langfuse
NewLangfuse observability - query traces, debug exceptions, analyze sessions, manage prompts and datasets via MCP tools. First LLM observability skill for Claude Code and Codex.
Overview
   
Agent-facing Model Context Protocol server and skill for Langfuse observability.
Use langfuse-mcp from Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, or any MCP client to query traces, inspect generations, debug exceptions, analyze sessions, manage prompts, browse datasets, and understand what your AI agents did in production.
What You Can Do
- •Debug failing agent runs from Langfuse traces and observations.
- •Find exceptions, slow generations, high-latency spans, and affected users.
- •Inspect sessions and user journeys without leaving your agent workflow.
- •Manage prompt versions, labels, datasets, annotation queues, and scores.
- •Install the included `langfuse` agent skill for ready-made debugging playbooks.
Project Links
Why langfuse-mcp?
Langfuse is where your traces live. langfuse-mcp makes that telemetry directly usable by agents that need to answer questions like "what failed?", "why was this slow?", "which prompt version ran?", or "what happened in this user's session?"
Positioning relative to the native Langfuse MCP (as of June 2026):
| langfuse-mcp | Native Langfuse MCP | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary fit | Local, debugging-first MCP server + agent skill | Hosted, zero-install endpoint backed by Langfuse |
| Deployment | Local stdio or HTTP, via the Langfuse Python SDK | Native streamable HTTP at /api/public/mcp |
| Trace / session / exception tools | First-class | Observation/API-oriented access |
| Route-decision tools | Yes | No |
| Token & output control | Compact summaries, truncation, file-dump mode, tool-group gating | Depends on the hosted tool response + client |
| Metrics & dataset runs | Yes | Yes |
| Prompt, dataset, queue & score reads | Yes | Yes |
| Score writes, comments, models, media | Not yet | Yes |
This project does not mirror every native Langfuse MCP tool. It focuses on agent debugging ergonomics — compact trace inspection, exception triage, session analysis, routing-decision workflows, local tool-group gating, and an included skill with ready-made investigation playbooks. Use the native MCP for the broad hosted API surface; use langfuse-mcp as a local, token-disciplined layer.
Quick Start
Requires uv (for uvx) and Python 3.10 or newer. CI verifies Python 3.10 through 3.14.
Get credentials from Langfuse Cloud → Settings → API Keys. If self-hosted, use your instance URL for LANGFUSE_HOST.
# Claude Code (project-scoped, shared via .mcp.json)
claude mcp add \
-e LANGFUSE_PUBLIC_KEY=pk-... \
-e LANGFUSE_SECRET_KEY=sk-... \
-e LANGFUSE_HOST=https://cloud.langfuse.com \
--scope project \
langfuse -- uvx langfuse-mcp
# Codex CLI (user-scoped, stored in ~/.codex/config.toml)
codex mcp add langfuse \
--env LANGFUSE_PUBLIC_KEY=pk-... \
--env LANGFUSE_SECRET_KEY=sk-... \
--env LANGFUSE_HOST=https://cloud.langfuse.com \
-- uvx langfuse-mcpTo pin a CI-verified interpreter explicitly, add --python 3.14 before langfuse-mcp.
Restart your CLI, then verify with /mcp (Claude Code) or codex mcp list (Codex).
Agent Skill
This repo ships a first-party `langfuse` skill for Claude Code and Codex. The skill gives agents concrete playbooks for trace debugging, exception triage, latency analysis, prompt management, and dataset work.
Install it when you want the agent to know when to reach for Langfuse and which MCP tools to call first.
Via [skills](https://github.com/vercel-labs/add-skill) (recommended):
npx skills add avivsinai/langfuse-mcp -g -yVia [skild](https://skild.sh):
npx skild install @avivsinai/langfuse -t claude -yManual install:
cp -r skills/langfuse ~/.claude/skills/ # Claude Code
cp -r skills/langfuse ~/.codex/skills/ # Codex CLIAfter installing the skill, try:
help me debug langfuse traces
find exceptions in the last day
why was this user's session slow?The MCP server provides the tools; the skill provides the agent-facing workflow. See `skills/langfuse/SKILL.md`, `skills/langfuse/references/setup.md`, and `skills/langfuse/references/tool-reference.md`.
Tools (48 total)
| Category | Tools |
|---|---|
| Traces | fetch_traces, fetch_trace |
| Observations | fetch_observations, fetch_observation |
| Routing | find_route_decisions, get_route_decision, summarize_route_decisions, find_low_confidence_route_decisions |
| Sessions | fetch_sessions, get_session_details, get_user_sessions |
| Exceptions | find_exceptions, find_exceptions_in_file, get_exception_details, get_error_count |
| Prompts | list_prompts, get_prompt, get_prompt_unresolved, create_text_prompt, create_chat_prompt, update_prompt_labels |
| Datasets | list_datasets, get_dataset, list_dataset_items, get_dataset_item, create_dataset, create_dataset_item, delete_dataset_item, list_dataset_runs, get_dataset_run, list_dataset_run_items, create_dataset_run_item, delete_dataset_run |
| Annotation Queues | list_annotation_queues, create_annotation_queue, get_annotation_queue, list_annotation_queue_items, get_annotation_queue_item, create_annotation_queue_item, update_annotation_queue_item, delete_annotation_queue_item, create_annotation_queue_assignment, delete_annotation_queue_assignment |
| Scores | list_scores_v2, get_score_v2 |
| Metrics | query_metrics, get_metrics_schema |
| Schema | get_data_schema |
Dataset Item Updates (Upsert)
Langfuse uses upsert for dataset items. To edit an existing item, call create_dataset_item with item_id. If the ID exists, it updates; otherwise it creates a new item.
create_dataset_item(
dataset_name="qa-test-cases",
item_id="item_123",
input={"question": "What is 2+2?"},
expected_output={"answer": "4"}
)Metrics Queries
query_metrics aggregates telemetry server-side (cost, latency, tokens, counts, score values) so agents can answer "what did inference cost?" or "what's p95 latency by model?" without pulling raw traces. Call get_metrics_schema for the full view/dimension/measure catalog.
query_metrics(
view="observations",
metrics=[{"measure": "totalCost", "aggregation": "sum"},
{"measure": "latency", "aggregation": "p95"}],
dimensions=["providedModelName"],
age=1440, # last 24h; or pass from_timestamp / to_timestamp
)High-cardinality fields (id, traceId, userId, sessionId) must be used in filters, not dimensions. The v2 metrics endpoint is Langfuse Cloud-only; self-hosted instances may return 404.
Selective Tool Loading
Load only the tool groups you need to reduce token overhead:
langfuse-mcp --tools traces,promptsAvailable groups: traces, observations, routing, sessions, exceptions, prompts, datasets, annotation_queues, scores, metrics, schema
The routing group is router-neutral. It reads Langfuse span observations with metadata.schema_version: "mcp.route_decision.v1" and filters on route-decision fields stored in observation metadata, such as decision_id, router_name, provider, and capability_id.
Read-Only Mode
Disable all write operations for safer read-only access:
langfuse-mcp --read-only
# Or via environment variable
LANGFUSE_MCP_READ_ONLY=true langfuse-mcpThis disables: create_text_prompt, create_chat_prompt, update_prompt_labels, create_dataset, create_dataset_item, delete_dataset_item, create_dataset_run_item, delete_dataset_run, create_annotation_queue, create_annotation_queue_item, update_annotation_queue_item, delete_annotation_queue_item, create_annotation_queue_assignment, delete_annotation_queue_assignment
Default Output Mode
Set the MCP-exposed default output_mode so clients that omit the parameter automatically use your preferred mode:
langfuse-mcp --default-output-mode full_json_file
# Or via environment variable
LANGFUSE_MCP_DEFAULT_OUTPUT_MODE=full_json_file langfuse-mcpSupported values: compact, full_json_string, full_json_file
This updates the default shown in MCP tool schemas. Clients can still override it per call by passing output_mode explicitly.
Other Clients
Cursor
Create .cursor/mcp.json in your project (or ~/.cursor/mcp.json for global):
{
"mcpServers": {
"langfuse": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["langfuse-mcp"],
"env": {
"LANGFUSE_PUBLIC_KEY": "pk-...",
"LANGFUSE_SECRET_KEY": "sk-...",
"LANGFUSE_HOST": "https://cloud.langfuse.com",
"LANGFUSE_MCP_DEFAULT_OUTPUT_MODE": "full_json_file"
}
}
}
}Docker (single project)
docker run --rm -i \
-e LANGFUSE_PUBLIC_KEY=pk-... \
-e LANGFUSE_SECRET_KEY=sk-... \
-e LANGFUSE_HOST=https://cloud.langfuse.com \
ghcr.io/avivsinai/langfuse-mcp:latestHTTP transport — shared server for multiple projects
Run one persistent server instance and route each MCP client to its own Langfuse project by passing credentials in the Authorization header.
# Start a shared server (binds to localhost by default)
docker run -d -p 127.0.0.1:8000:8000 \
-e LANGFUSE_HOST=https://cloud.langfuse.com \
ghcr.io/avivsinai/langfuse-mcp:latest \
--transport streamable-http --bind-host 0.0.0.0Security note:
--bind-host 0.0.0.0exposes the port on all interfaces. Inproduction, place the server behind a TLS-terminating reverse proxy (nginx, Caddy,
Cloudflare Tunnel) that enforces HTTPS. The
Authorizationheader containing yourkeys is transmitted in plaintext over plain HTTP. If startup credentials are set,
the proxy must enforce authentication; otherwise unauthenticated callers without an
Authorizationheader can use the default project. For shared public HTTP deployments,omit default
LANGFUSE_PUBLIC_KEY/LANGFUSE_SECRET_KEYcredentials unless thefronting proxy authenticates every request.
Register each project separately in your MCP client, passing its credentials as a Basic auth header (base64(public_key:secret_key)):
# Generate the header value for each project:
echo -n "pk-lf-YOURKEY:sk-lf-YOURSECRET" | base64
# cGstbGYtWU9VUktFWTpzay1sZi1ZT1VSU0VDUkVU
# Register in Claude Code (one entry per project):
claude mcp add langfuse-audit \
--transport http http://localhost:8000/mcp \
-H "Authorization: Basic cGstbGYtWU9VUktFWTpzay1sZi1ZT1VSU0VDUkVU"
claude mcp add langfuse-staging \
--transport http http://localhost:8000/mcp \
-H "Authorization: Basic <base64 for staging project>"Auth semantics: Basic here carries Langfuse API keys, not user passwords. An absent header falls back to startup env credentials (LANGFUSE_PUBLIC_KEY / LANGFUSE_SECRET_KEY). Any malformed header is rejected outright — there is no silent fallback to a different project.
Optional environment variables
| Variable | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
LANGFUSE_MAX_AGE_DAYS | 7 | Caps the lookback window for time-based tools (fetch_traces, fetch_observations, etc.). Set to match your Langfuse instance's data retention — e.g. 30 if your retention is 30 days. |
Development
uv venv --python 3.14 .venv && source .venv/bin/activate
uv pip install -e ".[dev]"
pytestLicense
MIT
Install & Usage
mkdir -p .claude/skillsmkdir -p .claude/skills && curl -o .claude/skills/langfuse.md https://raw.githubusercontent.com/avivsinai/langfuse-mcp/main/SKILL.md/langfuseFrequently Asked Questions
What is langfuse?
Langfuse observability - query traces, debug exceptions, analyze sessions, manage prompts and datasets via MCP tools. First LLM observability skill for Claude Code and Codex.
How to install langfuse?
To install langfuse, create the .claude/skills directory in your project, then run the curl command to download the skill file. Once installed, invoke it in Claude Code with /langfuse.
What is langfuse best for?
langfuse is a community categorized under Data & Analytics. It is designed for: mcp, langfuse, observability, traces, llm, prompts, datasets, debugging. Created by Aviv Sinai.