Magic MCP is now the 21st MCP. The Magic MCP server (
@21st-dev/magic) has been replaced by the unified 21st MCP, installed via the 21st CLI — setup at 21st.dev/mcp. This package remains published as a thin compatibility proxy so old configs keep working.
npx @21st-dev/cli@latest init --client cursor # or: claude | vscode | windsurf | codexOr add it manually — it is a plain HTTP MCP server:
{
"mcpServers": {
"21st": {
"url": "https://21st.dev/api/mcp",
"headers": { "x-api-key": "YOUR_21ST_API_KEY" }
}
}
}Get an API key at 21st.dev/mcp.
Old Magic API keys were reset. Keys issued by the old Magic console no longer work anywhere. Generate a fresh key at 21st.dev/mcp.
npx -y @21st-dev/magic@latest API_KEY="..." still works: since v0.2.0 it is a small stdio proxy that forwards every MCP message to the 21st MCP server. Existing mcp.json entries that reference @21st-dev/magic keep functioning — but they now speak to the same server as the 21st CLI, with the full current toolset.
The API key is accepted in all the historical forms: positional API_KEY="...", --API_KEY=..., /API_KEY:..., -API_KEY ..., or the TWENTY_FIRST_API_KEY / API_KEY_21ST environment variables.
The 21st MCP still accepts the legacy Magic tool names and translates them, so agents that remember the old names keep working. Prefer the new names:
| Legacy Magic tool | 21st MCP tool |
|---|---|
21st_magic_component_builder |
generate |
21st_magic_component_inspiration |
get_inspiration |
21st_magic_component_refiner |
generate (new generation from the refinement prompt) |
logo_search |
search_logo (one query per call) |
The current server exposes much more than the old four tools: catalog search across components/themes/templates, paid code retrieval, bookmarks, team libraries, UI generation with variants, profile management, and more. Connect and call tools/list to see the full set.
- 21st MCP setup & API keys: https://21st.dev/mcp
- 21st CLI on npm: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@21st-dev/cli
- 21st.dev — discover, publish, and generate UI components: https://21st.dev
Why did my old Magic MCP stop working?
The Magic backend (magic.21st.dev) was superseded by the unified 21st MCP, and all old API keys were reset for security. Update to a fresh key from 21st.dev/mcp — your existing @21st-dev/magic config will then work again through this compatibility proxy, though we recommend switching to npx @21st-dev/cli@latest init.
Is /ui still a thing?
Use natural language: ask your agent to search 21st for components (search), or generate new UI (generate). The old /ui, /21 trigger phrases were a convention of the legacy tools' descriptions, not the protocol.