Publish Your MCP Server

TL;DR: Two commands get you from local code to global distribution: mcpize deploy && mcpize publish. You get automatic HTTPS, marketplace listing, and built-in monetization. Cloud providers give you URLs. MCPize gives you users.

When I first tried to publish my MCP server, I spent three weeks setting up infrastructure. Server provisioning. SSL certificates. Health checks. Monitoring. Load balancing. All that work before a single user could even try the thing I built.

Then I discovered one-click deployment. Everything changed.

mcpize deploy && mcpize publish

Two commands. I was able to deploy my MCP server and publish it globally. Automatic HTTPS. Built-in monitoring. Instant marketplace listing where thousands of AI developers discover new tools every day.

This guide covers exactly how to publish your MCP server and deploy MCP server projects to production. From deployment prerequisites to your first marketplace installation. Whether you're publishing a free tool or launching a paid service, you'll be live in under 60 seconds.

Why Publish Your MCP Server on MCPize?#

I tried all the cloud providers to deploy MCP server projects. Vercel, Cloudflare Workers, AWS Lambda. They all work for hosting an MCP server. But hosting is only half the problem.

Here's what I learned the hard way: getting your code running in the cloud is easy. Getting users to actually find and use it? That's the real challenge.

When you deploy MCP server projects to Vercel, you get a URL. That's it. Now you have to figure out how people will discover it. How they'll trust it. How you'll handle payments if you want to charge.

When you publish your MCP server on MCPize, the distribution problem is solved:

The key difference is distribution. Vercel gives you infrastructure. MCPize gives you an audience. When you publish your MCP server on the marketplace:

• Your server appears alongside 500+ other servers
• Users find it through search and category browsing
• Installation happens with one click in Claude Desktop
• Paid tiers handle billing automatically

This isn't about replacing cloud providers. I still use Vercel for web apps. But when you publish your MCP server specifically, the marketplace matters more than the infrastructure. Publishing and deploying MCP server projects is easier when discovery is built in.

Prerequisites to Publish Your MCP Server#

Before you can publish your MCP server and deploy MCP server code to production, make sure you have these ready:

1. A Working MCP Server#

Your server needs to actually work. Sounds obvious, but I've seen people try to deploy broken code. The deployment will fail, and you'll waste time debugging in production instead of locally.

Your server must:

• Respond to MCP protocol messages correctly
• Pass basic health checks
• Handle errors without crashing

Test everything locally with the MCP Inspector first:

npx @anthropic/mcp-inspector python server.py

If your tools appear and respond correctly, you're ready to deploy.

2. MCPize Account#

Sign up at mcpize.com. Free accounts can publish unlimited free servers. You only need a paid account if you want to host premium MCP servers with paid tiers.

3. CLI Installed#

Install the mcpize CLI for your runtime:

pip install mcpize  # Python
npm install -g mcpize  # Node.js

Verify it works:

mcpize --version

Step 1: Initialize Your Project#

The first step to publish your MCP server and deploy MCP server code is creating the configuration file. This tells MCPize how to build and run your server.

mcpize init

This generates mcpize.yaml in your project root:

name: my-mcp-server
version: 1.0.0
description: "Clear description of what your server does"
runtime: python  # or node

# Entry point
main: server.py

# Tool definitions (auto-detected from code)
tools:
  - name: search
    description: "Search the database"

# Optional: Pricing
pricing:
  model: free  # or subscription, usage

Here's what to customize:

I recommend spending a few minutes on the description. This is what users see first. Be specific about what problem your MCP server solves.

Step 2: Deploy MCP Server to Cloud#

Now for the fun part. One command to deploy your MCP server to the cloud:

mcpize deploy

Here's what happens behind the scenes:

1. Code bundled - Your dependencies get packaged
2. Container built - Isolated runtime created
3. HTTPS provisioned - SSL certificate assigned automatically
4. Health checks configured - Monitoring set up
5. Endpoint live - Your URL is ready

You'll see output like this:

✓ Code bundled (2.3 MB)
✓ Container built (12s)
✓ HTTPS provisioned
✓ Health checks passing
✓ Deployed: https://my-server.mcpize.run

Your remote MCP server is now running in the cloud. Anyone with the URL can connect. But they can't discover you yet. To fully publish your MCP server, you need to list it on the marketplace.

Deployment Options#

You can customize the deployment in your mcpize.yaml:

deploy:
  region: auto  # or us-east, eu-west, asia
  memory: 512   # MB
  timeout: 30   # seconds per request
  env:
    - API_KEY  # Pulled from your environment

Environment variables are encrypted. They never show up in logs or the dashboard.

Step 3: Publish MCP Server to Marketplace#

Deploying gets your server running. Publishing makes it discoverable. Here's how to publish your MCP server to the marketplace:

mcpize publish

The CLI walks you through the listing details:

? Category: [Developer Tools]
? Tags: git, version-control, automation
? Screenshots added: 2
? README verified: ✓

✓ Published: https://mcpize.com/marketplace/my-server

Optimize Your Listing#

I've seen servers with identical functionality get 10x different install rates. The difference? Listing quality.

Title: Be specific. "GitHub PR Reviewer" beats "My Server" every time.

Description: Follow the Problem > Solution > Benefits structure. What pain does your server solve?

Category: Pick the most specific match. Users filter by category when browsing.

Tags: Add 3-5 relevant keywords. These power the search function.

Screenshots: Show your server working inside Claude. Visual proof builds trust fast.

README: Complete documentation with real usage examples. Don't skimp here.

Verification#

When you publish your MCP server, MCPize runs automated checks:

• Health endpoint responds correctly
• Tools return valid responses
• No security issues detected
• Description matches actual functionality

Verification usually completes in under 5 minutes. If something fails, you get detailed feedback on what to fix.

Step 4: Configure Distribution#

After you publish your MCP server, configure how users access it.

Visibility Options#

visibility: public     # Visible in marketplace
# visibility: private  # Only accessible via direct link
# visibility: unlisted # Accessible but not in search

Access Controls#

For paid or restricted servers:

access:
  require_auth: true
  allowed_domains:
    - "*.company.com"

API Key Management#

If your MCP server requires external API keys:

config_schema:
  api_key:
    type: string
    description: "Your API key from service.com"
    required: true
    secret: true  # Masked in UI

Users configure these during installation. All secrets are encrypted at rest.

Deployment Options Comparison#

Not sure where to deploy MCP server projects? Here's how the options to publish your MCP server compare:

Each platform has its place:

• MCPize: Best when distribution and monetization matter
• Vercel: Good if you're already in their ecosystem
• Cloudflare Workers: Best for edge performance requirements
• AWS: Enterprise with existing infrastructure
• Self-host: Full control, but significant overhead

I deploy MCP server projects to MCPize when I want users. If I'm building an internal tool for one company, cloud providers work fine.

What Happens After You Publish Your MCP Server?#

Once you publish your MCP server and it goes live, it enters the MCPize ecosystem:

Discovery#

• Appears in category pages
• Indexed for marketplace search
• Featured in relevant collections
• Recommended to users with similar installs

Analytics#

Track performance in your dashboard:

Installs: 127
Active users: 84
Tool calls (7d): 2,341
Errors (7d): 12 (0.5%)

Revenue (Paid Servers)#

For monetized MCP servers:

Subscribers: 23
MRR: $437
Payout (next): $371.45 (85%)

Payouts process monthly on the 15th via Stripe.

Notifications#

You get alerts for:

• New installations
• Error rate spikes
• User reviews
• Revenue milestones

Updating Published Servers#

Ship updates without downtime:

mcpize deploy

Updates roll out gradually:

1. New version deployed alongside old
2. Health checks verified
3. Traffic shifted to new version
4. Old version terminated

You don't need to run mcpize publish again. Your marketplace listing updates automatically when you deploy.

Version Management#

Track versions explicitly in your config:

version: 1.2.0

Users on old versions see update notifications. For critical updates, you can force upgrades:

mcpize deploy --force-update

Common Deployment Issues#

Here's what I've run into and how to fix it:

Debug locally before deploying:

mcpize dev

This runs your MCP server with MCPize's runtime locally. Catches config issues before they hit production.

FAQ#

How long does deployment take?#

Under 60 seconds for most servers. Large dependencies like ML models or heavy packages might take 2-3 minutes.

Can I update my published server?#

Yes. Run mcpize deploy to push updates. Changes go live immediately with zero downtime.

What regions are supported?#

MCPize deploys globally with automatic edge distribution. You can specify primary regions if you have data residency requirements.

Can I unpublish my server?#

Yes. Run mcpize unpublish to remove from the marketplace. Existing users keep access until you also run mcpize undeploy.

How do I handle secrets and API keys?#

Define secrets in mcpize.yaml with secret: true. Users configure them during installation. Values are encrypted at rest and in transit.

What happens if my server has errors?#

Health checks detect failures. After 3 consecutive failures, traffic pauses and you get notified. Fix the issue and redeploy. Traffic resumes automatically.

Can I publish private servers?#

Yes. Set visibility: private for servers accessible only via direct link. Useful for enterprise or internal tools.

How is pricing handled for paid servers?#

MCPize manages all billing via Stripe. You receive 85% of revenue. See the monetization guide for pricing strategies.

Next Steps#

Your MCP server is deployed and published. Now maximize its impact:

1. Set up pricing - If you're currently free, consider adding a paid tier. Monetization guide

2. Improve your listing - Add screenshots, expand documentation, respond to reviews

3. Track analytics - Monitor installs, usage patterns, error rates

4. Ship updates - Active development signals commitment. Users notice and appreciate it.

Related:

• Build MCP Server - Complete development guide
• MCP Tutorial - Step-by-step beginner guide
• Monetize MCP Server - Pricing strategies
• Developer Hub - All developer resources

Need help with deployment? Join MCPize Discord or browse published servers for inspiration.