Connect via MCP Client

Toolbox SDKs vs Model Context Protocol (MCP)

Toolbox now supports connections via both the native Toolbox SDKs and via Model Context Protocol (MCP). However, Toolbox has several features which are not supported in the MCP specification (such as Authenticated Parameters and Authorized invocation).

We recommend using the native SDKs over MCP clients to leverage these features. The native SDKs can be combined with MCP clients in many cases.

Protocol Versions

Toolbox currently supports the following versions of MCP specification:

• 2024-11-05

Features Not Supported by MCP

Toolbox has several features that are not yet supported in the MCP specification:

• AuthZ/AuthN: There are no auth implementation in the 2024-11-05 specification. This includes:
  • Authenticated Parameters
  • Authorized Invocations
• Notifications: Currently, editing Toolbox Tools requires a server restart. Clients should reload tools on disconnect to get the latest version.

Connecting to Toolbox with an MCP client

Before you begin

1. Install Toolbox version 0.3.0+.

2. Make sure you’ve set up and initialized your database.

3. Set up your tools.yaml file.

Connecting via HTTP

Toolbox supports the HTTP transport protocol with and without SSE.

• HTTP with SSE
• HTTP POST

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "toolbox": {
      "type": "sse",
      "url": "http://127.0.0.1:5000/mcp/sse",
    }
  }
}

Using the MCP Inspector with Toolbox

Use MCP Inspector for testing and debugging Toolbox server.

1. Run Toolbox.

2. In a separate terminal, run Inspector directly through npx:

   npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector
   

3. For Transport Type dropdown menu, select SSE.

4. For URL, type in http://127.0.0.1:5000/mcp/sse to use all tool or http//127.0.0.1:5000/mcp/{toolset_name}/sse to use a specific toolset.

5. Click the Connect button. Voila! You should be able to inspect your toolbox tools!

Tested Clients