Panelica MCP

What panelica-mcp MCP server does

The panelica-mcp MCP server exposes Panelica's External API to MCP-compatible clients over standard input and output. Its catalogue contains 404 tools covering accounts, domains, DNS, SSL, email, MySQL, FTP, security, backups, server resources, and other parts of the hosting panel.

The server is intended for operational requests expressed through an AI client, such as provisioning a domain, issuing a certificate, creating a database, or restarting a service. The available operations are controlled by Panelica permission scopes; the README lists 50 scopes.

How it works

An MCP client launches the process and communicates with it over stdio JSON-RPC. At startup, the panelica-mcp MCP server requests /v1/api-spec from the configured Panelica endpoint and builds its tool list from that response. If the panel cannot be reached, it can use the packaged tools/tools.json snapshot instead. Set PANELICA_LIVE_SPEC=0 to always use the snapshot.

For each tool call, the server creates the corresponding HTTP request and signs it locally with HMAC-SHA256. The request includes the API key, timestamp, and signature before being sent to Panelica. Results are returned to the MCP client, while failed calls include guidance such as a missing permission scope, an invalid identifier, or a rate-limit reset rather than only an HTTP status.

The adapter is stateless: the README says it does not cache data or emit telemetry, and the API secret remains on the machine running the process. It does not require software on the Panelica host. The panel's HTTPS endpoint normally proxies requests to the internal external server.

Setup and configuration

A running Panelica panel is required. Panelica 1.0.193 or newer is recommended, with the External API described as stable from 1.0.180. The machine running the MCP process needs HTTPS access to the panel UI on port 8443, or local access when the process and panel share a host. Node.js 20 or newer is needed for npm installation; Docker can be used instead.

Configure these values:

• PANELICA_BASE_URL: the panel endpoint, commonly https://host:8443/api/external for a remote panel or http://127.0.0.1:3002 on the same machine.
• PANELICA_API_KEY: an API key generated in the Panelica panel.
• PANELICA_API_SECRET: the matching secret used for request signing.

Install with npm install -g panelica-mcp, run it through npx -y panelica-mcp, use the published GitHub Container Registry image, or build from source with npm. The process communicates over stdio, so the client configuration must keep stdin attached when using Docker. Port 3002 should not be exposed to the public internet; remote clients should use the panel's HTTPS proxy on port 8443.

Tools and capabilities

The panelica-mcp MCP server provides 404 generated tools rather than a small fixed set of hand-written commands. The catalogue spans:

• Account and hosting-panel operations
• Domains and DNS
• SSL certificates
• Email
• MySQL databases
• FTP
• Security and backups
• Server resource management

Tool descriptions and server instructions are generated from the API catalogue, including identifier conventions, scopes, response envelopes, errors, rate limits, and workflow recipes.

Limitations and notes

Tool availability depends on the Panelica API specification returned by the connected panel and on the scopes assigned to the API key. The bundled catalogue is a fallback snapshot and may not reflect the live panel's current API surface.

The server requires a reachable Panelica installation and valid credentials; it is not a standalone hosting control plane. TLS errors caused by a self-signed panel certificate should be addressed by installing a valid certificate on the panel rather than disabling client-side verification. The README also notes that no public access to the internal port 3002 is needed.