Variant MCP setup guide

#Endpoint and transport

Variant MCP is hosted. Do not configure it as a local command. Use HTTP transport and the hosted endpoint.

https://mcp.variant.art/mcp

#OAuth config

For interactive clients, omit headers and let the client discover the OAuth flow from the server.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "variant": {
      "transport": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.variant.art/mcp"
    }
  }
}

#Bearer-token config

For headless clients, generate a token in Variant and pass it as an Authorization header. Treat it like any other secret.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "variant": {
      "transport": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.variant.art/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_VARIANT_MCP_TOKEN"
      }
    }
  }
}

#Safe first prompt

Before you grant write access, test the connection with a read-only workflow that proves auth, deck listing, slide reading, and preview rendering.

Connect to Variant, list my decks, choose the most recently updated deck,
list its slides, and preview slide 1. Do not edit anything.

#Scope planning

Separate review, editing, and export automation. A read-only review client should not share the same credential as a client that can replace slides and export decks.

• deck:read
• deck:write
• slide:replace
• slide:preview
• export:run

#Common questions