Quick Start

Get started with DeployStack in minutes. This guide walks you through creating a free account, configuring your first MCP server, and connecting your development environment.

What You'll Accomplish

By the end of this guide, you'll have:

A free DeployStack account with team management
Your first MCP server configured with secure credentials
The DeployStack Gateway running locally
VS Code connected to your team's MCP tools

Prerequisites

Node.js: Install Node.js (v18 or higher)
VS Code or Cursor: For MCP tool integration
A few minutes: This entire setup takes less than 5 minutes

Step 1: Create Your Free Account

Sign Up for DeployStack

Visit cloud.deploystack.io and create your free account:

Sign up with your email address or GitHub account
Complete email verification if required
You'll automatically get your own default team

Explore Your Dashboard

Once logged in, you'll see:

Teams: Your personal default team (automatically created)
MCP Catalog: Browse available MCP servers
Team Settings: Manage your team and credentials

Step 2: Configure Your First MCP Server

Let's set up a popular MCP server to get you started quickly.

Browse the MCP Catalog

Navigate to the MCP Catalog in your dashboard
Browse available MCP servers (GitHub, BrightData, Weather, etc.)
Click on a server that interests you to see its details

Add an MCP Server to Your Team

For this example, let's add the GitHub MCP server:

Find "GitHub MCP Server" in the catalog
Click "Add to Team"
Select your default team
You'll be prompted to add credentials

Configure Credentials

Add your GitHub token securely:

Create a GitHub Token: Go to GitHub Settings > Personal Access Tokens
Generate a new token with appropriate permissions
Add to DeployStack: Paste the token in the credentials field
Save: Your credentials are encrypted and stored securely

Security Note: Your credentials are encrypted and never exposed to your local environment. The DeployStack Gateway injects them securely at runtime.

Step 3: Install and Configure the Gateway

The DeployStack Gateway runs locally and connects your development tools to your team's MCP servers.

Install the Gateway

Install the DeployStack Gateway globally via npm:

npm install -g @deploystack/gateway

Verify the installation:

deploystack --version

Login to DeployStack

Authenticate with your DeployStack account:

deploystack login

This will:

Open a browser window for authentication
Download your team's MCP server configurations
Set up secure credential access

Start the Gateway

Start the gateway to begin using your MCP servers:

deploystack start

The gateway will:

Start all your configured MCP servers as background processes
Expose them at http://localhost:9095/sse
Inject credentials securely without exposing them to you

Verify Gateway Status

Check that everything is working:

deploystack status

You should see:

Gateway status: Running
Your team name
List of available MCP servers

Step 4: Connect Your Development Environment

Now connect VS Code or Cursor to use your team's MCP servers.

Configure VS Code MCP Settings

Open your VS Code settings and configure MCP to use the DeployStack Gateway.

Location: .vscode/settings.json or global VS Code settings

Before (manual MCP server management):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@github/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

After (DeployStack Gateway):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "deploystack": {
      "url": "http://localhost:9095/sse",
      "name": "DeployStack Gateway",
      "description": "Enterprise MCP Gateway with team-based access control"
    }
  }
}

Test MCP Connection

Restart VS Code to load the new MCP configuration
Open Claude or compatible MCP client
Test a tool: Try using one of your configured MCP servers
Verify: Tools should work without any manual credential setup

Step 5: Explore Your Setup

Now that everything is connected, explore what you can do:

List Available Tools

See all MCP tools available through your gateway:

deploystack mcp

This shows all tools from your team's MCP servers with their descriptions.

Monitor Gateway Activity

View real-time logs and activity:

deploystack logs

This shows MCP server activity, tool usage, and any issues.

Manage Your Team

Back in the DeployStack dashboard:

Add more MCP servers to your team
Invite team members (if you have a team)
Monitor usage and activity
Manage credentials securely

Common Gateway Commands

Here are the essential commands you'll use regularly:

# Check gateway status
deploystack status

# Start the gateway
deploystack start

# Stop the gateway
deploystack stop

# Restart the gateway
deploystack restart

# View logs
deploystack logs

# List available MCP tools
deploystack mcp

# Update configurations from cloud
deploystack sync

# Switch teams (if you have multiple)
deploystack teams

Multiple Teams

If you're part of multiple teams or create additional teams:

# List your teams
deploystack teams

# Switch to a specific team
deploystack teams --switch 2

# Check current team context
deploystack status

When you switch teams, the gateway automatically:

Downloads new team configurations
Starts the new team's MCP servers
Stops the previous team's servers
Updates available tools

What's Next?

Add More MCP Servers

Expand your toolkit by adding more MCP servers:

BrightData: Web scraping and data collection
Weather: Weather information and forecasts
Database: Connect to your databases
Custom Servers: Add your own private MCP servers

Team Collaboration

If you're working with a team:

Invite Team Members: Add developers to your team
Manage Roles: Set up proper access control
Team Management: Organize multiple projects

Troubleshooting

Gateway Won't Start

# Check if you're logged in
deploystack status

# Re-login if needed
deploystack login

# Check for port conflicts
lsof -i :9095

MCP Tools Not Working

Check gateway status:
```
deploystack status
```
Verify VS Code configuration:
- Ensure the MCP server URL is http://localhost:9095/sse
- Restart VS Code after configuration changes
Check credentials:
- Verify credentials are properly configured in your dashboard
- Test credentials directly in the DeployStack interface

Need Help?

Community: Join our Discord
Documentation: Browse our full documentation
Support: Contact support for technical issues

🎉 Congratulations! You now have DeployStack configured and running. Your development environment is connected to enterprise-grade MCP management with secure credential handling and team collaboration features.

Next Steps: Explore the MCP Catalog to add more tools to your team, or invite colleagues to collaborate on your projects.

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