Quickstart

This is the single-page setup guide. Follow these steps in order to go from zero to a fully working Pare integration.

Prerequisites

• Node.js >= 20
• A supported AI client (Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Zed, etc.)

Step 1: Run the Init Tool

The @paretools/init CLI auto-detects your client and writes the correct MCP config.

Non-interactive (recommended for CI and AI agents):

npx @paretools/init --client claude-code --preset web

Interactive:

npx @paretools/init

Available Presets

Preset	Servers Included	Best For
web	git, npm, build, lint, test	JavaScript/TypeScript, React, Next.js
python	git, python, test	Python, Django, FastAPI, ML
rust	git, cargo, test	Rust projects
go	git, go, test	Go projects
jvm	git, jvm, test	Java, Kotlin, Android (Gradle/Maven)
dotnet	git, dotnet, test	C#, F#, .NET projects
ruby	git, ruby, test	Ruby, Rails projects
swift	git, swift, test	Swift, iOS/macOS projects
mobile	git, jvm, swift, test	Cross-platform mobile (Android + iOS)
devops	git, docker, k8s, security	Infrastructure, CI/CD, containers
full	All servers	Monorepos, polyglot projects

Ecosystem-to-Preset Mapping

Not sure which preset to use? Find your project type:

Project Type	Recommended Preset	Why
React / Next.js / Vue	web	npm + build + lint + test
Node.js API / Express	web	npm + build + lint + test
Python / Django / FastAPI	python	pip, ruff, mypy, pytest, uv
Machine Learning / Jupyter	python	pip, ruff, pytest, uv, conda
Rust CLI / library	rust	cargo build, test, clippy, fmt
Go service / CLI	go	go build, test, vet, golangci-lint
Android (Gradle)	jvm	gradle-build, gradle-test
iOS / macOS (Xcode)	swift	swift build, test, package management
Cross-platform mobile	mobile	jvm + swift combined
Java / Kotlin backend	jvm	gradle/maven build, test, dependencies
C# / .NET	dotnet	dotnet build, test, publish
Ruby / Rails	ruby	gem, bundler, ruby run
Docker / Kubernetes / DevOps	devops	docker, k8s, security scanning
Monorepo / polyglot	full	Everything available

Client Options

Use --client to target a specific client:

npx @paretools/init --client claude-code --preset web
npx @paretools/init --client cursor --preset python
npx @paretools/init --client vscode --preset go
npx @paretools/init --client windsurf --preset rust

Use --dry-run to preview what would be written without making changes:

npx @paretools/init --client claude-code --preset web --dry-run

Step 2: Add Agent Rules

Agent rules tell AI agents to prefer Pare MCP tools over raw CLI commands. Copy the appropriate rules file for your client:

Claude Code:

# If you DON'T have a CLAUDE.md yet:
cp node_modules/@paretools/init/rules/CLAUDE.md CLAUDE.md

# If you ALREADY have a CLAUDE.md, append the Pare section:
cat node_modules/@paretools/init/rules/CLAUDE.md >> CLAUDE.md

Merge strategy for existing CLAUDE.md: If your project already has a CLAUDE.md, do NOT overwrite it. Instead, append the Pare rules section to the end of your existing file using >>. Review the merged file to ensure there are no conflicts or duplicate sections. The Pare rules are self-contained under a ## MCP Tools heading and will not interfere with your existing instructions.

Pre-built rule files are also available in the Pare repo under rules/:

Client	Rule File	Copy Command
Claude Code	rules/CLAUDE.md	cp rules/CLAUDE.md CLAUDE.md
Cursor	rules/.cursor/rules/pare.mdc	mkdir -p .cursor/rules && cp rules/.cursor/rules/pare.mdc .cursor/rules/
Windsurf	rules/.windsurfrules	cp rules/.windsurfrules .windsurfrules
Cline	rules/.clinerules/pare.md	mkdir -p .clinerules && cp rules/.clinerules/pare.md .clinerules/
GitHub Copilot	rules/.github/copilot-instructions.md	mkdir -p .github && cp rules/.github/copilot-instructions.md .github/
Gemini CLI	rules/GEMINI.md	cp rules/GEMINI.md GEMINI.md
Aider	rules/CONVENTIONS.md	cp rules/CONVENTIONS.md CONVENTIONS.md

Step 3: (Claude Code Only) Install the Enforcement Hook

The optional pare-prefer-mcp.sh hook intercepts Bash tool calls and redirects them to Pare MCP tools automatically.

mkdir -p .claude/hooks
cp hooks/pare-prefer-mcp.sh .claude/hooks/
chmod +x .claude/hooks/pare-prefer-mcp.sh

Then add the hook config to .claude/settings.json:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "Bash",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "./.claude/hooks/pare-prefer-mcp.sh"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Important: The hook path ./.claude/hooks/pare-prefer-mcp.sh is project-relative. Claude Code must be invoked from the project root directory for the hook to work. If you launch Claude Code from a subdirectory, the hook will not be found.

Step 4: Restart Your Client Session

After running pare-init and copying rules, restart your AI client session (or reload the MCP servers) for the new configuration to take effect.

• Claude Code: Start a new conversation or restart the CLI
• Cursor / VS Code: Reload the window (Ctrl+Shift+P > "Reload Window")
• Windsurf: Restart the application

Step 5: Validate with Doctor

Verify that all configured Pare servers are running correctly:

npx @paretools/init doctor

Doctor checks each configured server, reports which tools loaded successfully, and flags any connection issues.

What to Commit vs. Gitignore

After setup, your project will have new config files. Here is what to track in version control:

File	Action	Why
.mcp.json	Commit	Shared MCP config so all team members get Pare servers
.claude/settings.json	Commit	Hook config and shared settings for the team
CLAUDE.md	Commit	Agent rules should be shared across the team
.claude/settings.local.json	Gitignore	User-specific overrides (API keys, local paths)
.cursor/rules/pare.mdc	Commit	Shared Cursor rules for the team

Add to your .gitignore:

# User-specific Claude Code settings
.claude/settings.local.json

Full Example: Claude Code + Web Project

Here is the complete setup for a typical web project, start to finish:

# 1. Configure MCP servers
npx @paretools/init --client claude-code --preset web

# 2. Add agent rules (new project)
cp node_modules/@paretools/init/rules/CLAUDE.md CLAUDE.md

# 3. Install enforcement hook (optional)
mkdir -p .claude/hooks
cp hooks/pare-prefer-mcp.sh .claude/hooks/
chmod +x .claude/hooks/pare-prefer-mcp.sh

# 4. Validate
npx @paretools/init doctor

# 5. Commit the config
git add .mcp.json CLAUDE.md .claude/
git commit -m "chore: add Pare MCP tool configuration"

# 6. Restart Claude Code and start coding

Next Steps

• Configuration Reference — tool filtering, profiles, lazy loading, security hardening
• Agent Integration Guide — detailed per-agent setup, hook deep dive, CLI-to-MCP mapping
• Tool Schemas — response examples and token comparisons for every tool