Local bridge setup

Configure a stdio-capable MCP client on Windows, macOS, or Linux to call the hosted examiner, then verify access without starting a paid job.

Use this path when your client can launch local processes but cannot connect directly with a custom authorization header. Clients with Streamable HTTP and protected header support can follow Connect your agent without installing the bridge.

Prerequisites

An MCP client that can launch a local command and communicate over stdio.
Node.js 22.16 or newer and npm on the machine running that client.
The operator’s private HTTPS /mcp endpoint and pilot key.
A permanent private folder for the tester kit.
Network access to install the dependency from npm and connect to the examiner.

You do not need Python, model API keys, or local survey PDFs. The private pilot key permits reading registered cases and starting billable examinations. Keep it out of chats, screenshots, command arguments, and shared reports.

1. Get the tester kit

Download and unzip the kit. Keep its extracted title-examiner-tester folder in a permanent location on the machine where the MCP client runs. Confirm that it contains .env.example, README.txt, and scripts/mcp_bridge.mjs, scripts/package.json, and scripts/package-lock.json.

The commands below assume the extracted folder is in your Documents directory. Change that path if you chose another location. Install the locked dependency and create the private configuration file.

Windows PowerShell:

Set-Location "$HOME/Documents/title-examiner-tester"
npm ci --prefix scripts
Copy-Item .env.example .env

macOS or Linux shell:

cd "$HOME/Documents/title-examiner-tester"
npm ci --prefix scripts
cp .env.example .env
chmod 600 .env

If PowerShell blocks npm’s script launcher, run npm.cmd ci --prefix scripts instead. This invokes the installed Windows executable with the same arguments.

On Windows, use the folder and .env file’s Properties → Security settings to restrict access to your account and the required system administrators. Choose a folder whose permissions allow that restriction. Keep the kit out of shared or publicly synced folders.

Open .env in a plain text editor and replace its placeholder:

MCP_HTTP_API_KEY=replace_with_the_private_key_from_the_operator

The file belongs beside scripts, not inside it. Enable hidden files and filename extensions in your file manager if needed. Confirm that the filename is .env, rather than .env.txt. Keep the whole kit together when moving it.

2. Check Node.js

Run these commands in PowerShell or your shell:

node --version
npm --version

The first command must report Node.js 22.16 or newer. Both commands must succeed for installation. If either is missing, install Node.js using your usual method, then reopen your terminal and client.

npm ci --prefix scripts installs the locked mcp-remote@0.14.3 dependency before connecting. Your client then launches it through Node.js directly; it does not run npm or npx and does not download packages during connection.

3. Configure your MCP client

Open your client’s documented local MCP server settings. Configure a command named node, or use the absolute path to the Node.js executable if your client cannot find it. Pass the bridge’s absolute path and the operator’s HTTPS endpoint as separate arguments.

For macOS or Linux, the command descriptor is:

{
  "command": "node",
  "args": [
    "/home/your-account/Documents/title-examiner-tester/scripts/mcp_bridge.mjs",
    "https://your-examiner-host/mcp"
  ]
}

Replace the script path with its actual location. For example, a macOS home directory commonly starts with /Users/your-account/.

For Windows, use forward slashes in the JSON path, or escape every backslash:

{
  "command": "node",
  "args": [
    "C:/Users/your-account/Documents/title-examiner-tester/scripts/mcp_bridge.mjs",
    "https://your-examiner-host/mcp"
  ]
}

These are command descriptors, not complete configuration files for every client. Put the fields in your client’s documented schema or settings form. Preserve other MCP entries. Use absolute paths; do not rely on ~, $HOME, or %USERPROFILE% expanding inside JSON.

Save valid configuration, then reload the MCP connection or restart the client as its instructions require. The client must launch the command on the same machine where the kit and Node.js are installed. A remote or browser-based client needs explicit local-process support to use this path.

Keep the key in .env; the bridge supplies it to the HTTP connection. The service uses a static bearer key and has no OAuth sign-in flow.

4. Verify the connection

Ask your agent:

Use AI Title Examiner to discover its tools and call list_surveys.
Show each returned survey, county, and abstract.
Do not start an examination.

You should see six tools and a list of registered surveys. This check does not run the title models or create an examination job.

If the connection is missing or the call fails, follow Troubleshooting. Check the script path, Node.js availability, installed dependency, and .env location first. Starting jobs repeatedly is not a connection test.

Next step

Try the synthetic arithmetic example. Before starting a real case, agree the scope and spend with the operator and follow Your first examination.

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