Set up Wield in Zed

#Does Zed run local MCP servers?

Yes. Zed runs a local command as a context server and shows its state on the MCP Servers page. Settings → AI → MCP Servers → Add Server → Add Local Server writes the entry for you. Editing the file by hand gives the same result.

#Config file and location

Zed keeps the setting in its settings.json file. Open it with zed: open settings file. The top-level key is context_servers, not mcpServers.

#The Wield snippet

{
  "context_servers": {
    "wield": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "wield-mcp"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Keep the other settings in the file. Add the wield block inside context_servers.

#Check that it works

1. Open the MCP Servers page. The wield server should show a green dot with the tooltip "Server is active".
2. Ask the Zed agent for a Wield task, for example "Find a train from Berlin to Munich tomorrow morning."
3. In a terminal, run npx -y wield-mcp check. It ends with "Wield is ready" when the browser path works.

#Gotchas

• Key name. Use context_servers. A mcpServers key is not read here.
• Tool approval. From Zed v0.224.0, agent.tool_permissions.default controls tool approval. Per-tool rules use the form mcp:<server>:<tool_name>, so Wield's tools take the form mcp:wield:<tool_name>.
• Extension and bridge. The MCP entry alone is not enough. Install the extension and bridge from /install.
• Writes wait for you. A booking or message shows an Allow window before its first write request. Deny is the default.

#If the server does not start

Work through these checks in order:

1. Confirm that the key is context_servers and that the JSON is valid. A typo in settings.json stops every server in the file.
2. Confirm that npx is on the PATH Zed sees. If it is not, use the absolute path to npx or node. wield-mcp doctor prints the path it expects.
3. Confirm that the browser is open with the Wield extension loaded and connected. The extension popup should say Bridge connected.
4. Run npx -y wield-mcp doctor. It checks each link in the chain and prints a fix for each problem.

If a run fails with executor_offline, the extension is not connected. Run npx -y wield-mcp init once to install the bridge.

#FAQ

#Does init set up Zed?

No. Add the entry by hand as shown above, or use the Add Local Server flow in the MCP Servers settings.

#How do I approve Wield's tools?

Set the default in agent.tool_permissions.default, or write a per-tool rule with mcp:wield:<tool_name>. Wield's agent tools include find_recipe and run, and the tools reference lists the rest.

#Does Zed need the Wield extension too?

Yes. Recipes run in a Chromium browser through the Wield extension and the bridge. Install Wield to set up both.