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Configuration

This guide explains how to customize HoloViz MCP behavior through configuration files and environment variables.

Configuration File

HoloViz MCP uses a YAML configuration file located at:

~/.holoviz-mcp/config.yaml

Custom Configuration Directory

Set a custom configuration directory using an environment variable:

export HOLOVIZ_MCP_USER_DIR=/path/to/your/config

Configuration Schema

A JSON schema is provided for validation and editor autocompletion:

# yaml-language-server: $schema=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MarcSkovMadsen/holoviz-mcp/refs/heads/main/src/holoviz_mcp/config/schema.json

# Your configuration here

This enables real-time validation and autocompletion in VS Code with the vscode-yaml extension.

Environment Variables

Server Configuration

HOLOVIZ_MCP_TRANSPORT Transport mode for the server. Values: stdio, http Default: stdio

HOLOVIZ_MCP_TRANSPORT=http uvx holoviz-mcp

HOLOVIZ_MCP_HOST Host address to bind to (HTTP transport only). Default: 127.0.0.1

HOLOVIZ_MCP_HOST=0.0.0.0 HOLOVIZ_MCP_TRANSPORT=http uvx holoviz-mcp

HOLOVIZ_MCP_PORT Port to bind to (HTTP transport only). Default: 8000

HOLOVIZ_MCP_PORT=9000 HOLOVIZ_MCP_TRANSPORT=http uvx holoviz-mcp

HOLOVIZ_MCP_LOG_LEVEL Server logging level. Values: DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR Default: INFO

HOLOVIZ_MCP_LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG uvx holoviz-mcp

HOLOVIZ_MCP_SERVER_NAME Override the server name. Default: holoviz-mcp

Remote Development

JUPYTER_SERVER_PROXY_URL URL prefix for Panel apps when running remotely.

JUPYTER_SERVER_PROXY_URL=/proxy/5007/ uvx holoviz-mcp

This is useful when running in JupyterHub or similar environments.

Documentation Configuration

ANONYMIZED_TELEMETRY Enable or disable Chroma telemetry. Values: true, false Default: false

ANONYMIZED_TELEMETRY=true uvx holoviz-mcp

Adding Custom Documentation

You can add documentation from other libraries or your own projects.

Example: Add Plotly Documentation

Edit ~/.holoviz-mcp/config.yaml:

docs:
  repositories:
    plotly:
      url: "https://github.com/plotly/plotly.py.git"
      base_url: "https://plotly.com/python"
      target_suffix: "plotly"

Example: Add Altair Documentation

docs:
  repositories:
    altair:
      url: "https://github.com/altair-viz/altair.git"
      base_url: "https://altair-viz.github.io"

Update Documentation Index

After adding repositories, update the index:

uvx holoviz-mcp update

IDE-Specific Configuration

VS Code Configuration

Set environment variables in mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "holoviz": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["holoviz-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "HOLOVIZ_MCP_LOG_LEVEL": "DEBUG",
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "holoviz": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["holoviz-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "HOLOVIZ_MCP_LOG_LEVEL": "INFO"
      }
    }
  }
}

Docker Configuration

See the Docker Guide for Docker-specific configuration options.

Configuration Viewer

HoloViz MCP includes a built-in configuration viewer. Run:

uvx holoviz-mcp serve

Navigate to the Configuration Viewer tool to see your current configuration.

Next Steps