QGIS
About
Enables AI systems to perform complex GIS operations in QGIS through a socket-based architecture that exposes geospatial capabilities like adding layers, executing processing algorithms, and rendering maps.
Details
- Repository
- jjsantos01/qgis_mcp
Explore
- Two-way communication: Connect Claude AI to QGIS through a socket-based server.
- Project manipulation: Create, load and save projects in QGIS.
- Layer manipulation: Add and remove vector or raster layers to a project.
- Execute processing: Execute processing algorithms (Processing Toolbox).
- Code execution: Run arbitrary Python code in QGIS from Claude. Very powerful, but also be very cautious using this tool.
Setting up with Highlight
This MCP is not yet compatible with Highlight’s one-click setup. However, you can still use it with Highlight by following these steps:
- Download and install Highlight from highlightai.com/download
- Navigate to the plugins tab and select "Add Custom Plugin"
-
Configure the plugin with the settings below
Plugin Name
QGISCommand (node, npx, python, etc.)uvArguments-
Argument 1
--directory -
Argument 2
/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/PARENT/REPO/FOLDER/qgis_mcp/src/qgis_mcp -
Argument 3
run -
Argument 4
qgis_mcp_server.py
Please refer to the README for specific instructions on how to obtain API keys or other required environment variables.
-
Argument 1
- Enable "Start Automatically" if you want the plugin to start when Highlight launches
From the repository
- QGIS 3.X (only tested on 3.22)
- Claude desktop
- Python 3.10 or newer
- uv package manager:
If you're on Mac, please install uv as
brew install uv
On Windows Powershell
powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"
Otherwise installation instructions are on their website: Install uv
⚠️ Do not proceed before installing UV
ping
Simple ping command to check server connectivity
get_qgis_info
Get QGIS information about the current installation
load_project
Load a QGIS project from the specified path
create_new_project
Create a new project and save it
get_project_info
Get current project information
add_vector_layer
Add a vector layer to the project
add_raster_layer
Add a raster layer to the project
get_layers
Retrieve all layers in the current project
remove_layer
Remove a layer from the project by its ID
zoom_to_layer
Zoom to the extent of a specified layer
get_layer_features
Retrieve features from a vector layer with an optional limit
execute_processing
Execute a processing algorithm with the given parameters
save_project
Save the current project to the given path
render_map
Render the current map view to an image file
execute_code
Execute arbitrary PyQGIS code provided as a string
- ping - Simple ping command to check server connectivity
- get_qgis_info - Get QGIS information about the current installation
- load_project - Load a QGIS project from the specified path
- create_new_project - Create a new project and save it
- get_project_info - Get current project information
- add_vector_layer - Add a vector layer to the project
- add_raster_layer - Add a raster layer to the project
- get_layers - Retrieve all layers in the current project
- remove_layer - Remove a layer from the project by its ID
- zoom_to_layer - Zoom to the extent of a specified layer
- get_layer_features - Retrieve features from a vector layer with an optional limit
- execute_processing - Execute a processing algorithm with the given parameters
- save_project - Save the current project to the given path
- render_map - Render the current map view to an image file
- execute_code - Execute arbitrary PyQGIS code provided as a string
Claude Desktop / Cursor
Paste into your MCP client config file to install this server.
{
"mcpServers": {
"qgis": {
"env": {},
"args": [
"--directory",
"/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/PARENT/REPO/FOLDER/qgis_mcp/src/qgis_mcp",
"run",
"qgis_mcp_server.py"
],
"command": "uv"
}
}
}
Linux
{
"env": [],
"args": [
"--directory",
"/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/PARENT/REPO/FOLDER/qgis_mcp/src/qgis_mcp",
"run",
"qgis_mcp_server.py"
],
"command": "uv"
}
Macos
{
"env": [],
"args": [
"--directory",
"/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/PARENT/REPO/FOLDER/qgis_mcp/src/qgis_mcp",
"run",
"qgis_mcp_server.py"
],
"command": "uv"
}
Windows
{
"env": [],
"args": [
"--directory",
"/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/PARENT/REPO/FOLDER/qgis_mcp/src/qgis_mcp",
"run",
"qgis_mcp_server.py"
],
"command": "uv"
}
QGISMCP connects QGIS to Claude AI through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), allowing Claude to directly interact with and control QGIS. This integration enables prompt assisted project creation, layer loading, code execution and more.
This project is strongly based on the BlenderMCP project by Siddharth Ahuja
Features
- Two-way communication: Connect Claude AI to QGIS through a socket-based server.
- Project manipulation: Create, load and save projects in QGIS.
- Layer manipulation: Add and remove vector or raster layers to a project.
- Execute processing: Execute processing algorithms (Processing Toolbox).
- Code execution: Run arbitrary Python code in QGIS from Claude. Very powerful, but also be very cautious using this tool.
Components
The system consists of two main components:
1. QGIS plugin: A QGIS plugin that creates a socket server within QGIS to receive and execute commands.
2. MCP Server: A Python server that implements the Model Context Protocol and connects to the QGIS plugin.
Installation
Prerequisites
- QGIS 3.X (only tested on 3.22)
- Claude desktop
- Python 3.10 or newer
- uv package manager:
If you're on Mac, please install uv as
brew install uv
On Windows Powershell
powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"
Otherwise installation instructions are on their website: Install uv
⚠️ Do not proceed before installing UV
Download code
Download this repo to your computer. You can clone it with:
git clone [email protected]:jjsantos01/qgis_mcp.git
QGIS plugin
You need to copy the folder qgis_mcp_plugin and its content on your QGIS profile plugins folder.
You can get your profile folder in QGIS going to menu Settings -> User profiles -> Open active profile folder Then, go to Python/plugins and paste the folder qgis_mcp_plugin.
> On a Windows machine the plugins folder is usually located at: C:\Users\USER\AppData\Roaming\QGIS\QGIS3\profiles\default\python\plugins
and on MacOS: ~/Library/Application\ Support/QGIS/QGIS3/profiles/default/python/plugins
Then close QGIS and open it again. Go to the menu option Plugins > Installing and Managing Plugins, select the All tab and search for "QGIS MCP", then mark the QGIS MCP checkbox.
Claude for Desktop Integration
Go to Claude > Settings > Developer > Edit Config > claude_desktop_config.json to include the following:
> If you can't find the "Developers tab" or the claude_desktop_config.json look at this documentation.
{
"mcpServers": {
"qgis": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"--directory",
"/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/PARENT/REPO/FOLDER/qgis_mcp/src/qgis_mcp",
"run",
"qgis_mcp_server.py"
]
}
}
}
Usage
Starting the Connection
1. In QGIS, go to plugins > QGIS MCP > QGIS MCP

2. Click "Start Server"

Using with Claude
Once the config file has been set on Claude, and the server is running on QGIS, you will see a hammer icon with tools for the QGIS MCP.

Tools
- ping - Simple ping command to check server connectivity
- get_qgis_info - Get QGIS information about the current installation
- load_project - Load a QGIS project from the specified path
- create_new_project - Create a new project and save it
- get_project_info - Get current project information
- add_vector_layer - Add a vector layer to the project
- add_raster_layer - Add a raster layer to the project
- get_layers - Retrieve all layers in the current project
- remove_layer - Remove a layer from the project by its ID
- zoom_to_layer - Zoom to the extent of a specified layer
- get_layer_features - Retrieve features from a vector layer with an optional limit
- execute_processing - Execute a processing algorithm with the given parameters
- save_project - Save the current project to the given path
- render_map - Render the current map view to an image file
- execute_code - Execute arbitrary PyQGIS code provided as a string
Example Commands
This is the example I used for the demo:
You have access to the tools to work with QGIS. You will do the following:
1. Ping to check the connection. If it works, continue with the following steps.
2. Create a new project and save it at: "C:/Users/USER/GitHub/qgis_mcp/data/cdmx.qgz"
3. Load the vector layer: ""C:/Users/USER/GitHub/qgis_mcp/data/cdmx/mgpc_2019.shp" and name it "Colonias".
4. Load the raster layer: "C:/Users/USER/GitHub/qgis_mcp/data/09014.tif" and name it "BJ"
5. Zoom to the "BJ" layer.
6. Execute the centroid algorithm on the "Colonias" layer. Skip the geometry check. Save the output to "colonias_centroids.geojson".
7. Execute code to create a choropleth map using the "POB2010" field in the "Colonias" layer. Use the quantile classification method with 5 classes and the Spectral color ramp.
8. Render the map to "C:/Users/USER/GitHub/qgis_mcp/data/cdmx.png"
9. Save the project.
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