Angular 21 MCP: 6 Stable Tools + 1 Experimental You Should Know

Angular 21 brings several MCP updates: a tool that was experimental is now stable, and only one remains in controlled beta.

If you haven't set up MCP with Cursor or Claude yet, check out my previous guide on MCP setup before diving into this update.

Overview

When you run npx @angular/cli mcp with no flags, you get all 6 stable tools automatically.

Default Tools

list_projects
get_best_practices
search_documentation
find_examples
ai_tutor
onpush-zoneless-migration

Experimental tools are opt-in only—you must explicitly enable them with -E.

Note: You can't disable individual stable tools. If you need to restrict the surface, use --read-only or --local-only to filter by capability instead of by name.

CLI Flags

--read-only: enables only tools marked as read-only, ideal when the host blocks writes.
--local-only: filters tools that don't depend on the internet (local-only), perfect for isolated environments.
--experimental-tool/-E: opt-in for beta features. Quick example: npx @angular/cli mcp -E modernize.

The Tools

Stable Tools

list_projects (read-only, local): gives the IDE a full workspace map. Cursor/Claude uses it automatically before suggesting changes or paths.
get_best_practices (read-only, local): syncs AI with the official project guide; the assistant queries it to follow the correct version.
search_documentation (read-only, requires network): enables searches on angular.dev when you ask for explanations or references inside the editor.
find_examples (read-only, local): finds authoritative code examples from a curated database of official, best-practice examples, focusing on modern, new, and recently updated Angular features.
ai_tutor (read-only, local): activates step-by-step tutor mode inside the IDE, no extra config needed.
onpush-zoneless-migration (read-only, local): analyzes components or folders and returns the recommended next step toward OnPush and zoneless.

Experimental Tools

modernize (local, writes to disk): runs modern migrations like control-flow, signal-input, or standalone. Great shortcut to catch up.

Architecture

General purpose: the MCP server acts as a safe CLI facade for AI assistants, prioritizing these tools over arbitrary commands.
Recommended baseline flow: always start with list_projects to discover the workspace, then get_best_practices to align standards, and reserve search_documentation/find_examples depending on whether the question is conceptual or code-related.
Key concepts: a workspace (angular.json) can contain multiple projects; always use the workspaceConfigPath returned by list_projects to target the right project, especially in monorepos.

Usage Guide

Recommended Scenarios

Learning modern Angular: enable ai_tutor by default; from chat, ask "Start the tutorial" and let it guide each step.
Need docs or recent snippets: keep search_documentation and find_examples enabled; request "show me how to use signal inputs" and the assistant will combine docs with examples.
Planning to migrate code: add -E modernize to your MCP config and ask "update this folder to new control flow"; the AI will invoke the tool and give you instructions or changes.
Going for OnPush/zoneless: onpush-zoneless-migration is now enabled by default; just ask "what's next to migrate this module?" and you'll get concrete steps without running manual commands.

Configuration Snippets

Default setup (all stable tools):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "angular-cli": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@angular/cli", "mcp"]
    }
  }
}

This gives you: list_projects, get_best_practices, search_documentation, onpush-zoneless-migration, find_examples, and ai_tutor.

Restricted environment (read-only + no network):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "angular-cli": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@angular/cli", "mcp", "--read-only", "--local-only"]
    }
  }
}

Keeps only the 5 tools that are both read-only and local-only, excluding search_documentation which requires network access.

Code modernization enabled:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "angular-cli": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@angular/cli", "mcp", "-E", "modernize"]
    }
  }
}

Adds the experimental modernize tool for running migrations like control-flow, signal-input, or standalone. Note: This tool writes to disk and is in preview status.

Wrapping Up

Angular 21's MCP tools are simple to set up and immediately useful: six stable tools for everyday development, one experimental for migrations. Pick the config that fits your workflow, drop it into your IDE, and your AI assistant now speaks Angular fluently—pulling from official sources instead of outdated answers.

If you're already using Cursor/VSCode or Claude Code, this is a no-brainer. The tooling continues to improve with each release.

Happy augmented coding!