AI Agents + MCP + Matter = Amazing Opportunity
The world of AI agents is evolving rapidly, with the ability to control real-world connected devices in smart homes. This advancement unlocks new opportunities for automation, enabling seamless interaction with physical environments through APIs.
However, integrating AI Agents with smart home devices is challenging. If you’ve ever tried to control IoT-based devices programmatically, you know how frustrating it can be—dealing with protocols, writing low-level code, and debugging endless connection issues.
That’s why I built the Matter-MCP Server, an open-source tool that makes it ridiculously easy for AI Agents and AI assistants like Claude to control Matter devices using natural language. In this article, I’ll break down how it works, why it’s a game-changer for developers, and how you can set it up yourself.
Why I Built the Matter-MCP Server
When working with AI and IoT, I found myself constantly wrestling with connectivity complexity. Matter is an amazing protocol backed by industry giants, but it isn’t exactly built for AI-driven automation out of the box.
One major issue is the need to communicate with devices using the Matter protocol. This makes automation difficult, especially for developers working on AI-powered assistants.
That’s where MCP (Model-Context-Protocol) comes in. The Matter-MCP Server acts as a bridge between AI models and Matter devices, allowing seamless communication through structured interfaces. Instead of writing raw protocol commands, you can now control your IoT setup with simple, human-readable requests.
What Can It Do?
The Matter-MCP Server allows AI to:
✅ Commission new Matter devices (without manual intervention!)
✅ Read and update device attributes (e.g., check if a door is locked)
✅ Send commands in natural language (e.g., “Turn off the smart plug”)
✅ Monitor device status in real-time
✅ Search and access Matter protocol documentation dynamically
By leveraging MCP, it makes AI-driven home automation smoother and more intuitive than ever.
How to Set It Up (Step-By-Step)
Setting up the Matter-MCP Server is easy! Here’s how to do it in a few minutes:
1️⃣ Clone the Repository
git clone https://github.com/MatterCoder/matter-mcp-server.git
cd matter-mcp-server
2️⃣ Set Up a Python Virtual Environment
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate # On Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
3️⃣ Install Dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt
4️⃣ Install UV (Required for AI Integration)
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
If curl is unavailable, use wget:
wget -qO- https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
Integrating with Claude (For AI-Powered Control)
To enable Claude to interact with the Matter-MCP Server, configure your Claude desktop settings:
1️⃣ Locate the claude_desktop_config.json file
-
Ubuntu:
~/.config/Claude -
MacOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude -
Windows:
%APPDATA%\Claude
2️⃣ Add the MCP Server Configuration
{
"mcpServers": {
"matter-mcp-server": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"--directory",
"[REPLACE_WITH_FULL_PATH_TO_YOUR_REPO]",
"run",
"matter-mcp-server.py"
]
}
}
}
3️⃣ Restart Claude Desktop
Claude Code MCP Installation
You can also install the Matter MCP server in Claude Code using the claude mcp add command.
claude mcp add matter-mcp-server
uv --directory [REPLACE_WITH_FULL_PATH_TO_YOUR_REPO] run matter-mcp-server.py
Python Matter Server
The Python Matter Server is used by my MCP server. The Python Matter Server, from the Open Home Foundation, implements a Matter Controller Server over WebSockets using the official Matter (formerly CHIP) SDK.
For running the server and/or client in your development environment, see the Development documentation.
For running the Matter Server as a standalone docker container, see the docker instructions.
Testing with a Matter device?
A Matter Virtual Device (MVD) is a software-based emulator provided by Google that simulates Matter-compatible smart home devices for testing and development. It allows developers to validate device behavior without physical hardware. To set it up, use the Matter Virtual Device Tool, follow the steps in the MVD official guide
Debugging Your AI-Powered IoT Setup
If you are having difficulties, you can check the communication to the python matter server websocket by running these sample scripts:
📌 Commission a Device
python samples/Commission_with_Code.py
📌 Get Node Information
python samples/Get_Node.py
📌 Send Commands to Devices
python samples/Send_a_command.py
Expanding Your AI Agent’s Capabilities
To make your AI assistant even smarter, you can add additional MCP servers:
{
"mcpServers": {
"matter-coder-search": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"--directory",
"[REPLACE_WITH_FULL_PATH_TO_YOUR_REPO]",
"run",
"matter-coder-search.py"
]
},
"matter-datamodel-mcp": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"--directory",
"[REPLACE_WITH_FULL_PATH_TO_YOUR_REPO]",
"run",
"matter-datamodel-mcp.py"
]
}
}
}
This allows your AI model to dynamically search for relevant Matter documentation and device commands and attributes without manual intervention.
Final Thoughts
The Matter-MCP Server is a game-changer for AI-driven IoT automation. Instead of spending hours wrestling with protocols, developers can now integrate Matter devices with AI assistants in minutes.
If you’re interested in making AI actually useful in smart home automation, this is your tool.
✅ No complex coding.
✅ No endless debugging.
✅ Just AI-powered IoT magic.
🚀 Ready to Build?
Check out the GitHub repository and start your AI-powered IoT journey today!
Need more info?
Check out my youtube video
If you want a more comprehensive tutorial style video, check out my coding tutorial on youtube.
If you found this journey inspiring or have insights to share, feel free to connect and collaborate. Together, we can harness technology to create solutions that truly matter.
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