intercepting certificates. |
| **Domains** | Search, filter, and paginate observed domains; inspect detailed connection evidence, certificate trust chains, and bypass state for any hostname. |
| **Certificates** | List and filter certificate clusters; retrieve issuer details, validity periods, SHA-256 fingerprints, and all associated hostnames. |
| **SWG Bypass** | Inspect active bypass rules, or enable, toggle, disable, and clear SWG bypass for specific domains. |
| **On-Demand Probes** | Probe any domain in real time to assess TLS certificate chains and verify whether traffic is decrypted. |
| **Browser Companion** | Check connection and synchronization status with the Chrome extension companion. |
| **App Preferences** | Monitor collector state, pause or resume monitoring, check for software updates, and review license status. |

## Example prompts

Once connected, you can interact with SWG bar using natural language prompts in your AI client:

*   _“What is my current HTTPS inspection rate in SWG bar, and which CA certificates are intercepting traffic?”_
*   _“List all domains currently classified as Confirmed inspection and show their certificate details.”_
*   _“Probe and tell me whether its certificate chain is public or decrypted by a corporate gateway.”_
*   _“Enable SWG bypass for and verify the updated bypass status.”_
*   _“Are there any suspected self-signed or enterprise certificates observed in my recent traffic?”_

For direct command-line usage in Terminal, see the [CLI guide](<https://swgbar.com/en/cli/>). To learn how SWG bar classifies certificates and evaluates evidence, read [how SWG bar works](<https://swgbar.com/en/how-it-works/>).

## Keep reading

*   [How to bypass SWG on a Mac](<https://swgbar.com/en/guides/how-to-bypass-swg/>)
*   [How to detect HTTPS inspection on a Mac](<https://swgbar.com/en/guides/detect-https-inspection/>)
*   [SWG bypass vs. a TLS inspection exception](<https://swgbar.com/en/guides/swg-bypass-vs-tls-exception/>)
*   [How SWG bar checks HTTPS inspection](<https://swgbar.com/en/how-it-works/>)
*   [Install SWG bar on your Mac](<https://swgbar.com/en/install/>)
*   [Connect the SWG bar Chrome extension](<https://swgbar.com/en/chrome-extension/>)
*   [SWG bar CLI Guide](<https://swgbar.com/en/cli/>)
*   [SWG bar release information](<https://swgbar.com/en/releases/>)
*   [About SWG bar](<https://swgbar.com/en/about/>)