Pare

Dev tools for AI agents: 100% structured output, up to 90% fewer tokens.

Pare provides MCP servers that wrap common developer tools (git, npm, docker, test runners, etc.) and return clean, schema-validated JSON instead of raw terminal text — letting AI coding agents consume tool output more efficiently and reliably.

The Problem

AI agents often deal with CLI output meant for humans: ANSI colors, progress bars, verbose warnings, help text, and formatting. Parsing this reliably costs tokens and can lead to errors or fragile workarounds.

Here are some real examples of token usage:

Tool Command	Raw Tokens	Pare Tokens	Reduction
docker build (multi-stage, 11 steps)	373	20	95%
git log --stat (5 commits, verbose)	4,992	382	92%
npm install (487 packages, warnings)	241	41	83%
vitest run (28 tests, all pass)	196	39	80%
cargo build (2 errors, help text)	436	138	68%
pip install (9 packages, progress bars)	288	101	65%
cargo test (12 tests, 2 failures)	351	190	46%
npm audit (4 vulnerabilities)	287	185	36%

Token estimates use ~4 chars/token. The biggest savings appear on verbose commands (builds, installs, tests). For simpler tools like eslint or tsc, the main advantage is reliable structured data — agents can use typed JSON directly rather than parsing strings.

How It Works

Each Pare tool returns two outputs:

• content — human-readable text, for MCP clients that display it
• structuredContent — typed, schema-validated JSON, ready for agents to process

This uses MCP's structuredContent and outputSchema features to provide type-safe, validated data that agents can rely on without custom parsing.

Available Servers (100 tools, 14 packages)

Package	Tools	Wraps
@paretools/git	status, log, diff, branch, show, add, commit, push, pull, checkout, tag, stash-list, stash, remote, blame	git
@paretools/github	pr-view, pr-list, pr-create, issue-view, issue-list, issue-create, run-view, run-list	gh
@paretools/search	search, find, count	ripgrep, fd
@paretools/test	run, coverage	pytest, jest, vitest, mocha
@paretools/npm	install, audit, outdated, list, run, test, init, info, search	npm
@paretools/docker	ps, build, logs, images, run, exec, compose-up, compose-down, pull, inspect, network-ls, volume-ls, compose-ps	docker, docker compose
@paretools/build	tsc, build, esbuild, vite-build, webpack	tsc, esbuild, vite, webpack
@paretools/lint	lint, format-check, prettier-format, biome-check, biome-format, stylelint, oxlint	eslint, prettier, biome, stylelint, oxlint
@paretools/http	request, get, post, head	curl
@paretools/make	run, list	make, just
@paretools/python	pip-install, mypy, ruff-check, pip-audit, pytest, uv-install, uv-run, black, pip-list, pip-show, ruff-format	pip, mypy, ruff, pytest, uv, black
@paretools/cargo	build, test, clippy, run, add, remove, fmt, doc, check, update, tree	cargo
@paretools/go	build, test, vet, run, mod-tidy, fmt, generate, env, list, get	go, gofmt

Quick Start

Claude Code (recommended):

claude mcp add --transport stdio pare-git -- npx -y @paretools/git
claude mcp add --transport stdio pare-test -- npx -y @paretools/test

Claude Code / Claude Desktop / Cursor / Windsurf / Cline / Roo Code / Gemini CLI (mcpServers format):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pare-git": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@paretools/git"]
    },
    "pare-test": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@paretools/test"]
    }
  }
}

VS Code / GitHub Copilot (.vscode/mcp.json)

{
  "servers": {
    "pare-git": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@paretools/git"]
    },
    "pare-test": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@paretools/test"]
    }
  }
}

Zed (settings.json)

{
  "context_servers": {
    "pare-git": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@paretools/git"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

OpenAI Codex (.codex/config.toml)

[mcp_servers.pare-git]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "@paretools/git"]

[mcp_servers.pare-test]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "@paretools/test"]

Continue.dev (.continue/mcpServers/pare.yaml)

name: Pare Tools
version: 0.0.1
schema: v1
mcpServers:
  - name: pare-git
    type: stdio
    command: npx
    args: ["-y", "@paretools/git"]
  - name: pare-test
    type: stdio
    command: npx
    args: ["-y", "@paretools/test"]

Windows (all JSON clients)

On Windows, wrap npx with cmd /c:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pare-git": {
      "command": "cmd",
      "args": ["/c", "npx", "-y", "@paretools/git"]
    }
  }
}

Example: git status

Raw git output (~118 tokens):

On branch main
Your branch is ahead of 'origin/main' by 2 commits.
  (use "git push" to publish your local commits)

Changes to be committed:
  (use "git restore --staged <file>..." to unstage)
        modified:   src/index.ts
        new file:   src/utils.ts

Changes not staged for commit:
  (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
  (use "git restore <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)
        modified:   README.md

Untracked files:
  (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
        temp.log

Pare structured output (~59 tokens):

{
  "branch": "main",
  "upstream": "origin/main",
  "ahead": 2,
  "staged": [
    { "file": "src/index.ts", "status": "modified" },
    { "file": "src/utils.ts", "status": "added" }
  ],
  "modified": ["README.md"],
  "deleted": [],
  "untracked": ["temp.log"],
  "conflicts": [],
  "clean": false
}

50% fewer tokens. Zero information lost. Fully typed. Savings scale with output verbosity — test runners and build logs see 80–92% reduction.

Telling Agents to Use Pare

Add a snippet to your project's agent instruction file so AI agents prefer Pare tools over raw CLI commands:

CLAUDE.md (Claude Code)

## MCP Tools

When Pare MCP tools are available (prefixed with mcp\_\_pare-\*), prefer them over
running raw CLI commands via Bash. Pare tools return structured JSON with ~85%
fewer tokens than CLI output.

- Git: mcp**pare-git**status, log, diff, branch, show, add, commit, push, pull, checkout, tag, stash-list, stash, remote, blame
- GitHub: mcp**pare-github**pr-view, pr-list, pr-create, issue-view, issue-list, issue-create, run-view, run-list
- Search: mcp**pare-search**search, find, count
- Tests: mcp**pare-test**run, mcp**pare-test**coverage (pytest, jest, vitest, mocha)
- Builds: mcp**pare-build**tsc, build, esbuild, vite-build, webpack
- Linting: mcp**pare-lint**lint, format-check, prettier-format, biome-check, biome-format, stylelint, oxlint
- npm: mcp**pare-npm**install, audit, outdated, list, run, test, init, info, search
- Docker: mcp**pare-docker**ps, build, logs, images, run, exec, compose-up, compose-down, pull, inspect, network-ls, volume-ls, compose-ps
- HTTP: mcp**pare-http**request, get, post, head
- Make: mcp**pare-make**run, list
- Python: mcp**pare-python**pip-install, mypy, ruff-check, pip-audit, pytest, uv-install, uv-run, black, pip-list, pip-show, ruff-format
- Cargo: mcp**pare-cargo**build, test, clippy, run, add, remove, fmt, doc, check, update, tree
- Go: mcp**pare-go**build, test, vet, run, mod-tidy, fmt, generate, env, list, get

AGENTS.md (OpenAI Codex, Gemini CLI, Claude Code)

## MCP Servers

This project uses Pare MCP servers (100 tools) for structured, token-efficient dev tool output.
Prefer Pare MCP tools over raw CLI commands for git, testing, building, linting, npm, docker, python, cargo, and go.
Pare tools return typed JSON, saving tokens and preventing parsing errors.

.cursor/rules/pare.mdc (Cursor)

---
description: Use Pare MCP tools for structured dev tool output
globs: ["**/*"]
alwaysApply: true
---

When Pare MCP tools are available, prefer them over running CLI commands in the
terminal. Pare tools (pare-git, pare-test, pare-build, pare-lint, pare-npm,
pare-docker, pare-python, pare-cargo, pare-go, pare-github, pare-search, pare-http, pare-make — 100 tools total) return
structured JSON with up to 95% fewer tokens than raw CLI output.

.github/copilot-instructions.md (GitHub Copilot)

## Tool Preferences

This project uses Pare MCP servers (@paretools/\*) for structured dev tool output.
When available, prefer Pare tools (pare-git, pare-github, pare-search, pare-test, pare-build, pare-lint, pare-npm, pare-docker, pare-http, pare-make, pare-python, pare-cargo, pare-go) over raw CLI commands.

GEMINI.md / .windsurfrules / .clinerules / .amazonq/rules/

When Pare MCP tools are available, prefer them over raw CLI commands.
Pare tools return structured JSON with fewer tokens than CLI output.

- pare-git: status, log, diff, branch, show, add, commit, push, pull, checkout, tag, stash-list, stash, remote, blame
- pare-github: pr-view, pr-list, pr-create, issue-view, issue-list, issue-create, run-view, run-list
- pare-search: search, find, count (ripgrep + fd)
- pare-test: run, coverage (pytest, jest, vitest, mocha)
- pare-build: tsc, build, esbuild, vite-build, webpack
- pare-lint: lint, format-check, prettier-format, biome-check, biome-format, stylelint, oxlint
- pare-npm: install, audit, outdated, list, run, test, init, info, search
- pare-docker: ps, build, logs, images, run, exec, compose-up, compose-down, pull, inspect, network-ls, volume-ls, compose-ps
- pare-http: request, get, post, head
- pare-make: run, list (make + just)
- pare-python: pip-install, mypy, ruff-check, pip-audit, pytest, uv-install, uv-run, black, pip-list, pip-show, ruff-format
- pare-cargo: build, test, clippy, run, add, remove, fmt, doc, check, update, tree
- pare-go: build, test, vet, run, mod-tidy, fmt, generate, env, list, get

Configuration

Tool Selection

By default, every Pare server registers all of its tools. If a server exposes tools you don't need — or you want to limit which tools are available to an agent — you can filter them with environment variables.

Per-server filter — restrict a single server's tools:

# Only register status and log in the git server
PARE_GIT_TOOLS=status,log npx @paretools/git

Universal filter — restrict tools across all servers:

# Only register these specific tools across any server
PARE_TOOLS=git:status,git:log,npm:install npx @paretools/git

Disable all tools — set the env var to an empty string:

PARE_GIT_TOOLS= npx @paretools/git   # no tools registered

Env Var	Scope	Format	Example
PARE_TOOLS	All servers	server:tool,...	git:status,npm:install
PARE_{SERVER}_TOOLS	One server	tool,...	status,log,diff

Rules:

• No env var = all tools enabled (default)
• PARE_TOOLS (universal) takes precedence over per-server vars
• Server names use uppercase with hyphens replaced by underscores (e.g., PARE_MY_SERVER_TOOLS)
• Whitespace around commas is ignored

Common patterns:

# Read-only git (no push, commit, add, checkout)
PARE_GIT_TOOLS=status,log,diff,branch,show

# Minimal npm
PARE_NPM_TOOLS=install,test,run

# Only specific tools across all servers
PARE_TOOLS=git:status,git:diff,npm:install,test:run

In JSON MCP config, set via the env key:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pare-git": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@paretools/git"],
      "env": {
        "PARE_GIT_TOOLS": "status,log,diff,show"
      }
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
npx not found / ENOENT on Windows	Use cmd /c npx wrapper (see Windows config above)
Slow first start	Run npx -y @paretools/git once to cache, or install globally: npm i -g @paretools/git
Node.js version error	Pare requires Node.js >= 20
NVM/fnm PATH issues	Use absolute path to npx: e.g., ~/.nvm/versions/node/v22/bin/npx
MCP connection timeout	Set MCP_TIMEOUT=30000 for Claude Code, or increase initTimeout in client config
Too many tools filling context	Use tool selection env vars to limit tools, or only install the servers you need

Contributing

Each server is a self-contained package. See CONTRIBUTING.md for the full guide.

License

MIT