qgis_mcp

MCP.Pizza Chef: jjsantos01

QGISMCP is an MCP server that integrates QGIS Desktop with LLMs like Claude AI, enabling direct interaction and control over GIS projects. It supports two-way communication, project creation, layer management, processing algorithm execution, and running Python code within QGIS, facilitating advanced GIS workflows through natural language prompts and programmatic commands.

Use This MCP server To

Create and save QGIS projects via natural language commands Add or remove vector and raster layers in QGIS projects Execute QGIS processing algorithms programmatically Run custom Python scripts inside QGIS from an LLM Enable two-way communication between QGIS and Claude AI Automate GIS data manipulation and analysis workflows

README

QGISMCP - QGIS Model Context Protocol Integration

QGISMCP connects QGIS to Claude AI through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), allowing Claude to directly interact with and control QGIS. This integration enables prompt assisted project creation, layer loading, code execution and more.

This project is strongly based on the BlenderMCP project by Siddharth Ahuja

Features

  • Two-way communication: Connect Claude AI to QGIS through a socket-based server.
  • Project manipulation: Create, load and save projects in QGIS.
  • Layer manipulation: Add and remove vector or raster layers to a project.
  • Execute processing: Execute processing algorithms (Processing Toolbox).
  • Code execution: Run arbitrary Python code in QGIS from Claude. Very powerful, but also be very cautious using this tool.

Components

The system consists of two main components:

  1. QGIS plugin: A QGIS plugin that creates a socket server within QGIS to receive and execute commands.
  2. MCP Server: A Python server that implements the Model Context Protocol and connects to the QGIS plugin.

Installation

Prerequisites

  • QGIS 3.X (only tested on 3.22)
  • Cloud desktop
  • Python 3.10 or newer
  • uv package manager:

If you're on Mac, please install uv as

brew install uv

On Windows Powershell

powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

Otherwise installation instructions are on their website: Install uv

⚠️ Do not proceed before installing UV

Download code

Download this repo to your computer. You can clone it with:

git clone git@github.com:jjsantos01/qgis_mcp.git

QGIS plugin

You need to copy the folder qgis_mcp_plugin and its content on your QGIS profile plugins folder.

You can get your profile folder in QGIS going to menu Settings -> User profiles -> Open active profile folder Then, go to Python/plugins and paste the folder qgis_mcp_plugin.

On a Windows machine the plugins folder is usually located at: C:\Users\USER\AppData\Roaming\QGIS\QGIS3\profiles\default\python\plugins and on MacOS: ~/Library/Application\ Support/QGIS/QGIS3/profiles/default/python/plugins

Then close QGIS and open it again. Go to the menu option Plugins -> Installing and Managing Plugins, select the All tab and search for "QGIS MCP", then mark the QGIS MCP checkbox.

Claude for Desktop Integration

Go to Claude > Settings > Developer > Edit Config > claude_desktop_config.json to include the following:

If you cann't find the "Developers tab" or the claude_desktop_config.json look at this documentation.

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "qgis": {
            "command": "uv",
            "args": [
                "--directory",
                "/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/PARENT/REPO/FOLDER/qgis_mcp/src/qgis_mcp",
                "run",
                "qgis_mcp_server.py"
            ]
        }

    }
}

Usage

Starting the Connection

  1. In QGIS, go to plugins -> QGIS MCP-> QGIS MCP plugins menu
  2. Click "Start Server" start server

Using with Claude

Once the config file has been set on Claude, and the server is running on QGIS, you will see a hammer icon with tools for the QGIS MCP.

Claude tools

Tools

  • ping - Simple ping command to check server connectivity
  • get_qgis_info - Get QGIS information about the current installation
  • load_project - Load a QGIS project from the specified path
  • create_new_project - Create a new project and save it
  • get_project_info - Get current project information
  • add_vector_layer - Add a vector layer to the project
  • add_raster_layer - Add a raster layer to the project
  • get_layers - Retrieve all layers in the current project
  • remove_layer - Remove a layer from the project by its ID
  • zoom_to_layer - Zoom to the extent of a specified layer
  • get_layer_features - Retrieve features from a vector layer with an optional limit
  • execute_processing - Execute a processing algorithm with the given parameters
  • save_project - Save the current project to the given path
  • render_map - Render the current map view to an image file
  • execute_code - Execute arbitrary PyQGIS code provided as a string

Example Commands

This is the example I used for the demo:

You have access to the tools to work with QGIS. You will do the following:
	1. Ping to check the connection. If it works, continue with the following steps.
	2. Create a new project and save it at: "C:/Users/USER/GitHub/qgis_mcp/data/cdmx.qgz"
	3. Load the vector layer: ""C:/Users/USER/GitHub/qgis_mcp/data/cdmx/mgpc_2019.shp" and name it "Colonias".
	4. Load the raster layer: "C:/Users/USER/GitHub/qgis_mcp/data/09014.tif" and name it "BJ"
	5. Zoom to the "BJ" layer.
	6. Execute the centroid algorithm on the "Colonias" layer. Skip the geometry check. Save the output to "colonias_centroids.geojson".
	7. Execute code to create a choropleth map using the "POB2010" field in the "Colonias" layer. Use the quantile classification method with 5 classes and the Spectral color ramp.
	8. Render the map to "C:/Users/USER/GitHub/qgis_mcp/data/cdmx.png"
	9. Save the project.

qgis_mcp FAQ

How does QGISMCP connect QGIS with LLMs like Claude AI?
QGISMCP uses a socket-based server to enable two-way communication between QGIS Desktop and LLMs such as Claude AI, allowing direct control and interaction.
Can I run custom Python code in QGIS through QGISMCP?
Yes, QGISMCP allows execution of arbitrary Python code within QGIS, enabling powerful automation and customization, but caution is advised due to security risks.
What types of layers can I manage using QGISMCP?
You can add or remove both vector and raster layers in QGIS projects through QGISMCP commands.
Does QGISMCP support executing QGIS processing algorithms?
Yes, it supports running processing algorithms available in the QGIS Processing Toolbox programmatically via the MCP interface.
Is QGISMCP limited to Claude AI or compatible with other LLMs?
While designed for Claude AI, QGISMCP can be adapted to work with other LLM providers like OpenAI and Gemini through the MCP protocol.
How secure is running code through QGISMCP?
Running arbitrary Python code can be risky; users should ensure trusted environments and understand the security implications before execution.
Can QGISMCP create and save projects automatically?
Yes, it supports creating, loading, and saving QGIS projects programmatically via natural language or scripted commands.
What is the main advantage of using QGISMCP?
It enables seamless, interactive GIS workflows by letting LLMs directly manipulate QGIS projects, layers, and processing tasks in real time.