MCP Server overview
The Zuplo MCP Server handler exposes your API routes to AI clients through the Model Context Protocol (MCP). It uses your OpenAPI definitions to describe the operations a client can discover and call.
Use it to make your own API available through MCP. To connect clients to MCP servers that already exist, see the MCP Gateway overview.
What you can do
With the MCP Server handler, you can:
- Expose API operations as tools, such as looking up a customer or creating a support ticket.
- Provide reusable prompt templates and read-only resources alongside your tools.
- Apply authentication, rate limiting, and access controls with Zuplo policies.
- Track tool usage through logging and analytics.
Core concepts
An MCP server runs on a route in your Zuplo project. You configure which OpenAPI operations it exposes and how clients use each operation:
| Capability | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Tools | Call an API operation to retrieve data or perform an action. |
| Prompts | Request a reusable prompt template with parameters. |
| Resources | Read data or documents through a resource URI. |
The MCP Server handler invokes the configured route in your gateway, including that route's policies. For configuration options, see the MCP Server handler reference.
Example use cases
You can expose operations such as these as MCP tools:
| Use case | Example operations |
|---|---|
| Customer service | Look up a customer with GET /customers/{id}, create a ticket with POST /tickets, or update a status with PUT /customers/{id}/status. |
| E-commerce | Search products with GET /products/search, add an item with POST /cart/add, or check an order with GET /orders/{id}. |
| DevOps | List deployments with GET /deployments, create a deployment with POST /deployments, or retrieve metrics with GET /metrics. |
For workflows that combine several operations, use custom tools.
Secure your MCP server
Expose only the operations your clients need. Apply authentication and access controls to those operations, use rate limits to control usage, and configure audit logging to record calls.
Next steps
- Follow the MCP Server quickstart to expose an API and connect an MCP client.
- Configure tools, including their names, descriptions, and input schemas.
- Test your MCP server to check the capabilities it exposes.