MCP connector

Claude's Model Context Protocol (MCP) connector feature enables you to connect to remote MCP servers directly from the Messages API without a separate MCP client.

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Key features

• Direct API integration: Connect to MCP servers without implementing an MCP client
• Tool calling support: Access MCP tools through the Messages API
• Flexible tool configuration: Enable all tools, allowlist specific tools, or denylist unwanted tools
• Per-tool configuration: Configure individual tools with custom settings
• OAuth authentication: Support for OAuth Bearer tokens for authenticated servers
• Multiple servers: Connect to multiple MCP servers in a single request

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When Claude uses MCP tools

Once an MCP server is connected, Claude calls its tools when the user's request maps to a tool's described capability, either explicitly ("search Jira for open bugs") or implicitly ("what's blocking the release?" with a Jira server attached).

Claude does not call an MCP tool for general knowledge questions about a connected service. Asking "how do Notion databases work?" with a Notion server attached is answered directly; asking "what's in my Projects database?" triggers the tool.

You can steer how readily Claude calls MCP tools through your system prompt. See When Claude uses tools for general guidance and example phrasings.

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Limitations

• Of the feature set of the MCP specification, only tool calls are currently supported.
• The server must be publicly exposed through HTTP (supports both Streamable HTTP and SSE transports). Local STDIO servers cannot be connected directly.

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Using the MCP connector in the Messages API

The MCP connector uses two components:

1. MCP Server Definition (mcp_servers array): Defines server connection details (URL, authentication)
2. MCP Toolset (tools array): Configures which tools to enable and how to configure them

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Basic example

This example enables all tools from an MCP server with default configuration:

client = anthropic.Anthropic()

response = client.beta.messages.create(
    model="claude-opus-5",
    max_tokens=1000,
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "What tools do you have available?"}],
    mcp_servers=[
        {
            "type": "url",
            "url": "https://example-server.modelcontextprotocol.io/sse",
            "name": "example-mcp",
            "authorization_token": "YOUR_TOKEN",
        }
    ],
    tools=[{"type": "mcp_toolset", "mcp_server_name": "example-mcp"}],
    betas=["mcp-client-2025-11-20"],
)

print(response)

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MCP server configuration

Each MCP server in the mcp_servers array defines the connection details:

{
  "type": "url",
  "url": "https://example-server.modelcontextprotocol.io/sse",
  "name": "example-mcp",
  "authorization_token": "YOUR_TOKEN"
}

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Field descriptions

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MCP toolset configuration

The MCPToolset lives in the tools array and configures which tools from the MCP server are enabled and how they should be configured.

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Basic structure

{
  "type": "mcp_toolset",
  "mcp_server_name": "example-mcp",
  "default_config": {
    "enabled": true,
    "defer_loading": false
  },
  "configs": {
    "specific_tool_name": {
      "enabled": true,
      "defer_loading": true
    }
  }
}

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Field descriptions

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Tool configuration options

Each tool (whether configured in default_config or in configs) supports the following fields:

For the full directory of Anthropic-provided tools and optional properties such as defer_loading, see the Tool reference. For searching across large tool sets, see Tool search tool.

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Configuration merging

Configuration values merge with this precedence (highest to lowest):

1. Tool-specific settings in configs
2. Set-level default_config
3. System defaults

Example:

{
  "type": "mcp_toolset",
  "mcp_server_name": "google-calendar-mcp",
  "default_config": {
    "defer_loading": true
  },
  "configs": {
    "search_events": {
      "enabled": false
    }
  }
}

Results in:

• search_events: enabled: false (from configs), defer_loading: true (from default_config)
• All other tools: enabled: true (system default), defer_loading: true (from default_config)

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Common configuration patterns

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Enable all tools with default configuration

The simplest pattern - enable all tools from a server:

{
  "type": "mcp_toolset",
  "mcp_server_name": "google-calendar-mcp"
}

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Allowlist: enable only specific tools

Set enabled: false as the default, then explicitly enable specific tools:

{
  "type": "mcp_toolset",
  "mcp_server_name": "google-calendar-mcp",
  "default_config": {
    "enabled": false
  },
  "configs": {
    "search_events": {
      "enabled": true
    },
    "create_event": {
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}

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Denylist: disable specific tools

Enable all tools by default, then explicitly disable unwanted tools. Denylisting write or destructive tools is recommended when building read-only assistants, or when you want a human confirmation step before state changes:

{
  "type": "mcp_toolset",
  "mcp_server_name": "google-calendar-mcp",
  "configs": {
    "delete_all_events": {
      "enabled": false
    },
    "share_calendar_publicly": {
      "enabled": false
    }
  }
}

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Mixed: allowlist with per-tool configuration

Combine allowlisting with custom configuration for each tool:

{
  "type": "mcp_toolset",
  "mcp_server_name": "google-calendar-mcp",
  "default_config": {
    "enabled": false,
    "defer_loading": true
  },
  "configs": {
    "search_events": {
      "enabled": true,
      "defer_loading": false
    },
    "list_events": {
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}

In this example:

• search_events is enabled with defer_loading: false
• list_events is enabled with defer_loading: true (inherited from default_config)
• All other tools are disabled

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Validation rules

The API enforces these validation rules:

• Server must exist: The mcp_server_name in an MCPToolset must match a server defined in the mcp_servers array
• Server must be used: Every MCP server defined in mcp_servers must be referenced by exactly one MCPToolset
• Unique toolset per server: Each MCP server can only be referenced by one MCPToolset
• Unknown tool names: If a tool name in configs doesn't exist on the MCP server, a backend warning is logged but no error is returned (MCP servers may have dynamic tool availability)

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Response content types

When Claude uses MCP tools, the response includes two new content block types:

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MCP tool use block

{
  "type": "mcp_tool_use",
  "id": "mcptoolu_014Q35RayjACSWkSj4X2yov1",
  "name": "echo",
  "server_name": "example-mcp",
  "input": { "param1": "value1", "param2": "value2" }
}

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MCP tool result block

{
  "type": "mcp_tool_result",
  "tool_use_id": "mcptoolu_014Q35RayjACSWkSj4X2yov1",
  "is_error": false,
  "content": [
    {
      "type": "text",
      "text": "Hello"
    }
  ]
}

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Multiple MCP servers

You can connect to multiple MCP servers by including multiple server definitions in mcp_servers and a corresponding MCPToolset for each in the tools array:

{
  "model": "claude-opus-5",
  "max_tokens": 1000,
  "messages": [
    {
      "role": "user",
      "content": "Use tools from both mcp-server-1 and mcp-server-2 to complete this task"
    }
  ],
  "mcp_servers": [
    {
      "type": "url",
      "url": "https://mcp.example1.com/sse",
      "name": "mcp-server-1",
      "authorization_token": "TOKEN1"
    },
    {
      "type": "url",
      "url": "https://mcp.example2.com/sse",
      "name": "mcp-server-2",
      "authorization_token": "TOKEN2"
    }
  ],
  "tools": [
    {
      "type": "mcp_toolset",
      "mcp_server_name": "mcp-server-1"
    },
    {
      "type": "mcp_toolset",
      "mcp_server_name": "mcp-server-2",
      "default_config": {
        "defer_loading": true
      }
    }
  ]
}

With many tools available, Claude selects based on tool names and descriptions. Clear, specific tool descriptions improve selection accuracy. For large tool sets (dozens of tools across several servers), consider enabling defer_loading with the Tool search tool so only relevant tools are surfaced per query.

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Authentication

For MCP servers that require OAuth authentication, you'll need to obtain an access token. The MCP connector beta supports passing an authorization_token parameter in the MCP server definition. API consumers are expected to handle the OAuth flow and obtain the access token prior to making the API call, and to refresh the token as needed.

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Obtaining an access token for testing

The MCP inspector can guide you through the process of obtaining an access token for testing purposes.

1. Run the inspector with the following command. You need Node.js installed on your machine.

   npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector

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2. In the sidebar on the left, for "Transport type", select either "SSE" or "Streamable HTTP".

3. Enter the URL of the MCP server.

4. In the right area, click the "Open Auth Settings" button after "Need to configure authentication?".

5. Click "Quick OAuth Flow" and authorize on the OAuth screen.

6. Follow the steps in the "OAuth Flow Progress" section of the inspector and click "Continue" until you reach "Authentication complete".

7. Copy the access_token value.

8. Paste it into the authorization_token field in your MCP server configuration.

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Using the access token

Once you've obtained an access token using either of the preceding OAuth flows, you can use it in your MCP server configuration:

{
  "mcp_servers": [
    {
      "type": "url",
      "url": "https://example-server.modelcontextprotocol.io/sse",
      "name": "authenticated-server",
      "authorization_token": "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN_HERE"
    }
  ]
}

For detailed explanations of the OAuth flow, refer to the Authorization section in the MCP specification.

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Client-side MCP helpers

If you manage your own MCP client connection (for example, with local stdio servers, MCP prompts, or MCP resources), the SDKs provide helper functions that convert between MCP types and Claude API types. This eliminates manual conversion code when using an MCP SDK for your language (for example, the TypeScript MCP SDK) alongside the Anthropic SDK.

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Installation

Install both the Anthropic SDK and the MCP SDK:

pip install "anthropic[mcp]"

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Available helpers

Import the helpers for your language:

from anthropic.lib.tools.mcp import (
    async_mcp_tool,
    mcp_message,
    mcp_resource_to_content,
    mcp_resource_to_file,
)

Helper names and exact signatures follow each language's conventions; this table shows the TypeScript forms:

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Use MCP tools

Convert MCP tools for use with the SDK's tool runner, which handles tool execution automatically:

from anthropic.lib.tools.mcp import async_mcp_tool
from mcp import ClientSession
from mcp.client.stdio import StdioServerParameters, stdio_client

client = AsyncAnthropic()


async def main() -> None:
    # Connect to an MCP server
    server_params = StdioServerParameters(command="mcp-server")
    async with stdio_client(server_params) as (read, write):
        async with ClientSession(read, write) as mcp_client:
            await mcp_client.initialize()

            # List tools and convert them for the Claude API
            tools_result = await mcp_client.list_tools()
            runner = client.beta.messages.tool_runner(
                model="claude-opus-5",
                max_tokens=1024,
                messages=[
                    {"role": "user", "content": "What tools do you have available?"},
                ],
                tools=[async_mcp_tool(tool, mcp_client) for tool in tools_result.tools],
            )

            final_message = await runner.until_done()
            print(final_message)


asyncio.run(main())

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Use MCP prompts

Convert MCP prompt messages into Claude API message format:

from anthropic.lib.tools.mcp import mcp_message

prompt = await mcp_client.get_prompt(name="my-prompt")
response = await client.beta.messages.create(
    model="claude-opus-5",
    max_tokens=1024,
    messages=[mcp_message(message) for message in prompt.messages],
)

print(response)

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Use MCP resources

Convert MCP resources into content blocks to include in messages, or into file objects for upload:

from anthropic.lib.tools.mcp import (
    mcp_resource_to_content,
    mcp_resource_to_file,
)

# As a content block in a message
resource = await mcp_client.read_resource(uri="file:///path/to/doc.txt")
response = await client.beta.messages.create(
    model="claude-opus-5",
    max_tokens=1024,
    messages=[
        {
            "role": "user",
            "content": [
                mcp_resource_to_content(resource),
                {"type": "text", "text": "Summarize this document"},
            ],
        }
    ],
)
print(response)

# As a file upload
file_resource = await mcp_client.read_resource(
    uri="file:///path/to/data.json",
)
uploaded = await client.beta.files.upload(
    file=mcp_resource_to_file(file_resource),
)
print(uploaded.id)

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Error handling

The conversion functions throw UnsupportedMCPValueError if an MCP value isn't supported by the Claude API (in Go, the helpers return an UnsupportedValueError; in Java and C#, they throw AnthropicInvalidDataException). This can happen with unsupported content types, MIME types, or resource links (resolve resource links with your MCP client before converting).

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Batch requests

You can include mcp_servers in Message Batches API requests. MCP tool calls through the Batches API are priced the same as those in regular Messages API requests.

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Data retention

The MCP connector is not covered by ZDR arrangements. Data exchanged with MCP servers, including tool definitions and execution results, is retained according to Anthropic's standard data retention policy.

For ZDR eligibility across all features, see API and data retention.

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Migration guide

If you're using the deprecated mcp-client-2025-04-04 beta header, follow this guide to migrate to the new version.

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Key changes

1. New beta header: Change from mcp-client-2025-04-04 to mcp-client-2025-11-20
2. Tool configuration moved: Tool configuration now lives in the tools array as MCPToolset objects, not in the MCP server definition
3. More flexible configuration: New pattern supports allowlisting, denylisting, and per-tool configuration

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Migration steps

Before (deprecated):

{
  "model": "claude-opus-5",
  "max_tokens": 1000,
  "messages": [
    // ...
  ],
  "mcp_servers": [
    {
      "type": "url",
      "url": "https://mcp.example.com/sse",
      "name": "example-mcp",
      "authorization_token": "YOUR_TOKEN",
      "tool_configuration": {
        "enabled": true,
        "allowed_tools": ["tool1", "tool2"]
      }
    }
  ]
}

After (current):

{
  "model": "claude-opus-5",
  "max_tokens": 1000,
  "messages": [
    // ...
  ],
  "mcp_servers": [
    {
      "type": "url",
      "url": "https://mcp.example.com/sse",
      "name": "example-mcp",
      "authorization_token": "YOUR_TOKEN"
    }
  ],
  "tools": [
    {
      "type": "mcp_toolset",
      "mcp_server_name": "example-mcp",
      "default_config": {
        "enabled": false
      },
      "configs": {
        "tool1": {
          "enabled": true
        },
        "tool2": {
          "enabled": true
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

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Common migration patterns

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Deprecated version: mcp-client-2025-04-04

The previous version of the MCP connector included tool configuration directly in the MCP server definition:

{
  "mcp_servers": [
    {
      "type": "url",
      "url": "https://example-server.modelcontextprotocol.io/sse",
      "name": "example-mcp",
      "authorization_token": "YOUR_TOKEN",
      "tool_configuration": {
        "enabled": true,
        "allowed_tools": ["example_tool_1", "example_tool_2"]
      }
    }
  ]
}

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Deprecated field descriptions