unifi-mcp MCP — Use Cases, Install & Live Demo

Why use it

Key features

Network: firewall rules, client mgmt, health diagnostics, topology
Protect: camera events, motion detection, smart detection (people/vehicles)
Access: door control, visitor passes, badge scans, access timelines
Cross-product event correlation via optional cloud relay
Multi-controller setups supported

Live Demo

What it looks like in practice

unifi.replay ▶ ready

0/0

Install

Pick your client

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json · Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "unifi": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "unifi-mcp"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config. Restart after saving.

~/.cursor/mcp.json · .cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "unifi": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "unifi-mcp"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Cursor uses the same mcpServers schema as Claude Desktop. Project config wins over global.

VS Code → Cline → MCP Servers → Edit

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "unifi": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "unifi-mcp"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Click the MCP Servers icon in the Cline sidebar, then "Edit Configuration".

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "unifi": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "unifi-mcp"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Same shape as Claude Desktop. Restart Windsurf to pick up changes.

~/.continue/config.json

{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "unifi",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "unifi-mcp"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Continue uses an array of server objects rather than a map.

~/.config/zed/settings.json

{
  "context_servers": {
    "unifi": {
      "command": {
        "path": "uvx",
        "args": [
          "unifi-mcp"
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to context_servers. Zed hot-reloads on save.

claude mcp add unifi -- uvx unifi-mcp

One-liner. Verify with claude mcp list. Remove with claude mcp remove.

Use Cases

Real-world ways to use unifi-mcp

Investigate a motion alert across cameras and doors

👤 UniFi home/SMB users ⏱ ~10 min intermediate

When to use: You got a Protect motion alert at 2 AM. Who was it? Did a door open?

Prerequisites

UniFi controller + credentials — UniFi UI > Admin > API credentials

Flow

Pull the motion event

Get Protect motion events between 01:55 and 02:05 today. Include smart detection labels.✓ Copied

→ Event list with 'person' / 'vehicle' tags
Correlate with doors

Were any Access doors opened in the same window?✓ Copied

→ Door open events or none
Check network side

Any new/unknown clients joined the network in that window?✓ Copied

→ Network client delta

Outcome: Fast sensemaking of a potential incident without clicking between 3 UniFi apps.

Pitfalls

Protect timestamps use controller timezone — Always ask Claude to convert to your local time explicitly

Provision and audit guest networks

👤 Office IT, Airbnb hosts ⏱ ~10 min beginner

When to use: You want a throwaway guest WiFi for the week, auto-expiring.

Flow

Create SSID

Create a guest SSID 'Week42' on the 2.4 + 5 GHz bands with a random 12-char password. Expires in 7 days.✓ Copied

→ SSID created + password returned
Review

End of week — how many clients connected, total bandwidth, any suspicious patterns?✓ Copied

→ Usage report

Outcome: Less hassle than doing it in the UI.

Pitfalls

Claude leaves the SSID up past expiry — Set a UniFi scheduled rule; don't rely on LLM to remember

Audit your firewall rules for drift

👤 Self-hosted homelabbers, SMB admins ⏱ ~30 min advanced

When to use: You've added rules over time and want a second pair of eyes on what's actually allowed.

Flow

Dump rules

List all firewall rules, grouped by zone.✓ Copied

→ Complete rule inventory
Audit

Flag any rules that allow inbound from 0.0.0.0/0 to internal services. Flag overly permissive any-any rules.✓ Copied

→ Risk-flagged subset
Propose tightening

For each flagged rule, propose the minimal scope change that preserves functionality.✓ Copied

→ Concrete diff suggestions

Outcome: A tighter firewall configured in one session.

Pitfalls

Applying changes blindly locks you out — Have Claude list changes; apply them yourself via the UI for anything gateway-related

Combinations

Pair with other MCPs for X10 leverage

unifi + ssh-manager

Run deep diagnostics on a controller via SSH when the API isn't enough

If a UniFi API call returns no data for a device, SSH into the controller and run info on that device's ID.✓ Copied

Tools

What this MCP exposes

Tool	Inputs	When to call	Cost
network_list_clients	site?: str	See who's on your network	1 API call
network_firewall_rules	action: list\|create\|update\|delete, ...	Audit or change firewall	1 API call
network_health		Diagnose offline APs, high error rates	1 API call
protect_list_events	start, end, cameras?, types?	Investigate motion/detection events	1 API call
access_open_door	door_id, duration_s?	Remote door unlock — destructive; confirm first	1 API call + physical effect

Cost & Limits

What this costs to run

API quota: Your controller — no external limits
Tokens per call: List calls 500-3000 tokens; individual ops 100-500
Monetary: Free, MIT. UniFi hardware/licenses are your existing spend.
Tip: Only enable the product servers you actually use — Network only for most homelabs reduces schema overhead.

Security

Permissions, secrets, blast radius

Minimum scopes: Dedicated UniFi admin user with role scoped to needed product

Credential storage: UNIFI_HOST, UNIFI_USERNAME, UNIFI_PASSWORD env vars; or experimental read-only UNIFI_API_KEY

Data egress: LAN to controller; optional cloud relay for cross-product correlation

Never grant: Super Admin credentials to an agent that can also reach the public internet

Protect + Access are marked beta — expect schema drift.
Physical-effect tools (door unlock, power cycle) execute on confirmation only — phrase prompts carefully.
Drive application mentioned in tagline is not yet implemented.

Troubleshooting

Common errors and fixes

Cannot connect to controller

Check UNIFI_HOST — include https:// and port (e.g. https://unifi.local:8443). Self-signed cert? Set UNIFI_VERIFY_SSL=false (for trusted LAN only).

Verify: curl -k https://unifi.local:8443/api/system

401 Unauthorized

Credentials wrong, or 2FA required. Create a local admin without 2FA for automation.

Protect events empty

Ensure Protect is actually installed on this controller. protect_health confirms.

Alternatives

unifi-mcp vs others

Alternative	When to use it instead	Tradeoff
unifi-api-client in custom scripts	You want full customization and don't use AI for ops	You write all the glue; no MCP ergonomics

More

Resources

📖 Read the official README on GitHub

🐙 Browse open issues

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