Tailscale MCP Server

An MCP server for Tailscale. The node it runs on is driven through the tailscale command-line interface; the tailnet behind it is driven through the control-plane REST API. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.

People who work with networking, tailnet and tailscale and want it reachable from Claude, Cursor, VS Code, or another MCP client. The project is written in Rust.

VERIFIED ACTIVE

LAST COMMIT 2026-09-07 · ★ 9 · #50 OF 278 MAINTAINED API INTEGRATION · VERIFIED 2026-09-18

Apache-2.0 · Rust servers · how we verify → /methodology

01 · Install Tailscale

before you install - you'll need

Set TAILSCALE_MCP_ALLOW_WRITE, TAILSCALE_API_KEY, TAILSCALE_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID, TAILSCALE_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET, UPDATE_DOCS before connecting.

Claude Code

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

Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code - add to config

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

Same JSON for Cursor. For VS Code, rename the top-level key from `mcpServers` to `servers`.

Using another client? Same JSON, different key

Claude Desktop · mcpServers

Cursor · mcpServers

VS Code · servers

Windsurf · mcpServers

Zed · context_servers

Cline · mcpServers

Roo Code · mcpServers

Continue · mcpServers

LibreChat · mcpServers

Gemini CLI · mcpServers

Codex CLI · mcp_servers

Full setup guides: every client.

02 · Evidence

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as local process (stdio) - runs on your machine with your user's permissions · container (OCI image) - can be sandboxed away from your filesystem

repo age created 2026-09-03 - young repo, little track record yet

license Apache-2.0 - declared in the repository

npm package @tailscale-mcp/tailscale-mcp - published under the repo owner's npm scope (@tailscale-mcp)

registry namespace io.github.tailscale-mcp is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What Tailscale can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

Latest releases

v1.3.1 · 2026-09-07

Fixed · Prefer the shim the macOS applications install

v1.3.0 · 2026-09-07

Added · Offer devices as audit subjects, without burying the rest · Build and CI · Select the stable channel with rust-toolchain.toml

v1.2.2 · 2026-09-07

Fixed · Refuse to delete a tailnet named -

04 · Who maintains Tailscale

Tailscale is maintained by tailscale-mcp. It's the only MCP server we track from this author; the repo dates to Sep 2026.

05 · Facts

repository: github.com/tailscale-mcp/tailscale-mcp
website: https://github.com/tailscale-mcp/tailscale-mcp
category: API integration - ranked #50 of 278 actively-maintained API integration servers as of 2026-09-18.
release cadence: 10+ releases in the last 90 days (latest 2026-09-07)
registry: io.github.tailscale-mcp/tailscale-mcp (active, first published 2026-09-05 · 10 versions)
packages: npm:@tailscale-mcp/tailscale-mcp · oci:ghcr.io/tailscale-mcp/tailscale-mcp:1.3.1

06 · Tailscale FAQ

What is Tailscale?

Is Tailscale still maintained?

Yes - as of 2026-09-18, its last commit was 2026-09-07 and it shipped 10+ releases in the last 90 days. We re-verify nightly.

How do I install Tailscale?

Run `npx -y @tailscale-mcp/tailscale-mcp`. The README documents 5 environment variables (TAILSCALE_MCP_ALLOW_WRITE, TAILSCALE_API_KEY, TAILSCALE_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID…) to set first. Set TAILSCALE_MCP_ALLOW_WRITE, TAILSCALE_API_KEY, TAILSCALE_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID, TAILSCALE_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET, UPDATE_DOCS before connecting. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.

Does Tailscale run locally?

Yes - it's a stdio server: it runs on your machine (via npx) with your user's permissions. Your data stays local unless the server itself calls external APIs.

07 · Alternatives to Tailscale

Alternatives to Tailscale

Maintained API integration servers if Tailscale isn't the fit.

More API integration MCP servers · Telnyx · TempGuru Event Staffing · RFP Hub · 1c Rest MCP · Chestnyznak MCP

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