ArcGIS-Pro-MCP

ArcGIS Pro MCP is an ArcGIS Pro add-in that implements the Model Context Protocol (MCP) inside ArcGIS Pro, enabling AI assistants (Claude, Codex, Antigravity, or any other MCP client) to directly operate the project already open in front of you—your data, maps, and layouts, rather than copies or exported files.

Purpose

• Drive the currently open ArcGIS Pro project with natural language, covering layers, attributes, selection, symbology, layouts, rasters, geoprocessing tools, and arcpy.
• Supports any language the assistant supports; the add-in does not rely on English keyword matching, and non-English text is passed through as-is in both directions (for example, a Thai query can return Thai results).

Main capabilities

• Three-tier request handling: the first two tiers require only the add-in itself; the third tier runs through an optional Python bridge in the Python bundled with ArcGIS Pro, and the first two tiers remain available when it is not installed. Commands not implemented by the add-in are automatically forwarded to that bridge; if the bridge is not running, an error is given along with how to start it.
• 112 tools in total; features not listed can still be reached through run_geoprocessing_tool or execute_arcpy_code. Tool categories include: session and project (14), attributes and editing (11), schema and dataset creation (11), geoprocessing (7), symbology and labeling (6), map view and bookmarks (7), layout and printing (16), data discovery and inspection (6), escape hatches (4). Tools marked ⚠️ modify or delete real data, and 🖼️ indicates that an image viewable by the AI is returned.
• In-process architecture: the add-in is written in C# and runs inside the ArcGIS Pro process itself, directly using QueuedTask.Run, reducing each call from about 28 seconds in the earlier all-Python version to 9 milliseconds. Three of the 112 tools remain on the Python side: execute_arcpy_code (because the compiled add-in cannot run code composed at call time), get_pump_status, and stop_pump (which report the state of the Python bridge's own scheduler).

Installation and usage

• Download one of two files from the latest release: ArcGISProMCP.esriAddinX (double-click and it is installed by ArcGIS Pro itselfprogram processing; restart Pro and the MCP tab appears); or Install-ArcGISProMCP.cmd (a self-contained single file with the add-in inside, run by double-clicking or from a command prompt; used when Pro has loaded the add-in but the MCP tab does not appear, the installer checks and offers repair options, and running it again uninstalls).
• Requires ArcGIS Pro 3.7; no Python, SDK, or administrator privileges are needed; built for 3.7, it cannot load in older versions, and newer Pro versions should work normally.
• Connecting an AI client: open the MCP tab in ArcGIS Pro and click the assistant you use (the three most commonly used are on the ribbon, and the rest are under More clients). Supports Claude Code, Codex, Antigravity, VS Code, Cursor, Cline, Gemini CLI, and Claude Desktop. The address for all client connections is http://127.0.0.1:6510 The plugin also listens on 6510 for the legacy TCP bridge, and optionally on 6511 for the Pro internal Python fallback, but AI clients do not use either of these two. All three addresses are bound to 127.0.0.1 and cannot be accessed from other machines.
• Most clients connect via HTTP; Antigravity uses serverUrl instead of url and does not need type; Codex connects directly using Streamable HTTP (configuration file ~/.codex/config.toml).
• Claude Desktop cannot actively connect to the server and can only start the server, so the plugin writes a PowerShell bridge %LOCALAPPDATA%\ArcGIS Pro MCP\stdio-bridge.ps1, which forwards each message to the same HTTP endpoint and registers Claude Desktop to run it. This bridge is located inside ArcGIS Pro, so Pro must remain open; after it is closed, the client connection will turn red.
• One-click start/stop button: the icon shows the effect of the next click, green ▶ means stopped, red ⏹ means running. The status shows a green broadcast when listening, and a gray dot when not listening, with the MCP port labeled; hovering shows the full address, and clicking shows the full report (number of requests served, connected clients, last error).

Use cases

• Perform GIS operations in an already open ArcGIS Pro project, including layers, attributes, selection, symbology, layouts, rasters, geoprocessing, and arcpy calls.
• Situations where the assistant needs to query and edit the current project in natural language rather than working with copies or exports.

Limitations and precautions

• The tools will modify the opened project and its underlying data; tools marked ⚠️ will modify or delete real data.
• The bridge is bound only to 127.0.0.1 and is inaccessible from the network, but any program that can run code on your machine can use it to drive ArcGIS Pro while Pro is open; execute_arcpy_code will execute arbitrary Python inside Pro with the permissions of the logged-in user.
• AI assistant output is nondeterministic and is not reviewed before running; it is recommended to use non-destructive steps, use save_project cautiously, and have the assistant confirm before batch edits.
• If edits do not appear after editing, you need to call save_edits; grouplayers need to use the full name "Group\Layer" in geoprocessing-related operations.
• The absence of the MCP tab is usually caused by the plugin security settings and can be handled by running Install-ArcGISProMCP.cmd.
• This project is an independent work, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by Esri, and is not a supported ArcGIS product; ArcGIS and ArcGIS Pro are trademarks of Esri.

License and author

• Author: Pisut Nakmuenwai (@Knight60).
• License: AGPL-3.0, free to use, modify, and build, with reciprocal conditions; commercial licensing applies to embedding this work in products with closed source, hosting it in closed-source services, or redistributing it under your own name. v1.0 and earlier versions are MIT and remain MIT; dual licensing applies from v1.1 onward.
• The software is provided "as is", without any express or implied warranty.