Threads MCP Server & CLI
A free, open source Threads MCP server and CLI that lets Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and other AI agents post, reply, read your insights and search Threads.
~/threads-mcp-cli
Claude Code v2.1.220This free Threads MCP server and CLI gives your AI real access to your Threads profile. It posts, replies, reads your insights and searches Threads.
It's one install with 2 ways in. Claude, Codex, Cursor or any other MCP app calls its 30 tools for you, and the same tools work as a CLI that agents like Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode run, or that you type yourself.
Here's what the Threads MCP server is, how to set it up in each app, and every tool it has.
What is the Threads MCP server & CLI?
The Threads MCP server & CLI is a free, open source program that lets AI agents act on Threads for you, in 2 ways. The MCP server is what an AI app like Claude, Codex or Cursor connects to, through MCP (Model Context Protocol), the open standard AI apps use to call outside tools.
You ask in plain language. Your AI picks the right tool, and the server makes the call to Meta's Threads API.
The CLI is the same program as commands. threads-cli get-top-posts runs the same code your AI runs when you ask which posts worked, whether an agent like Claude Code runs it or you do.
What can you ask it?
Once it's set up, you ask the way you'd ask an assistant. These are real prompts it handles:
Try askingTurn these notes into a thread. Show me the draft first, then stage part 1 so I can check it before anything is public.
Which of my posts this month worked, ranked by engagement against views rather than raw likes?
Read every reply I got today and tell me which ones deserve an answer.
Publish these 6 screenshots as a carousel with alt text on each.
How much of today's posting quota have I used?
Where are my followers, by country?
The second one shows why this is useful. Threads reports views next to likes, replies, reposts and quotes, so a post's engagement can be measured against its reach. Ranked by raw likes, your best post is usually just your oldest.
How to install the Threads MCP server
Pick your app in the box at the top of this page. You log in once in a terminal, then add the server to your app with a single command or a pasted block. Nothing about your account goes in the app's config.
Set up your Threads account
Threads has no app passwords. You make a Meta app once, which takes about 10 minutes, and the login uses it to get a token for your profile.
Watch out: The last step is the one people miss. Without it, every call comes back empty and nothing says why.
The callback address is your own computer, and it never leaves it. If port 8788 is taken, run the login with --port=9000 and add that address instead.
Log in
With the app ID and secret set, the login opens Meta's sign-in page, catches the answer and stores a 60-day token at ~/.threads-mcp/tokens.json:
export THREADS_APP_ID=your-app-id
export THREADS_APP_SECRET=your-app-secret
npx -y @thenavidm/threads-mcp-cli loginIf your browser can't open, login --manual prints the address and takes a pasted token instead.
Search and profile lookups need Meta's review
The login asks for everything a tester gets with no review: posting, replies, insights and deleting. Searching other people's posts, looking up other profiles and tagging a location need Meta's App Review first. Once you have it, log in with --all-scopes.
Without the search permission, Meta doesn't refuse a search. It quietly narrows it to your own posts, and search_keyword tells you when that happens.
Keep your token alive
A Threads token lasts 60 days, and once it runs out, the only way back is logging in again. The server renews a token it stored itself during the last 20 days, whenever it runs.
The catch is that the server only runs while an app has it open. So if nothing uses it for 60 days, nothing renews it.
Pro tip: Run threads-cli refresh once a month, from a cron job or by hand, and the token never runs out. list_accounts and the doctor both show how many days each token has left.
A token you paste into THREADS_ACCESS_TOKEN can't be renewed, because the server has nowhere to write the new one. Tokens from Meta's Graph API Explorer are worse, since they stop working after an hour.
Check that it works
Run the doctor. It checks the network and your token, then tests posting, replies, insights, search and profile lookups one by one, and names the permission to add for any that fail.
npx -y @thenavidm/threads-mcp-cli doctorWhen it passes, restart your app and ask how much of today's posting quota you have left.
Use the Threads CLI
The CLI is the same 30 tools as commands. AI agents that run commands, like Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode, use it on their own, and you can type the same commands in a terminal or a script. Every tool name becomes a command with dashes, so create_post runs as threads-cli create-post.
npm install -g @thenavidm/threads-mcp-cli
threads-cli
threads-cli get-posts --limit 10
threads-cli get-top-posts --limit 25
threads-cli create-post --text "Shipped." --confirmThe bare threads-cli lists every command, and threads-cli <command> --help shows what a command takes. Posting, replying, reposting and deleting need --confirm, the terminal's version of the check your AI has to pass.
These flags work on every command:
| Flag | What it does |
|---|---|
--json | Prints JSON |
--compact | Prints the JSON on one line |
--agent | Machine mode: JSON, compact, no prompts and no color |
--select a,b.c | Keeps only those fields, and a dotted path goes deeper |
--confirm | Lets a write that asks first go ahead |
A script can branch on the exit code:
| Exit code | What it means |
|---|---|
| 0 | It worked |
| 2 | The command was typed wrong, or a write needed --confirm |
| 3 | It wasn't found |
| 4 | Threads rejected the token |
| 5 | The Threads API failed |
| 7 | You hit a rate limit, so wait and try again |
| 10 | Nothing is set up yet, so run the login |
MCP server or CLI: which one?
Both are the same program with the same 30 tools. The difference is when your AI pays for them, in the tokens it reads.
- MCP server
- 12,700 tokens
- CLI
- Nothing
- MCP server
- 200 tokens
- CLI
- Nothing
- MCP server
- Nothing more, or in Claude Code the tools it picks
- CLI
- 3,100 tokens, once
- MCP server
- 255,000 tokens
- CLI
- 3,100 tokens
- MCP server
- Yes
- CLI
- No, there's no terminal there
- MCP server
- No
- CLI
- Yes
An app that loads every tool up front sends the full list with every message, whether you mention Threads or not. Claude Code doesn't by default: its tool search sends only the tool names and the server's instructions, and loads a tool's full definition when your AI reaches for it.
The CLI costs nothing until Threads comes up. Then your agent reads its skill file once and runs the commands it needs. With the skill added, Claude Code also lists its one-line description with every message, about 140 tokens.
When the whole conversation is about Threads, the gap closes. Then the MCP server is the better experience, because you ask in plain language and your AI never has to look up a command.
Where the MCP server's tokens go
| Part of the tool list | Share |
|---|---|
| JSON Schema structure, like types, required lists and nesting | 53% |
| Argument descriptions | 30% |
| Tool descriptions | 17% |
53% of it is MCP writing every tool out as JSON Schema, which any server with this many tools pays. The rest is the wording that lets your AI use each tool without guessing.
How to spend less
In Claude Code, leave tool search on, which it is unless you've set ENABLE_TOOL_SEARCH=false.
Turn the server off when you aren't using Threads. In Claude Code that's the /mcp panel, and every AI app has its own switch. THREADS_READ_ONLY=1 cuts it to the 18 reading tools.
Or install the CLI and connect the server later, on the days it earns its place. Every tool stays in reach, and the standing cost drops to nothing.
Every number here was measured on September 27, 2026 in Claude Code 2.1.257 with Claude Opus 5. It's the same one-line prompt with and without the server connected, once with tool search off so every tool loads, and once with Claude Code's default. The skill was measured the same way, and other apps and models count tokens a little differently.
Every Threads tool
All 30 tools, grouped the way the repo groups them. 18 only read, and 12 change something on your profile.
Posting
create_post- What it does
- Publish one post to Threads: creates the media container, waits for it to finish processing, then publishes.
- Kind
- Asks first
create_thread- What it does
- Publish several posts as a thread, each replying to the one before.
- Kind
- Asks first
create_carousel- What it does
- Publish 2 to 20 images or videos as one carousel post.
- Kind
- Asks first
stage_post- What it does
- Build a media container without publishing.
- Kind
- Writes
publish_staged- What it does
- Publish a container created by stage_post, waiting for processing first.
- Kind
- Asks first
get_container_status- What it does
- The processing status of a container: IN_PROGRESS, FINISHED, ERROR or EXPIRED, with the failure reason when there is one.
- Kind
- Reads
quote_post- What it does
- Publish a post that quotes an existing Threads post.
- Kind
- Asks first
repost- What it does
- Repost an existing Threads post to your own profile.
- Kind
- Asks first
delete_post- What it does
- Permanently delete one of your own Threads posts.
- Kind
- Asks first
Replies
reply_to- What it does
- Publish a reply to a Threads post, yours or anyone's.
- Kind
- Asks first
get_replies- What it does
- The direct replies to one post, one level deep.
- Kind
- Reads
get_conversation- What it does
- Every reply under one of your posts, including replies to replies, flattened into one list with each reply naming its parent.
- Kind
- Reads
get_all_replies- What it does
- Every reply you have received, newest first, across every post.
- Kind
- Reads
hide_reply- What it does
- Hide a reply on one of your posts, or unhide one you hid.
- Kind
- Writes
get_pending_replies- What it does
- Replies waiting for approval on posts published with enable_reply_approvals.
- Kind
- Reads
manage_pending_reply- What it does
- Approve a reply waiting in the approval queue, making it public, or ignore it so it stays hidden.
- Kind
- Asks first
Reading posts
get_posts- What it does
- Your own Threads posts, newest first, with ids and permalinks.
- Kind
- Reads
get_post- What it does
- One Threads post by its numeric id, with its full field set: text, media, permalink, topic tag, link attachment, quoted post and whether it has replies.
- Kind
- Reads
Insights
get_post_insights- What it does
- Views, likes, replies, reposts, quotes and shares for one of your posts.
- Kind
- Reads
get_account_insights- What it does
- Profile-level views, likes, replies, reposts, quotes, link clicks and follower count.
- Kind
- Reads
get_follower_demographics- What it does
- Follower breakdown by country, city, age or gender.
- Kind
- Reads
get_top_posts- What it does
- Fetch recent posts, pull the metrics for each, and rank them.
- Kind
- Reads
Search and profiles
search_keyword- What it does
- Search public Threads posts by keyword.
- Kind
- Reads
search_topic_tag- What it does
- Public posts carrying a topic tag.
- Kind
- Reads
lookup_profile- What it does
- A public Threads profile by username, with its follower count and seven-day totals for views, likes, quotes and reposts.
- Kind
- Reads
list_allowlisted_countries- What it does
- The country codes this profile may restrict a post to.
- Kind
- Reads
Account and token
list_accounts- What it does
- Every connected Threads profile, which one acts by default, and how many days each token has left before it expires.
- Kind
- Reads
whoami- What it does
- Confirm which Threads profile the current token acts as, and return the live profile: username, name, bio, verification, and whether the profile is eligible for geo-gated posts.
- Kind
- Reads
get_publishing_limit- What it does
- How much of the rolling 24-hour quota this profile has spent.
- Kind
- Reads
refresh_token- What it does
- Refresh the long-lived access token, giving it another 60 days.
- Kind
- Writes
Is the Threads MCP server safe?
A post is public the moment it lands, and Threads has no edit. Fixing a typo means deleting and posting again, which loses the replies and likes on the original. So 9 tools refuse to run until your AI passes confirm: true. They're the ones marked Asks first in the tool tables above.
Hiding a reply doesn't ask, because it's one call to undo. Asking on every hide would only train your AI to pass the check without thinking.
Stage a post before it goes out
stage_post builds a post and stops, so nothing is public yet. It holds for 24 hours, and publish_staged puts it live when you're happy with it.
Make it read-only
Set THREADS_READ_ONLY=1 and every write disappears from the tool list, leaving 18 reading tools. Your AI can't call a tool it can't see.
THREADS_ALLOW_DESTRUCTIVE=0 is the middle setting. Hiding replies and renewing the token still work, and posting, replying and deleting don't.
Keep a log of every write
Set THREADS_AUDIT_LOG to a file path. The server writes one line per attempted write, allowed or blocked.
Watch out: Replies and search results are text other people wrote, and a reply can try to give your AI orders. The server tells your AI to treat it as data, but THREADS_READ_ONLY=1 is the real defense for an agent working through other people's replies.
Threads' daily limits
Meta limits each profile over a rolling 24 hours: 250 posts, 1,000 replies, 100 deletes, 2,200 searches and 1,000 profile lookups. get_publishing_limit shows what's left today.
Your data
Nothing goes anywhere but Meta's Threads API. Your token is stored in ~/.threads-mcp/tokens.json, readable only by your user account, and there's no tracking of any kind.
To disconnect, remove the app in the Threads app under Settings, then Website permissions. That cuts access right away.
Threads MCP server settings
Every setting is an environment variable, in your app's config or your shell.
THREADS_APP_ID- Default
- none
- What it does
- Holds your Meta app's ID, which only the login needs
THREADS_APP_SECRET- Default
- none
- What it does
- Holds your Meta app's secret, which only the login needs
THREADS_ACCESS_TOKEN- Default
- none
- What it does
- Holds a token you paste in, which the server can't renew
THREADS_ACCOUNTS- Default
- none
- What it does
- Lists several profiles, as JSON
THREADS_DEFAULT_ACCOUNT- Default
- the first one
- What it does
- Picks the profile that acts when a tool names none
THREADS_TOKEN_STORE- Default
~/.threads-mcp/tokens.json- What it does
- Sets where the login keeps tokens
THREADS_REFRESH_WINDOW_DAYS- Default
20- What it does
- Sets how many days before it runs out a token is renewed
THREADS_READ_ONLY- Default
0- What it does
1hides every write
THREADS_ALLOW_DESTRUCTIVE- Default
1- What it does
0blocks posting, replying and deleting
THREADS_AUDIT_LOG- Default
- none
- What it does
- Logs every attempted write to a file
Troubleshooting
Run the doctor first. It tests each permission on its own and names the fix.
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Every call comes back empty | Add yourself as a Threads Tester on your app, and accept the invite |
| "Threads rejected the token" | It ran out, or it came from the Graph API Explorer. Run the login again |
| It stopped working about 2 months in | The 60-day token ran out. Run the login again, then renew it monthly |
| Search only finds your own posts | Meta hasn't approved the search permission for your app yet |
| A media error a few minutes after posting | The image or video link has to be public HTTPS and can't redirect to a login page |
| "will not run without confirm: true" | That's the safety check working. Say you want it posted |
| Rate limited | You hit a daily limit. get_publishing_limit shows what's left |
If the server doesn't show up in your app at all, run the command your app runs, in a terminal, and read the error.
More free Threads tools
Check a post's length before your AI sends it, or turn a post into an image to share.
Threads MCP Server FAQs
Here are the questions people ask most about the Threads MCP server and CLI.
The Threads MCP server & CLI is a free, open source program that lets an AI app like Claude, Codex or Cursor act on your Threads profile.
It has 30 tools for posting, threads, carousels, replies, insights and search, and the same tools run as a CLI that agents like Claude Code and Codex use, or that you type yourself.
An MCP server is a standard way to give an AI app real access to a tool, so it can act instead of guessing.
MCP stands for Model Context Protocol, and Claude, Codex, Cursor and many other AI apps speak it.
The Threads CLI is the same program as the Threads MCP server, run as commands.
AI agents like Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode run them for you, and you can type them in a terminal or a script.
Every tool is a command with dashes, so create_post runs as threads-cli create-post, and one npm package installs both.
Use the Threads MCP server in an AI app with no terminal, like Claude Desktop's chat, and the CLI in a terminal, a script or a cron job.
In an AI app that can run commands, like Claude Code, Codex or Cursor, the CLI is the lighter choice, because it costs nothing until it runs.
Yes, the Threads MCP server is free and open source under the MIT license.
Meta's Threads API is free too, so the only thing you pay for is your own AI app.
Yes, the Threads MCP server needs a Meta app with the Threads API, because Threads has no app passwords.
Making one takes about 10 minutes, and you only do it once.
The Threads MCP server returns nothing when your profile isn't a Threads Tester on your own Meta app.
Add yourself under Roles, then accept the invite in the Threads app under Settings, Website permissions, Invites.
A Threads token lasts 60 days.
The Threads MCP server renews a token it stored during the last 20 days whenever it runs, so running threads-cli refresh once a month keeps it alive for good.
The Threads MCP server posts when you ask it to.
Posting, replying, reposting and deleting only run once your AI passes a confirm check, and stage_post lets you check a post before it goes public.
The Threads MCP server works with any app that speaks MCP.
That includes Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, GitHub Copilot CLI, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, OpenClaw, Antigravity and Hermes.
Yes, the Threads MCP server connects as many profiles as you log in.
Every tool that acts as you takes an optional account, and a default decides which profile acts when you don't say.
Navid Moazzez
AI business strategist & AI OS builder
Navid Moazzez helps creators and founders master AI and build their own AI Operating System (AI OS) to automate their business and life.
Navid.me is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
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