MCP Discovery, developed by Rust MCP Stack, is a client-side command-line interface tool built with Rust. It helps developers interact with servers implementing the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard for AI systems to connect with external resources. This tool focuses on discovering and documenting the capabilities of these MCP Servers. It is distributed via shell scripts, Homebrew, and as a GitHub Action, making it accessible for various development environments.

What does MCP Discovery connect to?

MCP Discovery connects to an MCP Server, functioning as an MCP server discovery tool. Its core purpose is to uncover and document the capabilities of servers adhering to the Model Context Protocol (MCP). The Model Context Protocol is an open standard designed to allow AI systems to link with external tools, data sources, and services. It supports stdio, Streamable HTTP, and Server-Sent Events (SSE) as transport protocols for interactions.

Core features and tools

MCP Discovery exposes specific callable tools as subcommands. The print subcommand displays MCP Server capabilities directly in the terminal. The create subcommand generates a new file containing detailed MCP Server capability information. The update subcommand modifies an existing file by inserting MCP Server capabilities between designated markers. If no subcommand is specified, print is used by default, providing quick access to server details.

Who is it for?

This tool is for developers and teams working with MCP Servers and AI agents, particularly MCP Server developers. It supports workflows like displaying server capabilities for quick review, generating structured documentation, and automating updates to existing documentation. Compatible AI clients include Large Language Models, Claude Desktop, Cursor, ChatGPT, VS Code extensions, Windsurf, and custom AI agents. Skip this if you are not developing or interacting with Model Context Protocol servers.

How to get started

Access is granted through a standard OAuth authorization flow. The setup involves MCP servers advertising their authorization servers via OAuth 2.0 Protected Resource Metadata, and MCP clients supporting OAuth 2.0 Authorization Server Metadata and OpenID Connect Discovery.

Use cases

• Displaying MCP Server capabilities directly in the terminal for quick review.
• Generating structured documentation files (e.g., Markdown, HTML, JSON) of MCP Server capabilities.
• Automating the update of existing documentation files (e.g., repository READMEs) to reflect the latest server capabilities, often through integration as a GitHub Action.

MCP Discovery is a specialized CLI tool for interacting with Model Context Protocol servers, aiding developers in understanding and documenting server capabilities. It supports various documentation workflows and integrates into CI/CD pipelines via GitHub Actions. The tool helps developers connect AI systems to external tools and data sources.