Install with Docker

Run the Grafana MCP server using the official image from Docker Hub. The image defaults to SSE, but most users will want to use STDIO mode for direct integration with AI assistants like Claude Desktop.

What you’ll achieve

You run the server in a container and connect your MCP client. You can use stdio (typical for Claude Desktop and similar), SSE, streamable HTTP, or streamable HTTP with server TLS.

Before you begin

Docker installed.
A Grafana instance (Grafana 9.0 or later) and a service account token.

Run the server in STDIO mode

For direct integration with AI assistants, most users will want to use STDIO mode. Pass -t stdio and -i so the container keeps stdin open.

Local Grafana:

docker pull grafana/mcp-grafana
docker run --rm -i \
  -e GRAFANA_URL=http://localhost:3000 \
  -e GRAFANA_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN=<your service account token> \
  grafana/mcp-grafana -t stdio

Grafana Cloud

docker pull grafana/mcp-grafana
docker run --rm -i \
  -e GRAFANA_URL=https://myinstance.grafana.net \
  -e GRAFANA_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN=<your service account token> \
  grafana/mcp-grafana -t stdio

Run the server in SSE mode

In this mode, the server runs as an HTTP server that clients connect to. You must expose port 8000.

docker pull grafana/mcp-grafana
docker run --rm -p 8000:8000 \
  -e GRAFANA_URL=http://localhost:3000 \
  -e GRAFANA_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN=<your service account token> \
  grafana/mcp-grafana

Point your client at http://localhost:8000/sse (or your host and port).

Run the server in streamable HTTP mode

In this mode, the server operates as an independent process that can handle multiple client connections. You must expose port 8000 and set -t streamable-http.

docker pull grafana/mcp-grafana
docker run --rm -p 8000:8000 \
  -e GRAFANA_URL=http://localhost:3000 \
  -e GRAFANA_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN=<your service account token> \
  grafana/mcp-grafana -t streamable-http

The default MCP path is /mcp (see --endpoint-path). Clients often use http://localhost:8000/mcp.

Run in HTTPS streamable HTTP mode with server TLS certificates

To terminate TLS on the MCP server, mount certificates and set --server.tls-cert-file, --server.tls-key-file, and --address (for example :8443):

docker pull grafana/mcp-grafana
docker run --rm -p 8443:8443 \
  -v /path/to/certs:/certs:ro \
  -e GRAFANA_URL=http://localhost:3000 \
  -e GRAFANA_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN=<your service account token> \
  grafana/mcp-grafana \
  -t streamable-http \
  --address :8443 \
  --server.tls-cert-file /certs/server.crt \
  --server.tls-key-file /certs/server.key