Tailscale

Name: Tailscale
Author: tailscale-mcp

Community

MCP server by tailscale-mcp · updated 12 days ago · ★ 14 · 945 downloads a week

Score 81

Drive a Tailscale node and its tailnet through the CLI and the control-plane API Tailscale is a community project by tailscale-mcp, not verified by a company domain.

Install Add to Cursor Add to VS Code GitHub

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Works withClaude Code Claude Desktop Cursor Codex Gemini CLI VS Code Windsurf Antigravity CLI

Maintenance

Last commit 12 days ago

Licence

Apache-2.0: permissive, fine for commercial use

Quality

Clear description, published package or server URL, original repository

Security

No risky patterns in the files we checked

What you need

Setting	Needed	What it is
`TAILSCALE_API_KEY`Environment variable, secret	Optional	A control-plane API access token. One of this, the OAuth client pair, or the OAuth JWT file is needed for the tailnet tools; without any of them only the local tools are offered.
`TAILSCALE_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID`Environment variable	Optional	An OAuth client id, used with TAILSCALE_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET when there is no API access token.
`TAILSCALE_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET`Environment variable, secret	Optional	The OAuth client secret that goes with TAILSCALE_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID.
`TAILSCALE_TAILNET`Environment variable	Optional	The tailnet the control-plane tools act on. Without it they act on the one the credential belongs to.
`TAILSCALE_MCP_PRESET`Environment variable	Optional	Which tools are offered: minimal, core or full. Default: `core`
`TAILSCALE_MCP_ALLOW_WRITE`Environment variable	Optional	Offer the tools that change something. Read-only without it. Default: `false`
`TAILSCALE_MCP_ALLOW_DESTRUCTIVE`Environment variable	Optional	Offer the tools that remove or sever something. Implies the write tier. Default: `false`

From the publisher's entry in the official MCP Registry. Required settings are already in the install config below as placeholders.

Install Tailscale

Built from the published package, never by AI

claude mcp add tailscale -- npx -y @tailscale-mcp/tailscale-mcp

Run in your terminal. Add --scope user to use it in every project.

Step-by-step: install Tailscale in Claude Code

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tailscale": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@tailscale-mcp/tailscale-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Settings, Developer, Edit config. Paste into claude_desktop_config.json and restart.

Step-by-step: install Tailscale in Claude Desktop

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tailscale": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@tailscale-mcp/tailscale-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (all projects) or .cursor/mcp.json (this project).

Step-by-step: install Tailscale in Cursor

{
  "servers": {
    "tailscale": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@tailscale-mcp/tailscale-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Add to .vscode/mcp.json. VS Code uses "servers", not "mcpServers".

Step-by-step: install Tailscale in VS Code

codex mcp add tailscale -- npx -y @tailscale-mcp/tailscale-mcp

Step-by-step: install Tailscale in Codex

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tailscale": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@tailscale-mcp/tailscale-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Add to ~/.gemini/config/mcp_config.json (all projects) or .agents/mcp_config.json (this project).

Step-by-step: install Tailscale in Antigravity CLI

gemini mcp add tailscale npx -y @tailscale-mcp/tailscale-mcp

Gemini CLI was replaced by Antigravity CLI in June 2026 and remains only for enterprise licences and paid API keys.

Step-by-step: install Tailscale in Gemini CLI

MCP servers run with your permissions and can read what you give them access to. Some need an API key: check the README and add it under env in the tailscale block.

Security check

No download-and-run commands, hidden instructions or signs of sending keys out were found.

Checked automatically: README.md. This looks for known risky patterns and is not a full audit. How grades work

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Tailscale: common questions

How do I install Tailscale?

In Claude Code run claude mcp add tailscale -- npx -y @tailscale-mcp/tailscale-mcp. For Claude Desktop, Cursor and VS Code, paste the config shown above and restart. See the install guides.

Is Tailscale the official server?

Tailscale is a community project by tailscale-mcp, not verified by a company domain.

Is Tailscale free?

The code is published under the Apache-2.0 licence. The service it connects to may have its own pricing.

Is Tailscale safe to use?

It scores 81 of 100. Grades: maintenance A, licence A, quality C. Security check: grade A, no risky patterns found in the files checked. Review the code before you install. How grades work.

What are alternatives to Tailscale?

Similar MCP servers: Jitsu, Oh My Posh Validator, World Monitor, mcp.

Does Tailscale work with ChatGPT?

Not directly. It runs locally, and ChatGPT only connects to remote servers with a URL. Use it in Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code or Codex.