WebCodex exposes an MCP endpoint so ChatGPT, Claude, and other MCP clients can work with repositories through the Runner that owns them. Ordinary users only need to choose between full use and a temporary trial; protocol surfaces, scopes, and credential taxonomy are reference material, not onboarding prerequisites.
For everyday use, run a regular Server + Runner. Follow the Full Setup guide for one-time login and project registration, and use --print-mcp-config during that same webcodex login to obtain regular HTTPS MCP connection values. Public HTTPS, Cloudflare Tunnel, and OpenAI Secure MCP Tunnel are reachability choices; they do not change the capabilities of this full development path.
If you only want to try one repository temporarily, use the share path below.
Explicit share is supported on Linux, macOS, and Windows and owns a temporary single-project environment for that foreground run. Windows x64 can use the managed default Cloudflare Quick Tunnel; Windows ARM64 needs a trusted explicit/PATH cloudflared because the pinned Cloudflare release publishes no official ARM64 artifact. Managed OpenAI tunnel-client supports both Windows x64 and arm64.
For the default temporary public path, WebCodex reuses an explicit/PATH cloudflared or downloads its pinned verified managed copy automatically, then run:
npm install -g @yyjeqhc/webcodex
cd /path/to/your/repository
webcodex shareWhen the CLI says WebCodex ready:
- In ChatGPT Developer Mode, create a custom app using MCP.
- Paste the printed MCP URL.
- Choose Access token / API key (Bearer token) for the default share.
- Paste the printed temporary Credential.
- Run Scan Tools.
- Try:
Inspect this repository and summarize its structure. Do not make changes.
The command performs project setup itself. Hosted ChatGPT cannot reach a
loopback-only webcodex run, so setup, doctor, and run are not required
steps before share. ChatGPT UI labels can vary by rollout; use the CLI output
as the source of truth for URL and authentication. Developer Mode, custom MCP
apps, and write/modify actions are controlled independently by the ChatGPT plan,
workspace, and admin settings; those client-side permissions are not widened by
WebCodex scopes.
Use the same printed /mcp URL and authentication values. In Claude, add a
custom connector and paste the MCP URL. Other MCP clients should be configured
with the same endpoint and the authentication mechanism reported by the CLI.
When a client cannot set a Bearer header, webcodex share --auth query-token
provides an explicit temporary-share fallback: paste the printed sensitive
/mcp?token=... URL and choose No authentication. The query accepts only the
current share Project Credential; it is not a general PAT/OAuth/shared-key query
auth mechanism. Treat the full URL as a secret because URL queries may be logged.
For local-only clients, webcodex share --tunnel none exposes the loopback MCP
endpoint without cloudflared.
For an OpenAI-only private transport, create/select a Secure MCP Tunnel, export
CONTROL_PLANE_TUNNEL_ID plus a Restricted CONTROL_PLANE_API_KEY with Tunnels
Read + Use, and run webcodex share --tunnel openai. ChatGPT uses Connection:
Tunnel + No authentication; the temporary WebCodex Bearer stays local and is
injected by the pinned verified OpenAI tunnel-client.
For a long-lived loopback-only Server reached through OpenAI Secure Tunnel,
operators may explicitly trust ChatGPT host-file rewrites authenticated by the
local user API token by setting
WEBCODEX_MCP_TRUST_LOOPBACK_API_TOKEN_FILE_IMPORT=true. This exception works
only when WEBCODEX_ADDR resolves to loopback and the authenticated credential
is a normal user API token. It remains off by default and must not be used as a
substitute for OAuth on a network-accessible Server.
For a regular independent Windows Server + Runner reached through OpenAI Tunnel, or to troubleshoot a case where local /readyz is healthy but ChatGPT Connector creation still fails, see the Windows + OpenAI Secure MCP Tunnel deep dive. It is advanced setup/troubleshooting material, not required reading for a first-time user.
On Stateless MCP 2026 requests that advertise MCP Apps HTML support, clients can display a
small set of read-only milestone cards for list_jobs, validation_summary, and
git_review_summary. The Job card shows only active or attention-requiring Jobs;
routine successful terminal Jobs stay out of the foreground. Aggregate validation
and committed-range review cards remain bounded and do not embed raw logs, diffs,
or hunks.
High-frequency calls such as observe_jobs, cargo_check, cargo_test, go_test,
and show_changes intentionally keep the Host's native tool presentation instead
of creating an extra custom App card for every call. Cards do not poll, retry, or
invoke tools; the canonical tool result remains available independently.
WEBCODEX_MCP_APPS_ENABLED=false disables App metadata and resources without
disabling the underlying tools.
The current Result App is intentionally static. September 2026 Host experiments proved that a separately designed MCP App controller can poll server-owned state and request later ChatGPT model turns, including a bounded foreground autonomous multi-turn loop, but background-tab model-turn scheduling is not an immediate guarantee. Those findings and the production design constraints are recorded in agent/mcp-app-continuation-experiments.md; they do not change the current Result App contract.
For an existing hosted Server intentionally configured for shared-key clients, use the long-lived shared-key path with the credential supplied by its operator:
webcodex connect https://webcodex.example --key-file /private/path/shared-keyconnect starts/reuses the local Runner and prints the MCP URL and credential
source after the connection is verified. This is separate from fresh self-hosted
Docker enrollment: keep the Docker Server bootstrap administrator token on the
Server, create a short-lived pairing code there, and use webcodex login on the
repository machine. Self-hosting is documented in Deployment.
Bearer/shared-key authentication is the simplest path. When a client requires
OAuth, use share --auth oauth or connect --auth oauth with that client's exact
callback URL and follow the CLI output. Managed-user OAuth remains a separate
advanced identity flow.
There is one model-facing MCP runtime contract: Adaptive Runtime. Canonical ToolDefinition rank decides the direct tools; ordinary model-visible long-tail tools are invoked through call_runtime_tool; server-owned protocol capabilities and MCP App admission may add hidden extensions for the relevant protocol request. There is no startup model-surface selector. Direct versus gateway routing changes presentation only and never bypasses the target tool's authentication, Project authority, permission, Runner capability, Session, or safety checks.
Machine-readable MCP tool results are returned in structuredContent; content is a concise human-readable/protocol-native fallback. Clients that need fields should consume structuredContent rather than parse text.
Some MCP hosts do not expose structuredContent to the model. This has been observed with Claude Custom Connector even when WebCodex successfully executes the tool and returns the complete structured result. Operators serving such a host can explicitly set WEBCODEX_MCP_TEXT_JSON_COMPAT=true. Ordinary runtime tool results then keep structuredContent canonical while also serializing that same JSON value into content[0].text. The option is off by default because the duplicate representation increases response/model-context size; protocol-native image/resource framing and the existing App-only compatibility paths remain unchanged.
Recovery fields in a result describe the next safe explicit call. They never grant authority and never trigger a hidden retry. In particular, an uncertain outcome must be reconciled before repeating an effect.
A hosted Server can expose Runner-owned local stdio MCP providers through the same /mcp endpoint. Authorized callers use the single mcp_tool entry to list, describe, and call configured providers; provider process/instance identities and schema-revision state stay internal.
Configure local providers on the Runner under [mcp]. Access requires the explicit mcp:local permission; hosted OAuth clients opt in with webcodex connect ... --oauth-local-mcp. See Runner for provider compatibility details.
The ssh_resource tool provides a narrow Runner-local onboarding path for
named SSH resources. list observes safe logical names and returns an opaque
exact-Runner/revision binding; register and remove consume that binding and
change only durable desired state. They never silently retarget a replacement
Runner or replay after an uncertain outcome. Raw SSH targets are not returned
in tool results or normal/full trace bodies. When restart_required=true,
restart the Runner and list again before selecting the resource in a Workflow
Session.
This surface requires the optional ssh:local permission. It is not part of the
ordinary hosted OAuth baseline; opt in explicitly with
webcodex connect ... --oauth-local-ssh. See
Runner for static-vs-managed and
PersistentShell details.
When OAuth is enabled, MCP clients can use the authorization-code flow instead of a static token. Register the client's exact callback URL, keep offline_access when the host requests refresh-token support, and follow the connection values produced by share --auth oauth or connect --auth oauth. Server setup is in Deployment.
For ordinary hosted connect --auth oauth, the Runner keeps its hosted credential while the MCP client receives a separate OAuth credential. Add --oauth-computer-permissions, --oauth-local-mcp, or --oauth-local-ssh only when those optional capabilities are needed. Existing clients are not silently widened; a real permission change requires reauthorization.
Project-first share --auth oauth remains bound to that temporary share environment. Managed-user OAuth is a separate advanced flow (connect --auth managed-oauth). OAuth credentials are never valid on Runner transport.
For the credential and scope model, see Authentication.
Grok supports custom MCP connectors and can complete the OAuth flow required by
the MCP server. For a self-hosted WebCodex Server, first expose
https://your-domain.example/mcp over public HTTPS and enable OAuth:
WEBCODEX_OAUTH2_ENABLED=true
WEBCODEX_OAUTH2_ISSUER=https://your-domain.example
WEBCODEX_PUBLIC_URL=https://your-domain.example
For the current Grok web connector flow (verified in August 2026), register this redirect URI exactly:
https://grok.com/connectors-oauth-exchange-code/
If Grok later presents or uses a different callback, register that exact value instead. Create a dedicated OAuth client; the client secret is returned only once:
curl -fsS -X POST https://your-domain.example/api/oauth/clients/create \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $WEBCODEX_PAT" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"name":"Grok MCP","redirect_uris":["https://grok.com/connectors-oauth-exchange-code/"],"allowed_scopes":["runtime:read","project:read","project:write","job:run"]}'In Grok's Custom Connector form, use:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| MCP server URL | https://your-domain.example/mcp |
| Client ID | the returned wc_client_* value |
| Client Secret | the returned one-time wc_csec_* value |
| Authorization Endpoint | https://your-domain.example/oauth/authorize |
| Token Endpoint | https://your-domain.example/oauth/token |
| Scopes | runtime:read, project:read, project:write, job:run, offline_access |
| Token Auth Method | client_secret_post |
WebCodex advertises PKCE S256; Grok can use PKCE together with
client_secret_post. Do not select none (PKCE only) for a WebCodex OAuth
client that has a client secret. offline_access is a protocol-level scope for
refresh tokens and is intentionally not stored in the OAuth client's
allowed_scopes permission list. The MCP Protected Resource Metadata omits
scopes_supported because pre-registered clients can have different scope
ceilings. General-purpose MCP clients can therefore omit scope and let WebCodex
default the authorization request to that client's registered allowed_scopes.
When the WebCodex authorization page opens, sign in with a current user PAT
(wc_pat_*) for the user whose authority Grok should receive. A Runner token
(wc_agent_*) is not a user login token. The resulting OAuth access token is
bound to that user and remains constrained by the registered/requested scopes.
Common setup failures:
- Save & Connect is disabled: Grok requires a Client ID before it can start the OAuth flow.
invalid token: the PAT must authenticate against the same current WebCodex Server database. Do not use a Runner token or a stale PAT left from an older Server/database.invalid scope: every requested WebCodex permission scope must be in the OAuth client'sallowed_scopes. For normal Grok MCP use, do not requestaccount:manage;offline_accessis accepted separately as a protocol scope.- redirect mismatch: the redirect URI must match the registered value exactly, including path and trailing slash.
See xAI's Connector documentation for the current Grok Custom MCP UI and availability.
webcodex run and webcodex share bind one configured repository, start a local Server + Runner, and expose the ordinary Adaptive Runtime. The temporary or persistent Project Credential is an authentication/ProjectGrant boundary; it does not select a separate capability surface.
A typical coding flow is:
work_on_project
→ read_files / search_project_texts / semantic navigation as needed
→ apply_text_edits or other canonical edit tools
→ run_process / run_shell / focused validation tools as needed
→ show_changes
→ finish_coding_task
work_on_project starts or resumes an explicit Workflow Session on an ordinary registered Project. If the user requests isolation, work_on_project(mode=worktree) asks the Runner to create its canonical managed worktree and registers that worktree as another ordinary Project. Without that request, local share/run work directly on the one Project already registered by setup.
Adaptive Runtime may expose common tools directly and long-tail tools through call_runtime_tool. Direct versus gateway exposure never changes schema validation, OAuth scope, Project authority, permission policy, Runner capability checks, Session fences, or effects.
The removed ProjectConnector capability names (task_start, files_read, edits_apply, task_finish, and related operations) are not compatibility aliases for runtime tools. Use the current ToolRuntime names returned by tools/list/tool_manifest.
Long-running commands and validations use the canonical WebCodex Job lifecycle. Observe the exact Job returned by the initiating call with observe_jobs (or recover it with list_jobs when identity was genuinely lost) instead of starting another copy. Jobs are not wrapped as MCP Tasks; WebCodex does not advertise the former Connector-specific MCP Tasks extension.
Use the configured WebCodex project. Inspect README.md and summarize the
project structure. Do not edit files or run commands.
No project discovery or runtime identifier belongs in this prompt.
read_filesis the canonical bounded range reader for one to eight files. A one-item batch is the single-range path. Each successful item returns the complete-file SHA-256 and bounded line metadata; partial items carry a positional one-itemread_filescontinuation and are not snapshot-stable.search_project_textsis the canonical bounded search surface for one to eight independent queries (ripgrep first with the existing bounded fallback). A one-query batch is the single-query path.
An empty search result is affirmative no-match evidence only after a recognized
backend reports a successful completed/no-match status. Missing or malformed
backend identity, missing completion status, status/output disagreement,
backend failure, Runner failure, timeout, request drop, and provider failure
return failures instead. Search failures retain the compatibility code and
add bounded failure_stage plus a specific reason_code. Batch failure items
retain their broad reason_code and preserve the single-search provenance as
failure_stage and detail_code; successful batch items remain sparse.
Failures return small structured errors with project-relative paths only — never absolute paths, commands, Runner/provider stderr, or arbitrary provider prose.
| Code | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
project_not_configured |
No canonical setup exists | Run webcodex setup |
project_credential_invalid |
Private Project Credential is missing or mismatched | Restore both matching private files or recreate the profile |
project_credential_rejected |
The reachable server rejected the credential | Restore the server-matching credential |
workspace_unavailable |
The configured Git workspace is unavailable | Restore the workspace, then run doctor |
server_unreachable / agent_offline |
The project Runner/runtime is unavailable | Run webcodex run / webcodex doctor |
required_capability_unavailable |
The current Runner/runtime lacks a required coding capability | Upgrade all binaries |
project_registry_scope_denied |
A project-scoped credential tried to expand or mutate the Project registry outside its granted visibility | Use an already-visible Project or work_on_project(mode=worktree) |
The same ToolRuntime serves project-scoped local share/run instances and multi-project hosted Servers through one Adaptive Runtime contract. Project-scoped credentials change visibility and authority, not the model-facing runtime shape. Protocol-specific capabilities and MCP Apps may admit additional hidden presentation or resource operations without creating another runtime surface.
When the connected MCP protocol/host admits the artifact capabilities, WebCodex supports host-native file transfer in both directions without routing complete binary payloads through model text:
import_conversation_files_to_projectimports 1..10 files supplied by the ChatGPT host throughopenai/fileParams. This applies to user-selected conversation attachments and to newly generated files when the host binds them as file parameters. The Control downloads the referenced bytes and commits them through the existing bounded artifact-write path; callers should not construct download URLs or manually Base64-transfer those files.project_artifactis the preferred Project-to-model/host read surface. Useaction=metadatafor existence/size/MIME/digest/image/archive facts,action=inspectfor one bounded snapshot-fenced Base64 segment,action=imagefor native MCP image delivery, andaction=exportfor complete host/user delivery. Do not loopinspectchunks to transfer a complete file.action=exportreuses the existing artifact export authority and returns a short-lived authenticated MCPResourceLinkplus metadata.tools/calldoes not contain the complete binary. The host followsresources/readto obtain the binary resource; authentication and current project-read authority are checked again, and the artifact metadata is revalidated before the bytes are returned. The resource URI is not standalone bearer authority; export handles are short-lived process-local presentation state, and the normal size, MIME, path, and authorization bounds remain in force.
The older read_project_artifact_metadata, read_project_artifact, and
export_project_artifact tools remain compatibility/operator primitives, but
new model-facing workflows should use project_artifact. Office artifacts such
as DOCX/PPTX/XLSX and PDFs use the same underlying artifact transport and can
therefore move between a project and a supporting ChatGPT host without a model
manually carrying their Base64.
Use Coding Workflow for the canonical work_on_project bootstrap, behavioral-role mental model, and validation/closeout guidance. See Architecture and the webcodex CLI for operator tooling.