Telerik.WinForms.MCP 1.6.1

Telerik UI for WinForms MCP Server

The Telerik UI for WinForms MCP Server enables you achieve interaction with AI and reach new levels of developer productivity. The MCP server provides proprietary context to AI-powered IDEs, apps and tools. You can use the Telerik UI for WinForms MCP server to ask about Telerik UI for WinForms components, features, or general usage. You can successfully prompt more complex questions and tasks, and generate tailored code that includes Telerik UI for WinForms components and API.

Prerequisites

To use the Telerik UI for WinForms MCP server, you need:

• A compatible MCP client (IDE, code editor or app) that supports MCP tools.
• A Telerik user account.
• An active DevCraft or Telerik UI for WinForms license or a Telerik UI for WinForms trial.
• .NET 10

Installation

Use the documentation of your AI-powered MCP client to add the Telerik UI for WinForms MCP server to a specific workspace or globally. You can see installation tips and examples for some popular MCP clients below.

The generic settings of the Telerik UI for WinForms MCP server are:

• Server name: telerik-winforms-mcp

• Type: stdio (standard input/output transport)

• Command: dnx (the MCP server works through an nuget package)

• Supported arguments: --yes

• dotnet package name: Telerik.WinForms.MCP

• You also need to add your Telerik licence key.

  • Place the file (recommended):
    • on Windows at %AppData%/Telerik/telerik-license.txt;
    • on macOS or linux at ~/.telerik/telerik-license.txt;

  OR alternatively:

  • Use a TELERIK_LICENSE_PATH argument and point to your Telerik license file location.
  • Use a TELERIK_LICENSE argument and paste your Telerik license key. Make sure to update the license key when necessary.

.NET 8 & 9 Local Tool Installation

For .NET 8 and 9 projects, you can install the MCP server as a local tool without global installation:

dotnet tool install Telerik.WinForms.MCP

MCP Configuration for .NET 8 & 9 Local Tools

For VS Code .vscode/mcp.json using local tools:

{
  "servers": {
    "telerik-winforms-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "dotnet",
      "args": ["tool", "run", "telerik-winforms-mcp"]
    }
  },
  "inputs": []
}

Authentication

The MCP server requires a valid Telerik account with a valid license. In order to get a valid license key check the Telerik UI for WinForms documentation.

To set up the license key, you need to set it up as an environment variable in the JSON configuration file.

Configuration Examples

Visual Studio

Refer to Use MCP servers in Visual Studio.

SOLUTIONDIR/.mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "telerik-winforms-assistant": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "dnx",
      "args": ["Telerik.WinForms.MCP", "--yes"]
    }
  },
  "inputs": []
}

• Avoid using hyphens "-" or underscores "_" in the MCP server name in the MCP .json file, due to potential compatibility issues with some MCP clients such as Visual Studio.
• Once the Telerik MCP server is added, make sure that the telerikWinFormsAssistant tool is enabled (checked) in the Copilot Chat window's tool selection dropdown in Visual Studio.

## Usage

The server exposes six tools with separate responsibilities:

| Tool | Use it when |
| --- | --- |
| `telerik_winforms_assistant` | Asking about or implementing Telerik UI for WinForms components. Use this tool by itself for routine component work. |
| `telerik_get_migration_plan` | Starting an explicit migration from standard Microsoft WinForms controls to Telerik UI. |
| `telerik_analyze_project` | Analyzing the project during that explicit migration. |
| `telerik_add_package_reference` | The migration analysis reports that `Telerik.UI.for.WinForms.AllControls` is missing, or the user explicitly asks to install it. |
| `telerik_convert_file` | Converting existing Microsoft WinForms control code to Telerik UI during an explicit migration. |
| `telerik_get_theme_setup` | The user explicitly asks for theme setup, or the explicit migration has reached its final theme step. |

Do not call the migration and setup tools for routine component creation, configuration, troubleshooting, or documentation questions.

To use the Telerik UI for WinForms MCP server:

1. Start your prompt with one of the following:
    * `#telerik-winforms-mcp`
    * `#telerik_winforms_assistant`
    * `telerik`
    * `/telerik`
    * `@telerik`
    * `telerikwinforms`
    * `/telerikwinforms`
    * `@telerikwinforms`

   Or if you are using VSCode you can type `#telerik-winforms-mcp` to make sure the Copilot chat will call the Telerik UI for WinForms MCP server.

1. Confirm that the Telerik UI for WinForms MCP server is used, because this doesn't happen deterministically. Look for a statement in the output, which is similar to:
    * `Running telerik-winforms-mcp` or `Running telerik_-_winforms_assistant` (in Visual Studio)

    If the Telerik UI for WinForms MCP server is not used even though it's installed and enabled, then try rephrasing your prompt and use another trigger syntax from the list in step 1.
1. Grant the Telerik UI for WinForms MCP server a permission to run for this session, workspace, or always.
1. If you want to prompt for information or code that are not related to your previous prompts, it is a good practice to start a new session in a new chat window, so that the context is not polluted by irrelevant old information.

To increase the probability of the Telerik UI for WinForms MCP Server being used, or to call it without the need to mention "telerik" explicitly, add custom idea instructions to your AI-powered tool. Here are examples for [GitHub Copilot](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/customizing-copilot/adding-repository-custom-instructions-for-github-copilot#about-repository-custom-instructions-for-github-copilot-chat).