MCP

The Traversal MCP server lets any compatible AI client — Claude Code, Cursor, Claude Desktop, and others — run investigations, ask follow-ups, and retrieve results using the Model Context Protocol. It uses the streamable-http transport with API key authentication. But it’s more than a remote command. Over MCP, Traversal acts as a peer agent your local agent works alongside: your agent handles what’s local — your code, your terminal, your tools — while Traversal investigates across your whole production stack, and the two hand work back and forth until the incident is understood. Endpoint: https://api.prod.traversal.com/mcp/ For single-tenant SaaS or BYOC deployments, use your organization’s API URL + /mcp/.

Agent-to-agent mode

When Traversal is called from another agent, it runs in Lightning mode — a fast investigation path built for the rapid back-and-forth of agent collaboration. A first pass typically returns in 30 seconds to 2 minutes, fast enough for a real back-and-forth between your agent and Traversal rather than a single round trip. Your agent can always follow up to go deeper. The collaboration runs in both directions:

Your agent → Traversal

Your agent sends Traversal the problem — along with what it can do locally (your repo, kubectl, your other tools). Traversal investigates across your metrics, logs, traces, deployments, and topology — the production-wide view your local agent can’t see on its own.

Traversal → your agent

Traversal hands back specific, executable next steps — check src/checkout/handler.go:142 or run kubectl logs -n prod checkout-service-xyz. Your agent runs them locally and feeds the results back — no orchestration on your part.

The payoff: your local agent’s strengths — kubectl, SSH, repository access, your other MCP tools — combine with Traversal’s cross-stack investigation. Neither agent could close the loop alone.

The collaboration loop

From your side, you just talk to your agent the way you always do — it handles the rest:

Your agent calls `investigate`

It sends Traversal the problem, what it can access locally, and how focused to stay.

Traversal investigates

A Lightning-mode investigation runs across your observability stack and returns findings plus next steps your agent can execute.

Your agent acts locally

It reads the file, runs the command, or queries a tool only it has access to.

Your agent calls `follow_up`

It passes the new evidence back, using the session_id from the first call. Traversal folds it in and refines the diagnosis.

Repeat until resolved

Follow up as many times as you need — each call builds on the same investigation context.

You don’t drive it — your agent does

You don’t call Traversal directly or craft a special request. Just describe the problem to your AI agent the way you normally would; it decides when to bring Traversal in and passes along the context that sharpens an investigation:

What it can access locally — your codebase, kubectl, your other tools — so Traversal can hand back steps your agent can actually run.
How focused to be — a tight look at one service, or a broad sweep across many.
The affected services and time window, so Traversal targets the right place first.

Authentication

Generate an API key in the Traversal web app under Settings > API keys. The key is shown once — copy it immediately. Pass it in the Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer trv_ak_...

Setup

The config is the same across clients — an endpoint URL and an Authorization header. Find your client below.

Claude Desktop

Open Settings > Developer > Edit Config and add:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Traversal": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.prod.traversal.com/mcp/",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop after saving.

Claude Code

claude mcp add traversal \
  --transport http \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -- https://api.prod.traversal.com/mcp/

Cursor

Add to .cursor/mcp.json in your project root or global settings:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Traversal": {
      "url": "https://api.prod.traversal.com/mcp/",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

OpenCode

Add to your opencode.json config:

{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "traversal": {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://api.prod.traversal.com/mcp/",
      "oauth": false,
      "timeout": 300000,
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer {env:TRAVERSAL_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Set the TRAVERSAL_API_KEY environment variable with your API key before launching OpenCode.

Other clients

Any client supporting the streamable-http transport can connect (ChatGPT, Windsurf, VS Code, etc.). Configure it with the endpoint URL and an Authorization: Bearer header containing your API key.

Available tools

Tool	Description
`investigate`	Run a fast first-pass investigation (typically 30s–2min). The agent passes the incident, what it can access, and how focused to be.
`follow_up`	Continue an investigation using its `session_id` — drill into findings, verify a hypothesis, or feed back evidence your agent gathered locally.
`get_investigation`	Get the status and report for an investigation, with a `ui_url` link to the web app.
`list_investigations`	List recent investigations for your organization.
`product_feedback`	Send feedback about the MCP experience to the Traversal team.

A single investigate call is a first pass. Following up at least once — to drill into findings, verify hypotheses, or return what your agent found locally — is where agent-to-agent mode earns its keep.

FAQ

Why is an MCP investigation faster than the web app?

MCP calls run in Lightning mode, optimized to return a useful first pass in roughly 30s–2min so your agent can keep moving. The web app can run longer, deeper investigations; over MCP, that depth comes from follow-ups instead.

Does Traversal run commands on my systems?

No. Traversal is always read-only and never touches your systems. In agent-to-agent mode it suggests next steps — a command to run, a file to check — and your local agent decides whether to execute them, with its own permissions and access. The two stay cleanly separated: Traversal investigates, your agent acts.

Authentication failed (401)

Verify your API key is correct and hasn’t been revoked. If you recently regenerated it, update your client configuration.

Investigation is slow or times out

Broad investigations can take up to 2 minutes. Try a surgical investigation first and use follow_up to expand scope.

Viewing results in the web app

Call get_investigation — the response includes a ui_url link to the full investigation in the Traversal web app.

Get Started

Architecture

Set up

Using Traversal

API

Security & Trust

Changelog

Agent-to-agent mode

Your agent → Traversal

Traversal → your agent

The collaboration loop

You don’t drive it — your agent does

Authentication

Setup

Available tools

FAQ

​Agent-to-agent mode

Your agent → Traversal

Traversal → your agent

​The collaboration loop

​You don’t drive it — your agent does

​Authentication

​Setup

​Available tools

​FAQ

Agent-to-agent mode

The collaboration loop

You don’t drive it — your agent does

Authentication

Setup

Available tools

FAQ