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Scaffolder MCP Plugin#

The Scaffolder MCP plugin for Backstage provides comprehensive integration with Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling AI agents and automation tools to discover, inspect, and execute software templates programmatically.

Plugin Components#

Backend Plugin (@terasky/backstage-plugin-scaffolder-mcp-backend)#

The backend plugin provides MCP actions for: - Listing and inspecting available software templates - Retrieving template parameter schemas - Executing templates with provided parameters - Discovering scaffolder actions and their details - Discovering template extensions (filters and functions) - Task status monitoring and completion tracking - Integration with Backstage's scaffolder framework

Learn more about the backend plugin

Documentation Structure#

MCP Actions Integration#

The Scaffolder MCP plugin provides MCP (Model Context Protocol) actions for programmatic interaction with Backstage software templates. This enables AI agents and automation tools to:

  1. Discover Templates: List all available software templates in the catalog
  2. Inspect Templates: Get parameter schemas and requirements
  3. Execute Templates: Run templates with provided parameters
  4. Monitor Execution: Track task status and retrieve outputs

Available MCP Actions#

The plugin provides 7 comprehensive MCP actions grouped into three categories:

Template Management#

  • list_software_templates: Discover all available templates in the Backstage catalog
  • Input: None

  • Output: List of templates with metadata (name, title, description, tags, entity reference)

  • get_software_template_parameter_schema: Retrieve the input schema for a specific template

  • Input: Template name or entity reference

  • Output: JSON Schema describing required and optional input fields

  • run_software_template: Execute a template with provided parameters

  • Input: Template reference and parameters object
  • Output: Task ID, status, and execution outputs

Scaffolder Actions Discovery#

  • list_software_template_actions: List all available scaffolder actions
  • Input: Optional filter string

  • Output: List of action IDs and descriptions

  • get_software_template_action_details: Get details for a specific scaffolder action

  • Input: Action ID
  • Output: Action schema, description, and examples

Template Extensions Discovery#

  • list_software_template_extensions: List all available template extensions (filters and functions)
  • Input: Optional filter string

  • Output: List of extensions with name, type, and description

  • get_software_template_extension_details: Get details for a specific template extension

  • Input: Extension name
  • Output: Extension type, schema, description, and examples

Integration Requirements#

To enable these MCP actions:

  1. Install and configure the Scaffolder MCP backend plugin
  2. Ensure the MCP server is configured in your Backstage instance
  3. Configure authentication and authorization policies
  4. Verify scaffolder integration is working

Usage Workflows#

Template Execution Workflow#

  1. Call list_software_templates to discover available templates
  2. Select a template and call get_software_template_parameter_schema to understand its requirements
  3. Prepare the parameters based on the schema
  4. Call run_software_template to execute the template
  5. Monitor the task completion and retrieve outputs

Template Development Workflow#

  1. Call list_software_template_actions to see available scaffolder actions
  2. Use get_software_template_action_details to understand specific actions
  3. Call list_software_template_extensions to discover available filters and functions
  4. Use get_software_template_extension_details to understand how to use specific extensions
  5. Build your template using the discovered actions and extensions

Getting Started#

To get started with the Scaffolder MCP plugin:

  1. Install and configure the backend plugin
  2. Configure MCP server integration
  3. Set up authentication and authorization
  4. Start using MCP actions with AI agents or automation tools

For detailed installation and configuration instructions, refer to the backend documentation linked above.