WPF DevTools MCP Server
Looking for Traditional Chinese docs? Start at 繁體中文文件.
WPF DevTools MCP Server is a Windows-only Model Context Protocol server for inspecting and interacting with running WPF applications. It gives MCP clients WPF-native visibility into visual trees, bindings, dependency properties, routed events, MVVM state, layout, screenshots, and controlled runtime mutation.
Install
Install the latest stable release:
irm https://installer.wpf-mcptools.evanlau1798.com | iex
The installer resolves the reviewed online installer, verifies the versioned package metadata for release_<version>_win-<arch>.zip, and installs the packaged executable. Normal installs do not require downloading the release ZIP manually.
ARM64 archives may be published as preview assets, but they are not guaranteed stable because practical Windows-on-ARM runtime validation hardware is not currently available.
Manual verified install is a separate path for reviewed archives. Keep SHA256SUMS.txt, release-assets.json, release-sbom.spdx.json, and package-sbom.spdx.json next to the archive, then follow Manual Verified Install.
Release trust is still explicit on that path: Signed packages require WPFDEVTOOLS_RELEASE_SIGNER_THUMBPRINT, while ReleaseChecksumOnly beta packages rely on SHA256 release metadata. Use package-local run.bat only after sidecar verification.
Choose your path
| I want to... | Start here |
|---|---|
| Read the full guide in Traditional Chinese | 繁體中文文件 |
| Install and verify the first session | 5-Minute Setup |
| Install from a reviewed local archive | Manual Verified Install |
| Register an MCP client | AI Agent Clients |
| Give an agent the runtime workflow contract | AI Agent Guide |
| Follow stable task workflows | Common Workflows |
| Clarify project terms before going deeper | Glossary |
| Inspect MCP resources, prompts, and navigation fields | MCP Contracts and Navigation |
| Reuse an Inspector hosted by my app | SDK-Hosted Inspector |
| Review security gates | Security Model |
| Deploy a reviewed package | Deployment Guide |
| Understand release assets | Release Layout |
| Browse tools | Tool Reference Overview |
What you can do
- Discover and connect to a reviewed WPF target.
- Start with scene-level summaries such as
get_ui_summaryandget_form_summary. - Diagnose binding failures, DependencyProperty precedence, templates, routed events, layout state, and focus state.
- Use snapshots, diffs, and rollback-oriented workflows when mutation gates are explicitly enabled.
- Inspect ViewModel state only when the ViewModel inspection gate is approved.
Scope and boundaries
- Transport: STDIO MCP server.
- Platform: Windows only.
- Target UI stack: WPF only.
- Persistence: runtime mutations do not write back to XAML.
- Security: policy gates run before process details, UI text, screenshots, ViewModel values, or mutation operations are returned.
- Transport hardening: injection-based sessions use persisted local HMAC secret and named-pipe TLS by default.
Architecture at a glance
AI Client
-> MCP over STDIO
MCP Server
-> named pipes with authenticated framing
Inspector host
-> WPF Dispatcher and in-process APIs
Target WPF application