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

# Install a development candidate

> Obtain an unpublished, verified archive without assuming a public npm release.

# Install a development candidate

> **Public documentation preview — incomplete.** The SDK and optional AI SDK peers are private and unpublished. This page does not provide an archive, public registry release or permission to make live provider requests.

The package is currently `private: true` and versioned `0.0.0-development`. **Do not run `npm install @surf-lab/mcprouter` against the public registry and expect this candidate.** Obtain an approved archive from the maintainer, with its expected SHA-256 hash and dependency provisioning instructions. Installation does not authorize provider requests, publication or access to MCP servers.

The package declares ESM with Node.js `>=22.3.0` and npm `>=10.9.0` on compatible pairs; accepted consumer examples target Node 22 and 24. This declaration is not blanket OS/version certification. Before installing, verify the archive against the maintainer's record. For example, on a system with `shasum`:

```sh theme={null}
shasum -a 256 /absolute/path/to/approved-candidate.tgz
# Compare the printed digest with the maintainer's recorded digest.
npm install --ignore-scripts /absolute/path/to/approved-candidate.tgz
```

Replace the path and verify the digest **before** executing the install command. Use a fresh ESM consumer and provision dependencies first; offline tests must deny external networking during execution, not silently fall back to a registry. Imports must resolve from the installed archive, not the source tree or a `dist` alias.

```js theme={null}
import { createRouter } from '@surf-lab/mcprouter';
```

Core calls need no AI SDK peer, model, key or download. The optional `@surf-lab/mcprouter/ai-sdk` subpath currently requires the separately supplied private `ai@7.0.137-mcprouter.2` peer; the example OpenAI-compatible provider uses private `@ai-sdk/openai@4.0.91-mcprouter.2`. Obtain verified, compatible peer archives through your maintainer; public registry versions are **not** assumed interchangeable.

After installing, try a [synthetic first governed call](/start/first-call). See [integration choices](/start/choose-integration) before setting up a model or a remote MCP endpoint.


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