Xcode MCP Router

You MUST use this skill for ANY Xcode MCP interaction — setup, tool usage, workflow patterns, or troubleshooting.

Xcode 26.3 ships an MCP server (xcrun mcpbridge) that exposes 20 IDE tools to external AI clients. This router directs you to the right specialized skill.

When to Use

Use this router when:

Setting up Xcode MCP for the first time
Configuring xcrun mcpbridge for any MCP client
Using any Xcode MCP tool (file ops, build, test, preview)
Building, testing, or previewing via MCP tools
Troubleshooting mcpbridge connection issues
Window/tab targeting questions
Permission dialog confusion

Routing Logic

1. Setup/Connection → xcode-mcp-setup

Triggers:

First-time Xcode MCP setup
Client-specific config (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, VS Code, Gemini CLI)
Connection errors ("Connection refused", "No windows")
Permission dialog confusion
Multi-Xcode targeting (MCP_XCODE_PID)
Schema compliance issues with strict clients

Invoke: $axiom-xcode-mcp-setup

2. Using Tools & Workflows → xcode-mcp-tools

Triggers:

How to build/test/preview via MCP
Workflow patterns (BuildFix loop, TestFix loop)
Tool gotchas and anti-patterns
Window/tab targeting strategy
When to use MCP tools vs CLI (xcodebuild)
Destructive operation safety (XcodeRM, XcodeMV)

Invoke: $axiom-xcode-mcp-tools

3. Tool API Reference → xcode-mcp-ref

Triggers:

Specific tool parameters and schemas
Input/output format for a tool
"How does XcodeGrep work?"
"What params does BuildProject take?"
Tool category listing

Invoke: $axiom-xcode-mcp-ref

Decision Tree

digraph xcode_mcp_router {
    rankdir=TB;
    "User has Xcode MCP question" [shape=ellipse];
    "Setup or connection?" [shape=diamond];
    "Using tools or workflows?" [shape=diamond];
    "Need specific tool params?" [shape=diamond];

    "xcode-mcp-setup" [shape=box];
    "xcode-mcp-tools" [shape=box];
    "xcode-mcp-ref" [shape=box];

    "User has Xcode MCP question" -> "Setup or connection?";
    "Setup or connection?" -> "xcode-mcp-setup" [label="yes"];
    "Setup or connection?" -> "Using tools or workflows?" [label="no"];
    "Using tools or workflows?" -> "xcode-mcp-tools" [label="yes"];
    "Using tools or workflows?" -> "Need specific tool params?" [label="no"];
    "Need specific tool params?" -> "xcode-mcp-ref" [label="yes"];
    "Need specific tool params?" -> "xcode-mcp-tools" [label="general question"];
}

Anti-Rationalization

| Thought | Reality | |---------|---------| | "I'll just use xcodebuild directly" | MCP gives IDE state, diagnostics, previews, and navigator issues that CLI doesn't expose | | "I already know how to set up MCP" | Client configs differ. Permission dialog behavior is specific. Check setup skill. | | "I can figure out the tool params" | Tool schemas have required fields and gotchas. Check ref skill. | | "Tab identifiers are obvious" | Most tools fail silently without correct tabIdentifier. Tools skill explains targeting. | | "This is just file reading, I'll use Read tool" | XcodeRead sees Xcode's project view including generated files and resolved packages |

Conflict Resolution (vs Other Routers)

| Domain | Owner | Why | |--------|-------|-----| | MCP-specific interaction (mcpbridge, MCP tools, tab identifiers) | xcode-mcp | MCP protocol and tool-specific | | Xcode environment (Derived Data, zombie processes, simulators) | ios-build | Environment diagnostics, not MCP | | Apple's bundled documentation (for-LLM guides/diagnostics) | apple-docs | Bundled docs, not MCP tool | | DocumentationSearch MCP tool usage specifically | xcode-mcp | MCP tool invocation | | Build failures diagnosed via CLI | ios-build | Traditional build debugging | | Build failures diagnosed via MCP tools | xcode-mcp | MCP workflow patterns |

Example Invocations

User: "How do I set up Xcode MCP with Claude Code?" -> Invoke: $axiom-xcode-mcp-setup

User: "How do I build my project using MCP tools?" -> Invoke: $axiom-xcode-mcp-tools

User: "What parameters does BuildProject take?" -> Invoke: $axiom-xcode-mcp-ref

User: "My mcpbridge connection keeps failing" -> Invoke: $axiom-xcode-mcp-setup

User: "How do I target a specific Xcode window?" -> Invoke: $axiom-xcode-mcp-tools

User: "Can I render SwiftUI previews via MCP?" -> Invoke: $axiom-xcode-mcp-tools (workflow), then $axiom-xcode-mcp-ref (params)

User: "Cursor can't parse Xcode's MCP responses" -> Invoke: $axiom-xcode-mcp-setup (schema compliance section)

Resources

Skills: xcode-mcp-setup, xcode-mcp-tools, xcode-mcp-ref