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Lovable MCP server + Claude Code: setup, plugin and skill

Commands and details from Lovable's and Anthropic's own docs, checked Oct 28, 2026. Sources below.

• How-to
• Lovable
• Claude Code
• MCP
• Beginners

Short answer: Lovable runs an MCP server at https://mcp.lovable.dev. Once Claude Code is connected to it, you can ask Claude Code, in plain English, to create Lovable projects, send changes to Lovable, read the code, check what changed, and publish. Lovable says it works on all plans, including Free. There are three pieces, and you only need the first: the MCP server (one command), the Lovable plugin (the same server plus a few ready-made commands), and the skill file (a how-to sheet that teaches Claude Code to use the server well). These calls run on your real Lovable account and use real credits.

MCP server, plugin or skill: which one do you need?

Lovable's docs give the command and the plugin as two ways to do the same job, so pick one. The skill file works with either.

Don't mix these up with three other Lovable features that have similar names:

• Chat connectors go the other way: they let the Lovable agent reach your tools, like Notion or Linear.
• Publish your app as an MCP server (agent integrations) lets your app's users connect your app to ChatGPT or Claude. It's not for building.
• Lovable's workspace skills are playbooks for the Lovable agent itself.

What you need first

• A Lovable account on any plan. Lovable's docs say the MCP server is available on all plans. Outside access (Lovable calls it "Third-party MCP clients") is on by default for Free, Pro and Business workspaces. On Enterprise it's off by default, and a workspace admin or owner turns it on in Workspace settings → Security → Privacy & security.
• Claude Code, and a way to pay for it. Claude Code isn't on Claude's Free plan. Claude's pricing page says it's included in all paid plans; the cheapest is Pro at $20 a month, or $17 a month billed yearly ($200 up front). You can also log in with a Claude Console account and pay as you go for API usage.
• A web browser for the login. The connection uses OAuth, which means you log in to Lovable in a browser window and approve access. Lovable's docs say API keys aren't supported for the MCP server; OAuth is the only way in.

Option 1: add the MCP server (one command)

1. Open a terminal in your project folder and run this command. It's the exact line from Lovable's docs:

claude mcp add --transport http lovable "https://mcp.lovable.dev"

2. Decide where it should work. By default, Claude Code adds a server to "local" scope, which means only you, and only in the project folder you ran it in. To have Lovable in every project on your computer, add --scope user instead:

claude mcp add --transport http --scope user lovable "https://mcp.lovable.dev"

3. Start Claude Code with claude. The first time a Lovable tool runs, Claude Code opens a browser window. Log in to Lovable and approve the access it asks for.
4. Check that it worked. Lovable's docs give two checks: type /mcp and look for the lovable server, or just ask Claude Code to list your Lovable workspaces.

/mcp
list my Lovable workspaces

In a normal terminal, claude mcp list shows each server's status, such as Connected or Needs authentication.

Option 2: install the Lovable plugin

The plugin connects the same server for you and adds commands. Lovable's docs give this line, typed inside a Claude Code session:

/plugin install lovable@claude-plugins-official

1. Review the details. Claude Code's docs say this opens the plugin's details first, so you can see what it adds before it installs.
2. Pick a scope. "Install for you" puts it in every project on this computer; the other two options limit it to the current repository, either for everyone working on it or only you.
3. Read the last line of the summary. If it says Run /reload-plugins to apply, Claude Code does that for you when the panel closes.
4. Find the commands. Type / and look for entries under the plugin's name, in the form /lovable:.... The plugin's open-source repository has three: build (make a new app from a description and optionally publish it), iterate (send a change and show the diff), and db (set up or query the project's database).

Prefer your normal terminal? Claude Code's docs give the shell form too: claude plugin install lovable@claude-plugins-official. Anthropic's official marketplace is added automatically the first time you open an interactive Claude Code session.

Add the Lovable skill file (optional, works with either option)

A skill in Claude Code is a folder with a SKILL.md file of instructions that Claude loads when the task calls for it. Its docs say to download it into your client's skills folder, for example .claude/skills/lovable-mcp/SKILL.md for Claude Code. On a Mac or Linux, from your project folder:

mkdir -p .claude/skills/lovable-mcp
curl -o .claude/skills/lovable-mcp/SKILL.md https://mcp.lovable.dev/skill.md

• No terminal handy? Open mcp.lovable.dev/skill.md in your browser, save it as SKILL.md, and put it in a lovable-mcp folder inside .claude/skills/.
• Inside your project, it works for that project only. Put it in ~/.claude/skills/ instead to use it in all your projects.
• Lovable's file has no frontmatter (the --- block at the top). Claude Code's docs say every frontmatter field is optional; without a description, it uses the first line of the file, here "Lovable MCP Server". Our Claude Code skills examples show how to add one if you want.
• When we checked, the plugin's repository had commands but no skill folder, so the plugin alone doesn't add this file.

What Claude Code can do with your Lovable projects

Lovable's docs list these tool groups. Claude Code picks the right tool from what you ask.

• Workspaces: see your workspaces, plan and credit balance.
• Projects: list and search projects, create a new one from a description, copy (remix) one, move projects into folders, and publish to a lovable.app address.
• Talking to Lovable: send a message to a project's Lovable agent and wait for the answer, with an option for plan mode (discuss first, build after).
• Reading code: list files, read a file, see the diff of a change, and browse the edit history.
• Knowledge and skills: read or replace a project's or workspace's Knowledge (the instructions Lovable follows), and manage workspace skills (admins and owners only for changes).
• Database: check or switch on the project's built-in database and run SQL on it. A project that uses your own Supabase project is managed in Supabase instead.
• Connectors and analytics: list connectors, and see visits and page views for a published project.

Example prompts from Lovable's docs: "Show me what changed in the last three edits to my project" and "Deploy my project [ID] and give me the live URL".

Credits, publishing and your data: read this before your first prompt

• Credits: creating a project and sending Lovable a message use your normal Lovable credits. Lovable's docs say the other tools are free. See Lovable credits explained for how credits work.
• It's your real account. Calls edit real projects, and the connection can reach any project and workspace your account can, within the access you approve.
• Publishing is public by default on Free and Pro. Publishing returns a live link, and anyone with the link can open the app unless its website access is set to Invite only. On Business and Enterprise it follows your workspace's default.
• The database tool has full permissions. It can read, change and delete data, and change table structure. Have Claude Code show you any SQL before it runs.
• Knowledge updates replace the old text. Setting a project's or workspace's Knowledge through Claude Code overwrites what's there.
• Publishing can be blocked on purpose. If Lovable's latest security scan found unresolved critical issues, it refuses to publish until you fix or deliberately ignore them in the project's Security view.

Troubleshooting checklist

• No lovable in /mcp? Run claude mcp list in your terminal. If it isn't listed, you may have added it in a different project folder (local scope). Add it again from this folder, or with --scope user.
• "Already exists" error? Claude Code won't add a second server with the same name in the same scope. Remove the old one with claude mcp remove lovable, then add it again.
• Tools don't show after connecting? Lovable's docs say to remove the Lovable entry and add it again so the login runs fresh.
• Browser didn't open for login? Copy the link Claude Code prints and open it yourself. If the browser shows a connection error after you log in, paste the full address from the browser's address bar back into Claude Code when it asks.
• Asked to log in again? Open /mcp, pick the Lovable server and choose Re-authenticate. From a terminal, claude mcp login lovable does the same.
• "Workspace not found" or "Project not found"? Ask Claude Code to list your workspaces, then your projects, and use the IDs it gets back. A deleted project can't be found.
• "No database found"? The project's database isn't switched on yet. Lovable's docs say enabling it takes 30 to 60 seconds; then try again.
• Plugin commands missing? Run /reload-plugins, check the Installed tab in /plugin, or run claude plugin list in your terminal. On a computer where Claude Code has never been opened interactively, the official marketplace isn't registered yet; add it with claude plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-official.
• Enterprise workspace? An admin has to turn on Third-party MCP clients first.

Add a Lovable section to your CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md

The plugin's commands ask before spending credits or publishing. If you use the plain MCP server, write those rules down once in your project's instructions file so Claude Code follows them every session. Claude Code reads CLAUDE.md at the start of each session, and reads AGENTS.md when there's no CLAUDE.md. Paste this section into whichever one you use and fill in the brackets:

## Lovable (through the Lovable MCP server)
- My Lovable project: [project name]. Project ID: [paste it once you know it].
- Ask me before any call that uses Lovable credits (creating a project or sending Lovable a message). Tell me what you plan to send first.
- For anything bigger than a small change, send it to Lovable in plan mode first and show me the plan.
- After Lovable finishes a change, show me the diff and tell me how to check it in the preview.
- Never publish (deploy) without my OK. Tell me who will be able to see the live link.
- Before running SQL on the project's database, show me the exact query. Never change or delete data, or the table structure, without my OK.
- Don't change Project Knowledge or workspace skills unless I ask. Those updates replace the old text completely.
- Work on one Lovable project at a time, and only the one I named.

Anthropic suggests keeping a CLAUDE.md under 200 lines, and Claude treats it as guidance, not a hard lock. If the project is also synced to GitHub, Lovable's agent reads AGENTS.md and CLAUDE.md files in the repo too, so keep this section short. Rules for Lovable itself belong in Project settings → Instructions (our Project Knowledge examples cover that). More starters are in CLAUDE.md examples and AGENTS.md vs CLAUDE.md.

MCP server or GitHub sync?

With the MCP server, Lovable still writes the code and Claude Code works like a remote control. With GitHub sync, the code comes to your computer and Claude Code edits the files itself. To keep building in Lovable, use the MCP server. To edit the code directly, see our Lovable to Cursor or Claude Code guide, which comes with a ready AGENTS.md. For a side-by-side of the two tools with prices, see Lovable vs Claude Code.

Related

• Move a Lovable project to Cursor or Claude Code (GitHub sync + AGENTS.md)
• Lovable vs Claude Code for beginners (real prices)
• Claude Code skills examples (SKILL.md files)
• CLAUDE.md examples
• AGENTS.md vs CLAUDE.md
• Lovable Project Knowledge examples
• Lovable credits explained
• Claude Code subagents examples
• Cursor vs Claude Code vs Codex for beginners

Sources

• Lovable docs: Lovable MCP server
• Lovable: MCP skill file (skill.md)
• Lovable on GitHub: lovablelabs/mcp (server, Claude Code plugin)
• Lovable docs: Chat connectors
• Lovable docs: Publish your app as an MCP server
• Lovable docs: Skills
• Lovable docs: Instructions (Project and Workspace Knowledge)
• Lovable docs: Plans and features
• Claude Code docs: Connect Claude Code to tools via MCP
• Claude Code docs: Discover and install plugins
• Claude Code docs: Plugins
• Claude Code docs: Skills
• Claude Code docs: Memory (CLAUDE.md and AGENTS.md)
• Claude: Pricing
• Claude Help Center: Using Claude Code with your Pro or Max plan

Commands, tool names and plan details checked Oct 28, 2026 on Lovable's and Anthropic's own docs and pricing pages. These tools change often. If something here no longer matches, tell us at [email protected].