How to Connect Goose to NinjaTrader 8 with CrossTrade MCP

Goose is Block's open-source AI agent (now stewarded by the Agentic AI Foundation under the Linux Foundation). MCP-first design. Config gotcha: Goose uses 'extensions:' as the top-level key (not 'mcpServers'), and uses 'uri:' (not 'url:') for remote servers.

OAuth scope: mcp:tradeMulti-model harness

Prerequisites

Requirement	Detail
CrossTrade subscription	Elite
CrossTrade Add-On	v1.13.0 or higher
NinjaTrader 8	Running, broker connected
Account	Sim101 for first runs
OAuth scope	`mcp:trade`
Install command	`curl -fsSL https://github.com/aaif-goose/goose/releases/download/stable/download_cli.sh \| bash`
Config file	`~/.config/goose/config.yaml (macOS/Linux), %APPDATA%/Block/goose/config/config.yaml (Windows)`

CrossTrade MCP server

https://app.crosstrade.io/v1/api/mcp

Transport: streamable-http. Auth: OAuth 2.1 + PKCE. Request scope mcp:trade. Read plus write. Place/cancel orders, deploy strategies, compile NinjaScript.

Step 1: Install Goose

# CLI (macOS/Linux)
curl -fsSL https://github.com/aaif-goose/goose/releases/download/stable/download_cli.sh | bash

# CLI (Homebrew)
brew install block-goose-cli

# Desktop (Homebrew)
brew install --cask block-goose

Or download from goose-docs.ai. Linux desktop ships as DEB/RPM/Flatpak. Windows uses PowerShell download_cli.ps1.

Run goose configure to set up your provider (Anthropic / OpenAI / OpenRouter / etc.).

Step 2: Register CrossTrade as an extension

Easiest path: goose configure → Add Extension → Remote Extension (Streamable HTTP) → enter URI, timeout, description.

Or edit ~/.config/goose/config.yaml (Windows: %APPDATA%\Block\goose\config\config.yaml):

extensions:
  crosstrade:
    enabled: true
    type: streamable_http
    name: crosstrade
    uri: https://app.crosstrade.io/v1/api/mcp
    headers:
      Authorization: "Bearer ${CROSSTRADE_API_KEY}"
      Accept: "application/json, text/event-stream"
    timeout: 300

Goose-specific naming

Top-level key is extensions:, NOT mcpServers:.
The URL field is uri:, NOT url:.
The transport is streamable_http (snake_case), NOT streamable-http (kebab) or streamableHttp (camelCase).

Three different conventions across the MCP-host ecosystem and Goose is unique on all three.

The Accept: "application/json, text/event-stream" header is required for many Streamable HTTP MCP servers including CrossTrade — without it the transport silently doesn't upgrade.

Step 3: OAuth

For MCP servers that return 401 WWW-Authenticate (CrossTrade does), Goose initiates a device-authorization grant automatically. Watch the terminal for the user-code + verification URL, complete in browser, return.

If your server uses a static bearer token, put it in headers: as shown above.

Step 4: First session

goose session

Then:

Confirm CrossTrade MCP is connected. Call ListAccounts and GetConnections.
One-line status per account.

Step 5: NinjaScript work

Goose supports the standard compile loop. Because Goose has tasteful defaults around tool approval, it's particularly good for mcp:trade runs where you want every write paused for confirmation.

FAQ

Why is the project URL different now?

The project moved from block/goose to the Agentic AI Foundation (aaif-goose/goose) under the Linux Foundation. The official docs URL is goose-docs.ai; block.github.io/goose redirects.

SSE or Streamable HTTP?

Use Streamable HTTP (type: streamable_http). SSE is supported but the OAuth and modern features land on streamable_http first.

OAuth handshake

The first tool call surfaces an authorization URL. Open it in a browser, approve mcp:trade, and return to the harness. The access token is stored by the harness (keychain, config file, or memory depending on the client).

See CrossTrade MCP OAuth for the full flow, and 403/408 troubleshooting if the handshake fails.

Verify the connection

Smoke-test before doing anything stateful:

Call GetMcpCapabilities and McpSelfTest. Then ListAccounts and GetConnections.
Report add-on version, NT8 version, and which accounts are linked.

If you authorized mcp:trade, also confirm Sim101 is the default account before any order placement.

Funded-account safety

The mcp:trade scope grants order placement. The scope does not protect a funded account; your prompt and account selection do. Default to Sim101 during setup. For funded accounts, verify the firm's automation policy first.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
403 insufficient_scope	Token authorized at mcp:read but tool requires mcp:trade	Reauthorize the connection and select mcp:trade
OAuth callback fails	System browser blocked the redirect or popup	Copy the auth URL manually, complete it, paste the code back
Tools list is empty after connect	Server registered but session did not refresh	Restart the harness or trigger a tool list refresh
Add-on offline error	NT8 not running, or add-on not loaded	Confirm NT8 is open and the CrossTrade add-on (v1.13.0+) is installed
Extension defined but never loads	Used "mcpServers:" or "url:" — wrong keys for Goose	Goose uses top-level "extensions:" and "uri:" (not "mcpServers" and "url"). This is the #1 paste-from-other-tool mistake
Streamable HTTP transport never upgrades	Missing Accept header	Add Accept: "application/json, text/event-stream" to the headers block (Goose issue #6576)
Brew formula not found	Project moved from "goose" formula to "block-goose-cli"	brew install block-goose-cli (the old "goose" name belongs to an unrelated DB migration tool)

Prerequisites

Step 1: Install Goose​

Step 2: Register CrossTrade as an extension​

Step 3: OAuth​

Step 4: First session​

Step 5: NinjaScript work​

FAQ​

Why is the project URL different now?​

SSE or Streamable HTTP?​