DebateTalk MCP

Official MCP server and CLI for DebateTalk — run structured multi-model AI debates from your AI assistant or terminal.

DebateTalk makes multiple AI models argue a question independently, challenge each other's reasoning, and converge on a structured synthesis: Strong Ground, Fault Lines, Blind Spots, and Your Call.

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Features

• MCP server — connect Claude Desktop, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client to DebateTalk
• CLI — run debates and check model status from the terminal
• Streaming output — debates stream in real time via SSE
• 5 tools: run_debate, get_model_status, recommend_models, estimate_cost, get_history

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Quickstart

Claude Code — plugin marketplace

1. Add the DebateTalk marketplace:

/plugin marketplace add DebateTalk-AI/mcp

2. Install the plugin:

/plugin install debatetalk@debatetalk-mcp

3. Set your API key:

Get a key at console.debatetalk.ai/api-keys, then add it to ~/.claude/settings.json:

{
  "pluginConfigs": {
    "debatetalk@debatetalk-mcp": {
      "options": {
        "api_key": "dt_your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Then run /reload-plugins — the five DebateTalk tools are immediately available in your session.

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MCP (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline, Goose, and any MCP-compatible client)

1. Get an API key

Create a key at console.debatetalk.ai/api-keys. Requires a Pro or Enterprise plan. Free tier: 5 debates/day.

2. Add to your MCP client config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dt": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@debatetalk/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "DEBATETALK_API_KEY": "dt_your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Config file locations:

• Claude Desktop (Mac): ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Claude Desktop (Windows): %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• Claude Code: ~/.claude/settings.json (under mcpServers)
• Cursor: .cursor/mcp.json in your project root
• Windsurf: ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json
• Cline / Roo Code: MCP settings panel in VS Code extension
• Goose: ~/.config/goose/config.yaml (under extensions)
• Other clients: refer to your client's MCP documentation

3. Ask your AI assistant to run a debate

MCP clients read the tool description to decide when to call it — no exact phrasing required. Any of these work:

"debate whether we should rewrite our backend in Go" "use DT — should we raise our Series A now?" "multi-model this: is Rust worth learning in 2026?" "stress-test this architecture decision" "get a second opinion on moving to microservices"

Claude will also invoke it proactively for high-stakes decisions where a single AI answer is insufficient.

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CLI

Install globally:

npm install -g @debatetalk/mcp

Set your API key:

export DEBATETALK_API_KEY=dt_your_key_here

Run a debate:

dt debate "Should we adopt microservices?"

Check which models are online:

dt models

Get a recommended model panel for your question:

dt recommend "Is Rust worth learning in 2026?"

Estimate cost before running:

dt cost "Should we raise our Series A now?"

View past debates:

dt history
dt history --limit 5

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MCP Tools Reference

Tool	Auth required	Description
run_debate	Yes	Run a structured multi-model debate (streaming)
get_model_status	No	Real-time health and latency for all models
recommend_models	No	Get the best model panel for your question
estimate_cost	Yes	Estimate credit cost before running
get_history	Yes	List your past debates

run_debate

question     string   required   The question or topic to debate
models       array    optional   Specific model IDs to use (omit for smart routing)
rounds       number   optional   Number of deliberation rounds (default: 2)

get_model_status

No parameters. Returns live health, latency, and uptime per model.

recommend_models

question     string   required   The question — routing picks the strongest panel

estimate_cost

question     string   required
models       array    optional
rounds       number   optional

get_history

limit        number   optional   Number of debates to return (default: 20, max: 100)

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Configuration

Variable	Required	Description
DEBATETALK_API_KEY	For authenticated tools	Your API key from console.debatetalk.ai

Public tools (get_model_status, recommend_models) work without an API key.

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Plans & Limits

Plan	Debates/day	API keys	Debaters
Free	5	—	3
Pro	Unlimited	2	5
Enterprise	Unlimited	Unlimited	10

Full pricing →

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Development

git clone https://github.com/DebateTalk-AI/mcp
cd mcp
npm install
npm run build
npm test

Run MCP server locally:

DEBATETALK_API_KEY=dt_your_key npm run dev:mcp

Run CLI locally:

DEBATETALK_API_KEY=dt_your_key npm run dev:cli -- debate "your question"

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Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md. Issues and PRs welcome.

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License

MIT — see LICENSE.