Announcing Igniter.js MCP Server: Native AI Integration for Modern Development

With AI-native IDEs, we are all developing apps with remarkable speed. So much so that understanding project context and maintaining architectural consistency is becoming the bottleneck. With Igniter.js MCP Server, Cursor, Claude Code, and other AI tools can now understand your project structure, execute development commands, and provide intelligent assistance that goes far beyond basic code completion.

Use Igniter.js in your favorite AI tool using MCP

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) gives LLMs a way to call APIs and access external systems in a well-defined manner. Our MCP Server gives AI tools the ability to interact with your Igniter.js project directly—analyzing code, running tests, managing tasks, and even delegating work to specialized AI agents.

We're excited to share that as of v1.0.0, every Igniter.js starter template now comes with a built-in MCP Server that you can integrate with your favorite AI tool using this configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Igniter": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@igniter-js/mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

If you're curious what exactly the integration looks like in any specific tool, check out our docs with instructions for adding the MCP server to Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Code / Desktop and VS Code Copilot.

Igniter.js: The framework designed for the age of AI

Igniter.js has been created for the new age of AI development! It's the first framework built from the ground up to be understood and utilized by AI agents through comprehensive MCP integration.

It offers the reliability developers need without the operational complexity that AI can't abstract away. When AI helps you move faster on code generation, you need a framework that keeps pace – with built-in AI understanding, specialized training, and requiring minimal configuration.

"Vibe code" your apps with Igniter.js

Vibe coding has been a major trend lately — it describes developers building their applications purely based on prompting and AI-generated code.

While vibe coded apps don't yet cross the threshold of complexity required for serious application development, the wider trend of AI-assisted coding is certainly reshaping the software development industry! Repetitive and monotonous coding tasks, features with very detailed specifications and prototyping are areas that are seeing major productivity boosts by AI and let developers build applications at new speed levels.

In this new world, the pace of writing code often isn't the bottleneck any more — it's rather the tasks that AI can't help with: Understanding project context, managing architectural decisions, coordinating complex features, and maintaining consistency across your codebase.

With Igniter.js's new MCP Server, you can reduce the development context overhead and align it with the speed at which you're writing code thanks to your powerful AI assistants.

First-class integration with Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Code and any other AI tool

The most popular AI coding tools all offer first-class integrations for MCP servers. Here's how you can add it to your favorite tool:

Cursor

// File: ~/.cursor/mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Igniter": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@igniter-js/mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop & Claude Code

# Add the Igniter.js MCP Server to Claude Code
claude mcp add igniter npx @igniter-js/mcp-server

# Verify it's installed
claude mcp list

VS Code Copilot

// File: .vscode/mcp.json
{
  "servers": {
    "Igniter": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@igniter-js/mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

// File: ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Igniter": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@igniter-js/mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

What to do with Igniter.js MCP Server?

Igniter.js MCP Server allows you to chat in natural language through development workflows, code analysis, and project management.

It connects your AI assistant to your project and lets it perform these tasks on your behalf. Here are some things the MCP Server enables:

• Start development servers with live reloading and client generation
• Build projects for production deployment
• Run comprehensive test suites with filtering and watch options
• Analyze code structure and identify potential issues
• Generate type-safe clients from your API router
• Create OpenAPI documentation with interactive UI
• Manage development tasks with priorities and assignments
• Delegate work to specialized AI agents (Claude, Gemini, GPT, Perplexity)

Custom Rules for Cursor, Claude Code and more

Here's where things get interesting. Every Igniter.js starter template now includes custom rules that transform how AI tools understand and work with your project. These aren't just generic guidelines—they're specialized instructions that replace the default behavior of Code Agents like Cursor, Claude Code, and others.

Think of it like this: instead of your AI assistant having to figure out your project from scratch every time, it gets a comprehensive playbook that tells it exactly how to work within your Igniter.js ecosystem.

What the Rules Actually Do

The custom rules create what we call a "Lia" (Layered Intelligence Assistant) - a specialized Code Agent that's been trained specifically for Igniter.js development. Here's what this means in practice:

Before (Generic AI): "I see you have a Next.js project. Let me try to understand the structure and suggest some patterns..."

After (Lia-trained AI): "I can see this is an Igniter.js project with feature-based architecture. The user authentication is in src/features/auth/, and I should use the generateController tool to add new endpoints. Let me analyze the current implementation first..."

Real Examples of What Changes

File Analysis Protocol: Every time the AI works with a file, it automatically runs comprehensive analysis first. It checks TypeScript health, understands the file's role in the system, and identifies potential issues before making changes.

Tool Prioritization: Instead of using generic search tools, the AI automatically reaches for specialized MCP Server tools. Need to find an implementation? It uses find_implementation. Want to analyze code health? It runs analyze_file. This isn't just faster—it's more accurate.

Development Workflows: The AI understands your project's specific patterns. It knows when to use scaffolding tools vs. manual creation, how to implement features following your architectural decisions, and when to delegate complex tasks to specialized agents.

Memory System Integration: Every decision, pattern, and insight gets stored in a persistent memory system. The AI doesn't just solve today's problem—it builds knowledge that makes tomorrow's development faster and more consistent.

The Rules in Action

Here's a typical conversation flow with a Lia-trained AI:

You: "I need to add user profile management to the auth feature"

Lia-trained AI: "I'll help you implement user profile management. Let me first analyze the current auth feature structure to understand the existing patterns."

[Automatically runs analyze_feature on the auth directory]

"Perfect! I can see you have a user controller with basic CRUD operations. For profile management, I'll create a new profile controller within the auth feature. Let me scaffold this following your established patterns."

[Uses generateController to create the profile controller]

"Now let me implement the profile endpoints. I'll follow the same validation patterns you're using with Zod schemas and the ensure plugin for business logic validation."

[Implements the profile endpoints with proper validation and error handling]

"Let me test this implementation to make sure it works correctly with your existing API structure."

[Runs API validation using the MCP Server tools]

"Great! The profile management is now implemented and tested. I've stored the implementation patterns in memory for future reference, so the next time you need similar functionality, the AI will already know your preferred approach."

Why This Matters

Without these custom rules, every AI interaction is like starting from scratch. The AI has to rediscover your project structure, figure out your patterns, and make educated guesses about your preferences.

With the custom rules, your AI assistant becomes a true team member who understands your project intimately. It doesn't just write code—it writes code that fits seamlessly into your existing architecture, follows your established patterns, and maintains the quality standards you've set.

Meet Lia: Your Igniter.js Specialist

When you use an Igniter.js starter template, you're not just getting a framework—you're getting Lia (Layered Intelligence Assistant), a specialized Code Agent that's been trained specifically for Igniter.js development.

Lia understands your project at a fundamental level and can:

• Analyze before acting

  Every file operation starts with comprehensive analysis
• Use specialized tools

  Prioritizes MCP Server tools over generic alternatives
• Maintain consistency

  Ensures all code follows your project's patterns
• Delegate intelligently

  Identifies when to use specialized AI agents
• Learn continuously

  Stores insights and patterns for future optimization

Start Your AI-Native Project

Ready to experience the future of collaborative coding? Choose from our collection of official starter templates, each pre-configured with the MCP Server and custom rules for AI development:

Next.js Full-Stack App

A full-featured application built using the latest Next.js conventions with end-to-end type safety powered by Igniter.js.

Create Project

Bun + React Full-Stack App

A full-stack, type-safe application with Bun and React featuring server-side rendering and unified runtime.

Create Project

TanStack Start App

A modern full-stack application built with TanStack Start featuring type-safe routing and server functions.

Create Project

Express REST API

A robust REST API built with Express.js and Igniter.js featuring structured logging and background jobs.

Create Project

Bun REST API

A high-performance REST API built with Bun runtime and Igniter.js for maximum speed and efficiency.

Create Project

Deno REST API

A secure and modern REST API built with Deno runtime and Igniter.js featuring built-in TypeScript support.

Create Project

Getting Started Today

The future of AI-native development isn't some distant vision—it's available right now. Every Igniter.js starter comes with the MCP Server pre-configured and ready to use with your favorite AI coding assistant.

Connect Your AI Tool

Add the MCP Server configuration to your preferred AI tool (see integration examples above).

Start the Conversation

Begin with simple questions like:

• "What's the current health status of my project?"
• "Show me all the API endpoints and their current status"
• "Analyze the user authentication feature for potential issues"

Tell us what you're building with Igniter.js & AI

AI is enabling new levels of developer productivity and we're excited to contribute to this new era with the world's most AI-native framework! We'd love to hear from you: What Igniter.js-backed applications are you building with the powers of AI? Tell us on Twitter or our Discord community.

Ready to get started? Choose a template above and experience the future of collaborative coding with Igniter.js and Lia.