Feature Request: Support for MCP servers integrated with native applications

[chrisvanbuskirk]

Use Case

I develop https://corkulous.com, a visual cork board app for iOS/iPadOS/Mac distributed through the Mac App Store. The app includes an MCP server (corkulous mcp-server) that lets Claude interact with boards - creating items, reading content, exporting, etc.

The MCP server binary is bundled inside the app at:
/Applications/Corkulous.app/Contents/MacOS/corkulous-tool

The Problem

The current MCPB submission requirements don't accommodate this distribution model:

• "Clean, bundled dependencies" - My server depends on the main app being installed (for data access, shared frameworks)
• "Portable across macOS and Windows" - Native Mac Catalyst app, macOS only
• "Self-contained" - The MCP server is a component of a larger app, not standalone

The chrome-applescript example in this repo demonstrates a similar pattern (MCP server that controls an external app), but the submission guide doesn't provide a path for third-party submissions with external app dependencies.

Current Workaround

Users configure manually via CLI:
corkulous setup-claude

This works fine, but means the server can't be discovered in the Claude Desktop directory.

Potential Solutions

• Add an app_requirements manifest field to declare external app dependencies
• Support install-time checks for required applications
• Allow App Store / download links in the directory UI for "companion" MCP servers
• Create a separate category for "native app integrations" with different requirements

Context

I understand this may be a niche use case, but as more native apps add MCP support, this pattern may become more common. Happy to discuss or provide more details.

[chrisvanbuskirk]

Note, the mcp is not released yet.