diff --git a/mcp/.env.example b/mcp/.env.example
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+# MCP Server — copy to .env and fill in values
+
+# Authenticates AI clients (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, etc.) → MCP server
+# Generate: python3 -c "import secrets; print('mcp_sk_' + secrets.token_hex(24))"
+MCP_API_KEY=mcp_sk_changeme
+
+# Authenticates MCP server → backend (must match MCP_SERVICE_KEY in backend .env)
+# Generate: python3 -c "import secrets; print('svc_' + secrets.token_hex(24))"
+MCP_SERVICE_KEY=svc_changeme
+
+# Backend URL — use http://backend:8000 in Docker, http://localhost:8000 for local dev
+BACKEND_URL=http://localhost:8000