stitch-setup
stitch-kit Setup Guide
Walks users through two setup tasks:
- Stitch MCP Server — connect your AI client to Google Stitch's remote generation API
- stitch-kit Plugin — install the skills that orchestrate the Stitch workflow
When to use this skill
- User says "how do I set this up", "it's not working", "Stitch isn't available"
- Agent can't find Stitch MCP tools after running
list_tools - First-time setup in a new environment
Step 1: Verify what's already installed
Run list_tools (or check the tool list). Look for any of:
create_projectgenerate_screen_from_textget_screen
If found: Stitch MCP is working. Skip to Step 4 (plugin install). If not found: Continue with MCP setup below.
Step 2: Get a Stitch API Key
Stitch MCP is a remote HTTP server — it lives in the cloud at stitch.googleapis.com, not on your machine. It requires an API key to authenticate.
- Go to stitch.withgoogle.com/settings
- Scroll to the API Keys section
- Click "Create API Key"
- Copy the key — you'll need it in the next step
Never commit your API key to a public repository. Store it securely.
Step 3: Configure Stitch MCP
Claude Code
Using the CLI (recommended):
claude mcp add stitch --transport http https://stitch.googleapis.com/mcp \
--header "X-Goog-Api-Key: YOUR-API-KEY" -s user
Or add to ~/.claude/settings.json manually:
{
"mcpServers": {
"stitch": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://stitch.googleapis.com/mcp",
"headers": {
"X-Goog-Api-Key": "YOUR-API-KEY"
}
}
}
}
Codex CLI
Add to ~/.codex/config.toml:
[mcp_servers.stitch]
url = "https://stitch.googleapis.com/mcp"
[mcp_servers.stitch.headers]
X-Goog-Api-Key = "YOUR-API-KEY"
Cursor
Create or edit .cursor/mcp.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"stitch": {
"url": "https://stitch.googleapis.com/mcp",
"headers": {
"X-Goog-Api-Key": "YOUR-API-KEY"
}
}
}
}
VS Code
Open Command Palette → "MCP: Add Server" → HTTP → https://stitch.googleapis.com/mcp → name: "stitch". Then edit the generated mcp.json to add the header:
{
"servers": {
"stitch": {
"url": "https://stitch.googleapis.com/mcp",
"type": "http",
"headers": {
"Accept": "application/json",
"X-Goog-Api-Key": "YOUR-API-KEY"
}
}
}
}
Quick install (all platforms)
Or use the NPX installer — it prompts for the API key and configures everything:
npx @booplex/stitch-kit
Manual verification
After adding, restart the client and run list_tools. You should see tools like create_project, generate_screen_from_text, get_screen, etc.
Step 4: Install stitch-kit plugin (Claude Code)
/plugin marketplace add https://github.com/gabelul/stitch-kit.git
/plugin install stitch-kit@stitch-kit
All 34 skills in one command. The stitch-kit agent is included — it shows up automatically after restart.
Step 5: Verify the full setup
Run the orchestrator to confirm everything works:
"Use Stitch to design a simple login screen"
Expected behavior:
stitch-orchestratoractivates- It runs
list_toolsand finds Stitch MCP tools - It generates a Design Spec
- It creates a project via
create_project - It generates a screen via
generate_screen_from_text - It retrieves the screen via
get_screen - It asks you which framework to convert to
If this completes, you're fully set up.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
list_tools doesn't show Stitch tools |
MCP not configured or client not restarted | Redo Step 3; restart your client |
| "Unauthenticated" or 401 error | API key invalid or expired | Generate a new key at stitch.withgoogle.com/settings |
create_project fails with 403 |
Account doesn't have Stitch access | Visit stitch.withgoogle.com and request access |
generate_screen_from_text returns empty |
Bad prompt or project ID format | Use stitch-mcp-generate-screen-from-text skill — it includes ID format rules |
get_screen returns 404 |
Wrong ID format | projectId and screenId must be numeric only — no projects/ prefix |
| Generated HTML won't download | GCS URL expired or requires redirects | Use bash scripts/fetch-stitch.sh "[url]" "temp/output.html" |
| Plugin not activating | Wrong install command or repo URL | Verify you used @stitch-kit — not @stitch-pro or @stitch-skills |
Network requirements
Stitch MCP makes outbound requests to:
stitch.googleapis.com— remote MCP serverstorage.googleapis.com— file downloads (HTML, screenshots)accounts.google.com— OAuth (if using OAuth instead of API key)
If you're behind a corporate proxy or VPN, ensure these domains are allowed.
Offline / no-MCP mode
If you cannot configure Stitch MCP, the orchestrator still works in prompt-only mode:
- Steps 1–3 run normally (spec generation, prompt assembly)
- Instead of generating the screen, it outputs a ready-to-copy Stitch prompt
- You paste that prompt at stitch.withgoogle.com manually
- Then you can still use the conversion skills on the downloaded HTML
Authentication alternatives
OAuth (for restricted environments)
If you can't store API keys on disk, Stitch supports OAuth via Google Cloud:
gcloud auth login
gcloud auth application-default login
gcloud config set project YOUR-PROJECT-ID
gcloud beta services mcp enable stitch.googleapis.com --project=YOUR-PROJECT-ID
Then use Bearer token auth instead of API key. See full OAuth guide.
Note: OAuth tokens expire hourly and need manual refresh. API keys are simpler for most users.
References
- Official Stitch MCP setup: https://stitch.withgoogle.com/docs/mcp/setup
- Plugin repo: https://github.com/gabelul/stitch-kit
- Skills index:
docs/skills-index.md - MCP tool reference:
docs/mcp-naming-convention.md
More from gabelul/stitch-kit
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Retrieves full details of a specific Stitch screen — HTML download URL, screenshot URL, dimensions. This is the final step in design retrieval before code conversion.
35stitch-react-components
Converts Stitch designs into modular Vite + React components — TypeScript, theme-mapped Tailwind, dark mode via CSS variables, and clean component architecture. Use this for Vite/React apps without App Router. For Next.js 15 App Router, use stitch-nextjs-components instead.
24stitch-ui-prompt-architect
Builds Stitch-ready prompts via two paths — Path A enhances vague ideas into polished prompts, Path B merges a Design Spec JSON + user request into a structured [Context] [Layout] [Components] prompt.
23stitch-ideate
Conversational design ideation agent that researches trends, explores visual directions, and refines ideas through adaptive questioning — then produces a rich PRD document and auto-generates Stitch screens. Your design buddy that thinks deeply before designing.
23stitch-react-native-components
Converts Stitch mobile designs into React Native / Expo components — TypeScript, StyleSheet, Expo Router, dark mode via useColorScheme, and proper touch targets. Cross-platform iOS and Android.
22stitch-mcp-create-design-system
Creates a reusable Stitch Design System from theme tokens — colors, fonts, roundness, saturation. Can be applied to future screens for visual consistency.
22