CherryHQ/cherry-studio · error · Error

Invalid manifest: missing server configuration

Error message

Invalid manifest: missing server configuration

What it means

Thrown during manifest validation when the required top-level server object is missing or falsy. The server field holds the package's server configuration (type, entry_point, and crucially mcp_config with command/args/env). Without it the service cannot determine how to launch the MCP server.

Source

Thrown at src/main/ai/mcp/McpPackageService.ts:556

      if (packageFormat === 'mcpb') {
        if (!parsedManifest.manifest_version) {
          throw new Error('Invalid manifest: missing manifest_version')
        }
        manifest = { ...parsedManifest, manifest_version: parsedManifest.manifest_version }
      } else {
        if (!parsedManifest.dxt_version) {
          throw new Error('Invalid manifest: missing dxt_version')
        }
        manifest = { ...parsedManifest, dxt_version: parsedManifest.dxt_version }
      }
      if (!manifest.name) {
        throw new Error('Invalid manifest: missing name')
      }
      if (!manifest.version) {
        throw new Error('Invalid manifest: missing version')
      }
      if (!manifest.server) {
        throw new Error('Invalid manifest: missing server configuration')
      }
      if (!manifest.server.mcp_config) {
        throw new Error('Invalid manifest: missing server.mcp_config')
      }
      if (!manifest.server.mcp_config.command) {
        throw new Error('Invalid manifest: missing server.mcp_config.command')
      }
      if (!Array.isArray(manifest.server.mcp_config.args)) {
        throw new Error('Invalid manifest: server.mcp_config.args must be an array')
      }

      // Use server name as the final extract directory for automatic version management
      const serverDirName = `server-${manifest.name}`
      const finalExtractDir = ensurePathWithin(this.mcpDir, path.join(this.mcpDir, serverDirName))

      // Stage the new package first, then swap directories so a failed install
      // does not destroy the last working version.
      await this.replacePackageDirectory(tempExtractDir, finalExtractDir, serverDirName)

View on GitHub (pinned to 726446b54c)

Solutions

1. Add a top-level "server" object with at least type, entry_point, and mcp_config (command, args). See the BaseMcpPackageManifest type for the full shape.
2. If the server config was placed under a different key, move it to "server".
3. Repackage and re-upload.

Example fix

// manifest.json - before
{ "name": "x", "version": "1.0.0" }
// after
{ "name": "x", "version": "1.0.0",
  "server": { "type": "node", "entry_point": "./server.js",
    "mcp_config": { "command": "node", "args": ["${__dirname}/server.js"] } } }

function manifestHasServer(manifest: any): boolean {
  return !!manifest && typeof manifest.server === 'object' && manifest.server !== null
}

function hasManifestServer(m: any): m is { server: object } {
  return !!m && typeof m.server === 'object' && m.server !== null
}

When it happens

Trigger: manifest.json has name and version but no "server" object, or "server": null. Common when the author filled in metadata fields but omitted the server block, or nested it under another key.

Common situations: Manifest authoring tools that scaffold metadata but leave the server block for later; copy-paste from a config that used a different top-level shape (e.g. "servers" plural).

Related errors

• Invalid command: command must be a non-empty string
• Invalid command: command cannot be empty
• Invalid args: must be an array
• Invalid args: argument at index ${index} must be a string
• Invalid args: path traversal detected in argument at index $

AI-assisted analysis of CherryHQ/cherry-studio@726446b54c (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/4bab189b34a9b1be. Report an issue: GitHub.