Understanding MCP Tools

MCP Tools (Model Context Protocol Tools) are a way for compatible AI models (currently primarily Anthropic’s Claude models in Snowgoose) to interact with external functionalities configured by an administrator.

What Problem Do They Solve?

Standard AI models have limitations:

• Knowledge Cutoff: They don’t know about events or information created after their training data was collected.
• Lack of Real-time Data: They cannot access live information like current time, weather, stock prices, etc.
• Inability to Act: They cannot perform actions in external systems (e.g., booking a meeting, sending an email).

MCP Tools provide a standardized way for the AI model to request access to these external capabilities when needed.

How Do They Work (Simplified)?

1. Admin Configuration: An administrator sets up an MCP Tool in Snowgoose (e.g., a “Current Time Tool”). This involves defining the tool’s name, description, expected inputs, and linking it to a script/server (mcp_servers/mcp-time-js/ in the repo) that actually performs the function (like getting the current time). See Admin: MCP Tools.
2. User Selection: When using a compatible AI model (like Claude 3.7 Sonnet), the user selects the desired MCP Tool from the “More Options” popover.
3. AI Recognition: The user sends a prompt that requires the tool’s functionality (e.g., “What time is it?”).
4. Tool Request: The AI model recognizes it needs the tool and signals its intent to use it, specifying any necessary inputs (like a timezone).
5. Execution: Snowgoose receives the request, runs the corresponding server script (e.g., mcp-time-js), and gets the result (e.g., the current time).
6. Result Return: The result is sent back to the AI model.
7. Final Response: The AI uses the tool’s result to formulate its final answer to the user (e.g., “The current time is 10:30 AM PST.”).

Availability

• MCP Tool selection is currently available primarily when using Anthropic Claude models within Snowgoose.
• The specific tools available depend on what the Snowgoose administrator has configured.

By using MCP Tools, you can enable AI models to provide more accurate, up-to-date, and actionable responses for specific tasks.