App Catalyst RN - AI Documentation Assistant Setup

This guide will help you set up an AI-powered documentation assistant for your App Catalyst RN starter kit. Once configured, you can ask your AI coding assistant (Claude/Cursor) questions about the starter kit, and it will have instant access to all documentation.

🎯 What You’ll Get

After setup, you can ask questions like:

“How do I set up authentication in App Catalyst RN?”
“Show me how to configure Supabase”
“What’s the theming system in App Catalyst?”
“Search the docs for push notifications”

Your AI assistant will have instant access to all App Catalyst RN documentation!

🚀 Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1: Install Dependencies

Open your terminal/command prompt and navigate to the extracted folder:


# Navigate to the folder (adjust path to where you extracted it)
cd ~/packages/appcatalyst-rn-mcp-server
 
# Install required packages
npm install

Wait for the installation to complete (this may take 1-2 minutes).

Step 2: Build the Server

Once installation is complete, build the server:


npm run build

You should see a new build/ folder created with index.js inside it.

Step 3: Get the Absolute Path

You’ll need the full path to your MCP server for configuration.

macOS/Linux:

pwd

Windows (Command Prompt):

cd

Windows (PowerShell):

pwd

Copy the output - you’ll need it in the next step!

Example outputs:

macOS: /Users/john/Documents/appcatalyst-rn-mcp-server
Windows: C:\Users\John\Documents\appcatalyst-rn-mcp-server

⚙️ Configuration

Choose your AI assistant and follow the appropriate instructions:

Option A: For Cursor IDE

1. Create Configuration File

macOS/Linux:


# Create the config file
touch ~/.cursor/mcp.json

Windows:


# Open notepad to create the file
notepad %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json

2. Add Configuration

Paste the following configuration, replacing the path with your absolute path from Step 4:

macOS/Linux:


{
  "mcpServers": {
    "appcatalyst-rn": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "{YOUR_ABSOLUTE_PATH_PREFIX}/appcatalyst-rn-mcp-server/build/index.js"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Windows:


{
  "mcpServers": {
    "appcatalyst-rn": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "{YOUR_ABSOLUTE_PATH_PREFIX}/appcatalyst-rn-mcp-server/build/index.js"
      ]
    }
  }
}

⚠️ Important for Windows: Use forward slashes / or double backslashes \\ in the path!

3. Save and Restart Cursor

Save the file (Ctrl+S or Cmd+S)
Completely quit Cursor (not just close the window)
Reopen Cursor (Open command palette > Open MCP Settings)

mcp-server-cursor-ss

Option B: For Claude Desktop

1. Locate Configuration File

macOS:


~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows:


%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

2. Edit Configuration

Open the file in a text editor and add the following, replacing the path with your absolute path from Step 4:

macOS:


{
  "mcpServers": {
    "appcatalyst-rn": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "{YOUR_ABSOLUTE_PATH_PREFIX}/appcatalyst-rn-mcp-server/build/index.js"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Windows:


{
  "mcpServers": {
    "appcatalyst-rn": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "{YOUR_ABSOLUTE_PATH_PREFIX}/appcatalyst-rn-mcp-server/build/index.js"
      ]
    }
  }
}

3. Save and Restart Claude Desktop

Save the file
Quit Claude Desktop completely
Reopen Claude Desktop

✅ Verify It’s Working

Test 1: Simple Query

In your AI assistant, type:


List all App Catalyst RN documentation sections

Expected Response: You should see a list of all documentation sections organized by category (Overview, Quick Start, Guides, etc.)

Test 2: Fetch Documentation

Try:


Show me the authentication guide from App Catalyst RN

Expected Response: You should get the full authentication documentation.

Test 3: Search

Try:


Search App Catalyst docs for "Supabase configuration"

Expected Response: You should get relevant excerpts from the documentation.

🎨 How to Use

Once configured, you can use these commands in your AI assistant:

Browse Documentation

“List all available documentation sections”
“Show me the quick start guide”
“What guides are available?”

Get Specific Guides

“Show me the authentication guide”
“Get the theming documentation”
“How does navigation work in App Catalyst RN?”
“Show me the RevenueCat integration docs”

Search

“Search for push notification setup”
“Find information about state management”
“Search docs for internationalization”

Troubleshooting

“Help me troubleshoot styles not applying”
“Show me common issues”
“Get all troubleshooting documentation”

General Questions

Just ask naturally:

“How do I add a new screen?”
“What’s the project structure?”
“How do I customize the theme?”
“How do I set up payments?”

🔧 Troubleshooting

Issue: “MCP server not found” or “No tools available”

Solution:

Verify the path in your config file is correct and absolute (not relative)
Check that build/index.js exists in your MCP server folder
Make sure you completely quit and reopened your AI assistant
Try running the server manually to test:
```
node /full/path/to/appcatalyst-rn-mcp-server/build/index.js
```
You should see: “App Catalyst RN MCP Server running on stdio”

Issue: “Cannot find module” errors

Solution:

Navigate to the MCP server folder
Run npm install again
Run npm run build again
Restart your AI assistant

Issue: Permission denied (macOS/Linux)

Solution:


chmod +x build/index.js

Issue: Path with spaces not working

Solution: Make sure your path is properly quoted in the config file:


"args": ["/path/with spaces/appcatalyst-rn-mcp-server/build/index.js"]

Issue: Windows - “command not found”

Solution:

Ensure Node.js is in your PATH

Try using the full path to node:


"command": "C:/Program Files/nodejs/node.exe"

Still Having Issues?

Check Node.js installation:
```
node --version
npm --version
```

Verify the build:


cd appcatalyst-rn-mcp-server
ls build/index.js  # macOS/Linux
dir build\index.js  # Windows

Check config file location:
- Cursor: ~/.cursor/mcp.json (macOS/Linux) or %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json (Windows)
- Claude: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows)
Look for typos in JSON: Use a JSON validator like JSONLint

🔄 Updating the Server

If we release updates to the MCP server:

Replace the files in your appcatalyst-rn-mcp-server folder
Run:
```
npm install
npm run build
```
Restart your AI assistant

💡 Tips & Best Practices

Get Better Answers

Be specific: “Show me how to add custom fonts” vs “fonts”
Reference the docs: “According to the App Catalyst docs, how do I…”
Ask follow-ups: “Can you explain that setup step in more detail?”

Combine with Your Code

“Based on the App Catalyst navigation docs, help me add a new screen to my app”
“Using the authentication guide, implement social login in my app”

Keep It Updated

The MCP server caches documentation for 1 hour
Restart your AI assistant to clear the cache and get fresh docs

🎯 Quick Reference Card

Configuration Files:

Cursor (macOS/Linux): ~/.cursor/mcp.json
Cursor (Windows): %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json
Claude (macOS): ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Claude (Windows): %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Common Commands:


# Install dependencies
npm install
 
# Build the server
npm run build
 
# Get your absolute path
pwd           # macOS/Linux
cd            # Windows
 
# Verify build exists
ls build/index.js      # macOS/Linux
dir build\index.js     # Windows

Test Queries:

“List all App Catalyst RN documentation sections”
“Show me the authentication guide”
“Search docs for Supabase”

🎉 You’re All Set!

Once configured, your AI assistant will have instant access to all App Catalyst RN documentation. Happy coding! 🚀

Example conversation:


You: "How do I set up authentication in App Catalyst RN?"

AI: "Let me check the authentication guide for you..."
[Fetches and explains the authentication setup]

You: "Show me how to add social login"

AI: "Based on the authentication docs, here's how..."
[Provides step-by-step instructions]