Local MCP Bridge

Connect Codex, Cursor, Claude Desktop, or another local MCP client to FileMaker through Genie.

Reads are free. Staging, Workbench actions, and script execution require a paid plan.

For each tool, the resources and what can be staged, see MCP tool reference.

Watch it work

Claude, connected through the Local MCP Bridge, finishes an estimates feature in an invoicing file. It reads the file, finds what is broken, then writes scripts, builds layouts and adds a relationship. Auto apply was on.

Connect your client

Open Settings > Local MCP in Genie and enable the bridge.
Open Setup guide and choose your client: Codex (Streamable HTTP), Claude Desktop (stdio bridge), or Cursor / generic JSON.
Copy the generated configuration to the client. Keep the bearer token private.
Reconnect the client and ask it to inspect the current FileMaker file.

Use the configuration generated by your installed Genie version. The token and port must match Settings. After changing your plan, reconnect so the client refreshes its available tools.

Claude Code and Codex inside Genie

Genie 3.3 can run its Agent through your own Claude Code or Codex. They use this same local bridge, with the same nine tools, so you do not connect them like an external client. If Local MCP is off, Genie shows Local connection is off with a Turn on link in the footer under the composer (Local connection off) and a button in Settings > Models. Turn on asks Turn on Local MCP? first, then does what the switch in Settings > Local MCP does. The bridge only listens on this Mac (127.0.0.1) and uses a private token. Their changes follow the same Auto apply rules as any MCP client: you review each one unless Auto apply is on. Claude Code and Codex.

Local MCP Privacy Mode

Use Settings > Local MCP > Privacy mode when connected MCP clients should see only the parts of the file you choose.

Local MCP Privacy Mode setting beneath the Local MCP Bridge control

When enabled:

only what you select in Metadata Explorer is shared
if nothing is selected, no live FileMaker data is shared
selecting a table does not automatically share all its fields
every query and evaluation asks for your confirmation first
broad live resources, Web access, and report_issue are unavailable

Local MCP Privacy Mode is separate from chat Privacy. Each one controls its own channel.

Klai / BetterForms integration

Turn on Settings > Advanced > Enable Klai Integration (paid) to give Genie and connected MCP clients the Klai / BetterForms guides and tools. See Klai and BetterForms.

Prepare a change

Confirm the FileMaker file with fm_session.
Find the relevant guides with fm_search; read exact scripts and metadata with fm_read.
Use fm_query for record data and fm_evaluate for calculation checks when needed.
Prepare one item with fm_stage.

Without Auto apply, staged items go to Genie’s Workbench, where you review them. With Auto apply on, an explicit execute request runs directly. A named script can be read without opening it in Script Workspace. fm_run can request one existing script run, and Genie asks you to confirm every run.

IDE configuration

Use the setup guide in Settings to copy the current snippet for your client. Current snippets name the server genie_filemaker.

For Codex, use Streamable HTTP in ~/.codex/config.toml:

[mcp_servers.genie_filemaker]
enabled = true
url = "http://127.0.0.1:3845/mcp"

[mcp_servers.genie_filemaker.http_headers]
Authorization = "Bearer <generated-token>"

For Cursor or generic MCP JSON clients, use:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "genie_filemaker": {
      "url": "http://127.0.0.1:3845/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <generated-token>"
      }
    }
  }
}

For Claude Desktop, use the Claude Desktop (stdio bridge) setup guide. Genie uses mcp-remote@latest as the local stdio bridge to the Streamable HTTP server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "genie_filemaker": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote@latest",
        "http://127.0.0.1:3845/mcp",
        "--header",
        "Authorization:Bearer <generated-token>"
      ]
    }
  }
}

When a request fails

When Genie cannot answer or stage a request, it usually returns an ok:false result with a reason instead of dropping the connection.

The fix is usually to:

open or activate the correct FileMaker file
refresh the Script Workspace selection
inspect metadata with fm_read
split bundled work into one item at a time

Good uses

keeping an IDE-side agent aligned with FileMaker metadata
reading script context without pasting large XML into chat
checking FileMaker calculations before staging
checking relationships and field lists before data or script work
staging one script, data change, or layout item for review

Example

Enable Local MCP Bridge, connect the IDE, inspect metadata, and stage one script or data change for review in Workbench.

Connect your client as described above. Then:

Ask the IDE agent to call fm_session action:status when it needs session identity.
For script work, have the agent discover Script Schema and targeted step/function records with fm_search, then read the exact script with fm_read target:script (or genie://context/scripts) before edits.
Have the agent inspect one exact metadata target with fm_read.
If the prompt names several metadata objects for staging, call fm_read target:selection with their exact identities.
Stage exactly one item with fm_stage kind:script, kind:data, or kind:layout.
Open Workbench in Genie and run, copy, or remove the staged item.

With Auto apply on, an explicit execute request from the agent runs directly instead of waiting in Workbench.

Example staging request

For one new script, submit a Script Schema document to fm_stage kind:script. The steps array should use step ids/names and argument shapes discovered with targeted fm_search queries.

{
  "kind": "script",
  "title": "Export Customers JSON",
  "source": "Codex",
  "script": {
    "result_type": "new_script",
    "script": {
      "name": "Export Customers JSON",
      "steps": [
        {
          "name": "Set Variable",
          "args": {
            "name": "$json",
            "value": "\"[]\""
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  },
  "metadata_selection": {
    "tables": [],
    "fields": [],
    "layouts": [],
    "scripts": [],
    "customFunctions": []
  }
}

For an edit, read genie://context/scripts or fm_read target:script first and submit fm_stage kind:script with result_type: "delta_edit". For one SQL data or schema request, use fm_stage kind:data.

If the agent receives ok: false, it should follow the returned guidance. For example, a bundled two-script request should be split into two fm_stage kind:script calls, one per script.