mcp-tailscale

MCP server for managing your Tailscale network (tailnet) through Claude Code and other MCP clients.

Features

• List Devices - View all devices in your tailnet with detailed information
• Device Status - Check online/offline status and connection health
• Update Management - See which devices have Tailscale client updates available
• Network Summary - Get overview statistics of your tailnet
• Device Search - Find specific devices by ID, name, or hostname

Available Tools

Tool	Description
tailscale_list_devices	List all devices in your tailnet
tailscale_get_device	Get details about a specific device
tailscale_list_online_devices	List only online/connected devices
tailscale_list_offline_devices	List only offline/disconnected devices
tailscale_check_updates	Check which devices need updates
tailscale_device_summary	Get summary stats (online/offline, by OS, etc.)

Installation

npm install
npm run build

Configuration

Environment Variables

• TAILSCALE_API_KEY - Required. Your Tailscale API key from https://login.tailscale.com/admin/settings/keys
• TAILSCALE_TAILNET - Optional. Defaults to - (your current user's tailnet)

Get an API Key

1. Go to https://login.tailscale.com/admin/settings/keys
2. Click "Generate auth key"
3. Configure:
   • Expiry: Choose duration (1-90 days)
   • Description: "MCP Server"
4. Copy the key (starts with tskey-api-)

Claude Desktop Configuration

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tailscale": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/mcp-tailscale/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "TAILSCALE_API_KEY": "tskey-api-your-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Code Configuration

claude mcp add mcp-tailscale --type stdio
claude mcp config mcp-tailscale command "node"
claude mcp config mcp-tailscale args '["'$(pwd)'/dist/index.js"]'
claude mcp config mcp-tailscale env.TAILSCALE_API_KEY "tskey-api-your-key-here"

Usage Examples

List All Devices

Can you list all my Tailscale devices?

Check Online Devices

Which of my Tailscale devices are currently online?

Check for Updates

Do any of my Tailscale devices need updates?

Get Device Details

Show me details about my device named "COMPY"

Network Summary

Give me a summary of my Tailscale network

Development

# Build
npm run build

# Watch mode
npm run watch

# Test locally
TAILSCALE_API_KEY=your-key node dist/index.js

API Permissions

This MCP server uses read-only API calls. It does not modify your Tailscale configuration. The API key only needs:

• Device list access
• Device status access

Security Notes

• API keys are case-sensitive
• Keys expire based on the duration you set
• Store keys securely (never commit to version control)
• Use environment variables or secure configuration management

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for version history and release notes.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

Author

Jim Christian

• Website: jimchristian.net
• GitHub: @aplaceforallmystuff

Links

• npm package
• Tailscale API Documentation
• Model Context Protocol