> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.harbormcp.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# HTTP/SSE Gateway

> Expose your MCP servers over HTTP for remote access and tool discovery.

Harbor's gateway (called the **Lighthouse**) exposes your MCP servers over HTTP, enabling remote access and tool discovery. It bridges both local stdio servers and remote HTTP MCP servers.

## Starting the Gateway

### CLI

```sh theme={null}
harbor lighthouse [--port 3100] [--host 127.0.0.1] [--expose] [--token <secret>]
```

| Flag       | Description                                        |
| ---------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| `--port`   | Port to listen on (default: `3100`)                |
| `--host`   | IP to bind to (default: `127.0.0.1`)               |
| `--expose` | Shorthand for `--host 0.0.0.0` (expose to network) |
| `--token`  | Bearer token required for remote access            |

### Desktop App

Use the dedicated **Lighthouse** page in the sidebar to start/stop the gateway and configure settings.

## Endpoints

Once running, the gateway provides these endpoints:

| Endpoint   | Method | Description                                                    |
| ---------- | ------ | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `/health`  | `GET`  | Health check — returns `200` with version. No auth required.   |
| `/tools`   | `GET`  | List all available tools across your docked servers            |
| `/servers` | `GET`  | List all running MCP servers                                   |
| `/mcp`     | `POST` | JSON-RPC endpoint for MCP protocol messages                    |
| `/reload`  | `POST` | Re-read config from disk and hot-reload servers and auth token |
| `/sse`     | `GET`  | Server-sent events stream for real-time updates                |

### Query Parameters

The `/tools` endpoint supports optional filters:

| Parameter        | Description                                               |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| `?host=<name>`   | Apply host-specific tool overrides (e.g., `?host=claude`) |
| `?server=<name>` | Only return tools from a specific server                  |

## Authentication

The gateway uses bearer token authentication for remote access:

* **Localhost connections** are always trusted — no token required
* **Remote connections** require `Authorization: Bearer <token>` when `gateway_token` is configured
* If no token is configured and the gateway is exposed to the network, a warning is logged

### Configuring a token

```toml theme={null}
[harbor]
gateway_host = "0.0.0.0"
gateway_token = "my-secret-token"
```

The token also supports vault references:

```toml theme={null}
gateway_token = "vault:gateway_token"
```

## Examples

```sh theme={null}
# Check health (no auth needed)
curl http://localhost:3100/health

# List available tools
curl http://localhost:3100/tools

# List tools for a specific host
curl http://localhost:3100/tools?host=claude

# List running servers
curl http://localhost:3100/servers

# Call a tool via JSON-RPC
curl -X POST http://localhost:3100/mcp \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"get_issues","arguments":{}}}'

# Hot-reload config from disk
curl -X POST http://localhost:3100/reload

# Remote access with bearer token
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer my-secret-token" http://my-server:3100/tools
```

## Configuration

```toml theme={null}
[harbor]
gateway_port = 3100          # Port to listen on
gateway_host = "127.0.0.1"   # Bind address ("0.0.0.0" for network)
gateway_token = "my-secret"  # Bearer token for remote access
```

<Note>
  The gateway enables CORS by default, allowing cross-origin requests from web applications. The HTTP server starts before initializing MCP servers, so the health endpoint is available immediately.
</Note>