# Overview

Wire containers are accessible two ways:

- **MCP** (Model Context Protocol) — Connect AI tools like Claude, Cursor, and Cline directly to your containers. This is the primary access method.
- **REST API** — Manage files and check container status programmatically via HTTP. Useful for automation, CI/CD pipelines, and custom integrations.

## What is MCP?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that lets AI tools connect to external data sources. Wire uses MCP so you can access your containers from Claude, Cursor, and other compatible tools.

## Wire's MCP Server

Each Wire container has its own MCP server:

<PersonalizedCode
  client:load
  code="https://YOUR_ORG_SLUG.mcp.usewire.io/container/YOUR_CONTAINER_ID/mcp"
  title="Your Container's MCP URL"
/>

This URL is shown on your container's detail page in the Wire dashboard.

## File downloads

Beyond tools, Wire containers also expose uploaded files as MCP **resources** under the `wire://container/{id}/file/{fileId}` scheme. Agents can download the original bytes of any file — PDFs, CSVs, images, audio — via `resources/read`. See [File downloads (Resources)](/mcp/resources/) for the full flow.

## Supported Clients

We have setup guides for these clients:

- [Claude Code](/mcp/claude-code/)
- [Claude Desktop](/mcp/claude-desktop/)
- [Claude Cowork](/mcp/claude-cowork/)
- [Cursor](/mcp/cursor/)
- [Cline](/mcp/cline/)
- [Antigravity](/mcp/antigravity/)

Wire follows MCP standards, so it should work with any MCP-compatible client.

Containers are ready for MCP connections immediately after creation. All 5 tools (`wire_explore`, `wire_search`, `wire_navigate`, `wire_write`, `wire_delete`) are available without any file uploads or analysis.

## REST API

The REST API provides programmatic access to your containers for file management and status checks. Use it for automation, CI/CD pipelines, or custom integrations.

Available endpoints: container status, file listing, file upload, file deletion, and ephemeral container claiming.

See the [REST API reference](/mcp/rest-api/) for full documentation.

## Next Steps

- [Claude Code Setup](/mcp/claude-code/) - Connect Wire to Claude Code
- [Cursor Setup](/mcp/cursor/) - Connect Wire to Cursor
- [REST API](/mcp/rest-api/) - Programmatic access via HTTP
- [Authentication](/mcp/authentication/) - OAuth and API key details
- [Tools](/reference/tools/) - Tool reference