search_human_interface_guidelines
Search Apple Human Interface Guidelines by keywords
LABSCO SUMMARY
Apple's design and API references, searchable side by side, so guidance and implementation land together.
Keeping the HIG and the API docs behind one server means an agent can ask how a component should look and how to build it in the same breath — search_unified returns the design rule and the framework symbol together instead of sending you to two sites.
What it is
A server that gives an assistant Apple development guidance: it searches the Human Interface Guidelines for design rules and Apple's technical documentation for API reference, and can search both at once for end-to-end answers.
What you get
- search_human_interface_guidelines searches the HIG by keyword, with platform filters across iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS, returning full content rather than snippets
- search_technical_documentation searches Apple API docs, with framework-specific searches like SwiftUI and UIKit and symbol lookups
- search_unified searches design guidelines and technical docs together, cross-referencing a design principle with how to implement it
Requirements
Runs on Node via npx or a global install; no account or key.
Setup effort
One command — npx -y apple-dev-mcp
USE CASES
01
Designing a component to Apple's guidelines
search_human_interface_guidelines returns the HIG rules for something like tab bars on iOS, in full rather than as a snippet.
02
Finding the API to implement it
search_technical_documentation looks up the symbol or method in a framework like SwiftUI.
03
Getting design and code in one answer
search_unified cross-references the guideline with its implementation, so navigation on iOS returns both the rule and the API.
3 tools
Counted once with only startup setup. Other versions, modes or optional credentials may expose a different list.
search_technical_documentation
Search Apple technical documentation and API references
search_unified
Unified search across both HIG design guidelines and technical documentation
BEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Tools you get
3 tools when we connected.
Requires
npx on PATH
CONTEXT COST
Light Standing cost
Rated by the size of the 3 tool definitions that ride along on every turn, not by how many there are
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
Add the block to your client, or run the command directly.
Server setup
Configuration file
JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"apple-dev-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"apple-dev-mcp"
]
}
}
}npx
TERMINAL
npx -y apple-dev-mcp
