---
title: "Project Templates"
description: "Ready-to-use templates for MCP servers with UI widgets"
icon: "layout-template"
---

# Project Templates

The `create-mcp-use-app` tool provides several project templates to help you get started quickly with different types of MCP servers. Each template is optimized for specific use cases and includes pre-configured examples.

<CodeGroup>
```bash npm
npx create-mcp-use-app@latest my-mcp-server
cd my-mcp-server
npm run dev
```

```bash pnpm
pnpm create mcp-use-app@latest my-mcp-server
cd my-mcp-server
pnpm dev
```

```bash yarn
yarn create mcp-use-app@latest my-mcp-server
cd my-mcp-server
yarn dev
```
</CodeGroup>

<Tip>
To explore available templates and options, run:
```bash
npx create-mcp-use-app --help
```
</Tip>


## Available Templates

### 🚀 Starter Template (Default)

The **starter** template is the most comprehensive option, showcasing all MCP features including tools, resources, prompts, and automatic UI widget registration for MCP-UI and OpenAI Apps SDK.

**What's Included:**
- Full MCP server setup with all primitive types:
  - **Tools**: `fetch-weather` - fetches weather data for any city
  - **Resources**: `config://settings` - server configuration example
  - **Prompts**: `review-code` - code review prompt template
- **Automatic UI Widget Registration** from `resources/` folder:
  - `display-weather` - Weather visualization widget (OpenAI Apps SDK)
  - `kanban-board` - Task management board (MCP-UI)
- Hot reload development environment
- Production build configuration

**Best For:** Learning all MCP features, full-featured applications, production-ready servers

**Quick Start:**
```bash
npx create-mcp-use-app my-server --template starter
cd my-server
npm run dev
```

**Example Usage:**
```typescript
// Fetch weather data
const weather = await client.callTool('fetch-weather', { city: 'London' })

// Display it in a beautiful widget
const widget = await client.callTool('display-weather', { 
  city: 'London',
  temperature: '15',
  condition: 'Partly Cloudy'
})
```

---

### ⚡ Apps SDK Template

The **mcp-apps** template demonstrates how to build OpenAI Apps SDK compatible widgets for ChatGPT with official UI components integration.

**What's Included:**
- Lightweight MCP server setup
- **Automatic UI Widget Registration** from `resources/` folder:
  - `product-search-result` - Complete ecommerce widget example with carousel, accordion, and filtering
- **Official UI Components**: Integrated [OpenAI Apps SDK UI components](https://openai.github.io/apps-sdk-ui/) for consistent, accessible widgets
- **Fruits API**: Example API endpoint (`/api/fruits`) demonstrating data fetching
- **React Query**: Integrated `@tanstack/react-query` for data fetching and caching
- Example tool: `get-brand-info` - Returns brand information
- **Public Assets**: 16 fruit product images in `public/fruits/` directory
- **McpUseProvider**: Pre-configured with auto-sizing, debug controls, and view controls
- Minimal configuration for fast development

**Best For:** Quick prototypes, widget-focused apps, learning OpenAI Apps SDK patterns, ecommerce widgets

**Quick Start:**
```bash
npx create-mcp-use-app my-server --template mcp-apps
cd my-server
npm run dev
```

**Example Usage:**
```typescript
// All React components in resources/ folder are automatically registered!
// Just export widgetMetadata and mcp-use handles the rest

// Call the brand info tool
const brandInfo = await client.callTool('get-brand-info', {});

// Display product search results widget
const widget = await client.callTool('product-search-result', { 
  query: 'fruits',
  filters: { priceRange: [0, 50] }
})
```

**Template Structure:**
```
apps-sdk/
├── resources/
│   └── product-search-result/    # Folder-based widget
│       ├── widget.tsx             # Entry point
│       ├── components/            # Sub-components
│       │   ├── Accordion.tsx
│       │   ├── AccordionItem.tsx
│       │   ├── Carousel.tsx
│       │   └── CarouselItem.tsx
│       ├── hooks/
│       │   └── useCarouselAnimation.ts
│       ├── constants.ts
│       └── types.ts
├── public/
│   └── fruits/                    # Static assets
│       ├── apple.png
│       ├── banana.png
│       └── ... (16 fruit images)
├── index.ts                       # Server entry point
└── package.json
```

---

### 🎨 MCP-UI Template

The **mcp-ui** template demonstrates all three MCP-UI UIResource types with examples of each approach.

**What's Included:**
- **External URL (Iframe Widgets)**: 
  - `kanban-board` - Complex interactive board served from filesystem
  - Automatic static file serving
  - Full asset support
- **Raw HTML (Direct Rendering)**:
  - `welcome-card` - Beautiful glass-morphic welcome card
  - No iframe overhead
  - Perfect for simple visualizations
- **Remote DOM (React Components)**:
  - `quick-poll` - Interactive polling widget
  - Uses MCP-UI React components (`ui-stack`, `ui-button`, `ui-text`)
  - Lightweight scripting approach
- Traditional MCP tools and resources examples

**Best For:** Understanding all UIResource types, complex UI requirements, MCP-UI specification compliance

**Quick Start:**
```bash
npx create-mcp-use-app my-server --template mcp-ui
cd my-server
npm run dev
```

**Example Usage:**
```typescript
// External URL - Served via iframe with full interactivity
await client.callTool('kanban-board', {
  initialTasks: [{id: 1, title: 'Task 1'}],
  theme: 'dark'
})

// Raw HTML - Direct rendering, no iframe
await client.readResource('ui://widget/welcome-card')

// Remote DOM - Interactive React components
await client.callTool('quick-poll', {
  question: 'Favorite color?',
  options: ['Red', 'Blue', 'Green']
})
```
---

## Next Steps

- [UI Widgets](./mcp-apps) - Deep dive into automatic UI widget registration
- [Tools](./tools) - Learn about MCP tools
- [Resources](./resources) - Understand MCP resources
- [Prompts](./prompts) - Work with prompt templates