An official Rust Model Context Protocol SDK implementation with tokio async runtime.
Migrating to 3.x? See the migration guide for breaking changes and upgrade instructions.
This repository contains the following crates:
- rmcp: The core crate providing the RMCP protocol implementation - see rmcp
- rmcp-macros: A procedural macro crate for generating RMCP tool implementations - see rmcp-macros
This SDK implements the stable MCP 2026-07-28 specification while
remaining fully compatible with the 2025-11-25 release and earlier
versions. Features introduced in 2026-07-28 — server discovery & negotiation,
transport-neutral subscriptions, long-running tasks, response caching,
multi-round-trip requests, and standard HTTP routing headers — are documented
below. For the full MCP specification, see
modelcontextprotocol.io.
- Usage
- Tools
- Resources
- Prompts
- Sampling
- Elicitation
- Roots
- Logging
- Completions
- Notifications
- Subscriptions
- Multi-Round-Trip Requests
- Tasks
- Caching
- Standard HTTP Headers
- Stateless Streamable HTTP
- Transports
- Pagination
- Capability & Protocol Version Negotiation
- JSON Schema 2020-12
- Examples
- OAuth Support
- Related Resources
- Related Projects
- Development
Add the latest published version with cargo:
cargo add rmcp --features serverOr use the dev channel:
cargo add rmcp --features server --git https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/rust-sdk --branch mainBasic dependencies:
Start a client
use rmcp::{ServiceExt, transport::{TokioChildProcess, ConfigureCommandExt}};
use tokio::process::Command;
#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
let client = ().serve(TokioChildProcess::new(Command::new("npx").configure(|cmd| {
cmd.arg("-y").arg("@modelcontextprotocol/server-everything");
}))?).await?;
Ok(())
}serve() uses the legacy MCP lifecycle: the client sends initialize, receives
the negotiated server information, and then sends notifications/initialized.
Use ClientServiceExt::serve_with_lifecycle to
select another lifecycle explicitly:
use rmcp::{ClientInfo, ClientLifecycleMode, ClientServiceExt, ProtocolVersion};
// Start directly with server/discover and include client metadata on every request.
let client = ClientInfo::default()
.serve_with_lifecycle(
transport,
ClientLifecycleMode::Discover {
preferred_versions: vec![ProtocolVersion::V_2026_07_28],
},
)
.await?;
// Or probe the discover lifecycle and fall back when a legacy server reports
// that server/discover is not implemented.
let client = ClientInfo::default()
.serve_with_lifecycle(
transport,
ClientLifecycleMode::Auto {
preferred_versions: vec![ProtocolVersion::V_2026_07_28],
legacy_version: Some(ProtocolVersion::V_2025_11_25),
},
)
.await?;ClientLifecycleMode::Initialize is equivalent to the existing serve() behavior.
Discover startup does not send notifications/initialized; discovery completes
startup, and each subsequent request carries its protocol version, client
information, and capabilities in _meta.
Build a transport
use tokio::io::{stdin, stdout};
let transport = (stdin(), stdout());Build a service
You can easily build a service by using ServerHandler or ClientHandler.
let service = common::counter::Counter::new();Start the server
// this call will finish the initialization process
let server = service.serve(transport).await?;Interact with the server
Once the server is initialized, you can send requests or notifications:
// request
let roots = server.list_roots().await?;
// or send notification
server.notify_cancelled(...).await?;Waiting for service shutdown
let quit_reason = server.waiting().await?;
// or cancel it
let quit_reason = server.cancel().await?;Tools let servers expose callable functions to clients. Each tool has a name, description, and a JSON Schema for its parameters. Clients discover tools via list_tools and invoke them via call_tool.
MCP Spec: Tools
The #[tool], #[tool_router], and #[tool_handler] macros handle all the wiring. For a tools-only server you can use #[tool_router(server_handler)] to skip the separate ServerHandler impl:
use rmcp::{handler::server::wrapper::Parameters, schemars, tool, tool_router, ServiceExt, transport::stdio};
#[derive(Debug, serde::Deserialize, schemars::JsonSchema)]
struct AddParams {
a: i32,
b: i32,
}
#[derive(Clone)]
struct Calculator;
#[tool_router(server_handler)]
impl Calculator {
#[tool(description = "Add two numbers")]
fn add(&self, Parameters(AddParams { a, b }): Parameters<AddParams>) -> String {
(a + b).to_string()
}
}
#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
let service = Calculator.serve(stdio()).await?;
service.waiting().await?;
Ok(())
}The generated tool inputSchema and outputSchema are derived from the fields of T. The type name and documentation on T are ignored; only field names, field types, and field documentation are used.
2026-07-28(SEP-2106):outputSchemamay now be any JSON Schema type (not justobject), and a tool result'sstructuredContentmay be any JSON value (string, array, number, …) rather than only an object. Existing object-typed tools are unaffected.
When you need custom server metadata or multiple capabilities (tools + prompts), use explicit #[tool_handler]:
use rmcp::{handler::server::wrapper::Parameters, schemars, tool, tool_router, tool_handler, ServerHandler, ServiceExt};
#[derive(Debug, serde::Deserialize, schemars::JsonSchema)]
struct AddParams {
a: i32,
b: i32,
}
#[derive(Clone)]
struct Calculator;
#[tool_router]
impl Calculator {
#[tool(description = "Add two numbers")]
fn add(&self, Parameters(AddParams { a, b }): Parameters<AddParams>) -> String {
(a + b).to_string()
}
}
#[tool_handler(name = "calculator", version = "1.0.0", instructions = "A simple calculator")]
impl ServerHandler for Calculator {}See crates/rmcp-macros for full macro documentation.
Beyond a plain String, tools can return images, audio, embedded resources, and
mixed content. Build a CallToolResult from a Vec<ContentBlock>:
use rmcp::model::{CallToolResult, ContentBlock, ResourceContents};
#[tool(description = "Render a chart")]
async fn chart(&self) -> Result<CallToolResult, McpError> {
let png_base64 = render_png(); // base64-encoded image bytes
let wav_base64 = render_wav(); // base64-encoded audio bytes
Ok(CallToolResult::success(vec![
// Text
ContentBlock::text("Here is your chart:"),
// Image — base64 data + MIME type
ContentBlock::image(png_base64, "image/png"),
// Audio — base64 data + MIME type
ContentBlock::audio(wav_base64, "audio/wav"),
// Embedded resource — inline text (or ResourceContents::blob for binary)
ContentBlock::resource(ResourceContents::text(
"chart source data",
"chart://last/data.csv",
)),
]))
}
# fn render_png() -> String { String::new() }
# fn render_wav() -> String { String::new() }Image and audio data are base64 strings with a MIME type. For embedded
resources, ResourceContents::text(..) inlines text and
ResourceContents::blob(base64, uri) inlines binary.
Two failure modes, chosen by whose problem it is:
- Tool-level error —
Ok(CallToolResult::error(vec![...])). The tool ran but failed in a way the caller should see (no rows matched, upstream 500). The client renders yourcontent, so the message reaches the user. Use this for almost every "the tool ran and didn't work" case. - Protocol error —
Err(McpError)with a JSON-RPC code (e.g.McpError::invalid_params(..)). Use this when the server can't route or process the request at all; clients render these opaquely, so the caller does not see your message.
use rmcp::model::{CallToolResult, ContentBlock};
use rmcp::ErrorData as McpError;
#[tool(description = "Look up a record")]
async fn lookup(&self, Parameters(args): Parameters<LookupArgs>) -> Result<CallToolResult, McpError> {
// Malformed request — the server can't run anything → protocol error.
if args.query.is_empty() {
return Err(McpError::invalid_params("query must be non-empty", None));
}
// Tool ran, no result → tool-level error the user should see.
let rows = self.run_query(&args.query).await;
if rows.is_empty() {
return Ok(CallToolResult::error(vec![ContentBlock::text(
format!("no rows matched '{}'", args.query),
)]));
}
Ok(CallToolResult::success(vec![ContentBlock::text(format_rows(&rows))]))
}use rmcp::model::CallToolRequestParams;
// List all tools
let tools = client.list_all_tools().await?;
// Call a tool by name
let result = client.call_tool(CallToolRequestParams::new("add")).await?;Example: examples/servers/src/common/calculator.rs (server), examples/servers/src/calculator_stdio.rs (stdio runner)
Resources let servers expose data (files, database records, API responses) that clients can read. Each resource is identified by a URI and returns content as text or binary (base64-encoded) data. Resource templates allow servers to declare URI patterns with dynamic parameters.
MCP Spec: Resources
Implement list_resources(), read_resource(), and optionally list_resource_templates() on the ServerHandler trait. Enable the resources capability in get_info().
use rmcp::{
ErrorData as McpError, RoleServer, ServerHandler, ServiceExt,
model::*,
service::RequestContext,
transport::stdio,
};
use serde_json::json;
#[derive(Clone)]
struct MyServer;
impl ServerHandler for MyServer {
fn get_info(&self) -> ServerInfo {
ServerInfo::new(
ServerCapabilities::builder()
.enable_resources()
.build(),
)
}
async fn list_resources(
&self,
_request: Option<PaginatedRequestParams>,
_context: RequestContext<RoleServer>,
) -> Result<ListResourcesResult, McpError> {
Ok(ListResourcesResult {
resources: vec![
Resource::new("file:///config.json", "config"),
Resource::new("memo://insights", "insights"),
],
next_cursor: None,
meta: None,
})
}
async fn read_resource(
&self,
request: ReadResourceRequestParams,
_context: RequestContext<RoleServer>,
) -> Result<ReadResourceResult, McpError> {
match request.uri.as_str() {
"file:///config.json" => Ok(ReadResourceResult::new(vec![
ResourceContents::text(r#"{"key": "value"}"#, &request.uri),
])),
"memo://insights" => Ok(ReadResourceResult::new(vec![
ResourceContents::text("Analysis results...", &request.uri),
])),
// Binary resource — base64-encode the bytes and return a blob.
"file:///logo.png" => {
use base64::{Engine, prelude::BASE64_STANDARD};
let bytes = std::fs::read("logo.png").unwrap_or_default();
let blob = BASE64_STANDARD.encode(bytes);
Ok(ReadResourceResult::new(vec![
ResourceContents::blob(blob, &request.uri)
.with_mime_type("image/png"),
]))
}
// Template-expanded URI — the client fills in `{user_id}` from the
// `users://{user_id}/profile` template declared in
// `list_resource_templates`, and the server reads the concrete URI.
uri if uri.starts_with("users://") && uri.ends_with("/profile") => {
let user_id = uri
.trim_start_matches("users://")
.trim_end_matches("/profile");
Ok(ReadResourceResult::new(vec![ResourceContents::text(
format!(r#"{{"id": "{user_id}", "name": "User {user_id}"}}"#),
uri,
)]))
}
_ => Err(McpError::resource_not_found(
"resource_not_found",
Some(json!({ "uri": request.uri })),
)),
}
}
async fn list_resource_templates(
&self,
_request: Option<PaginatedRequestParams>,
_context: RequestContext<RoleServer>,
) -> Result<ListResourceTemplatesResult, McpError> {
// Declare a URI template with a `{user_id}` parameter. Clients expand it
// (e.g. `users://42/profile`) and pass the concrete URI to `read_resource`.
Ok(ListResourceTemplatesResult {
resource_templates: vec![
ResourceTemplate::new("users://{user_id}/profile", "user-profile"),
],
next_cursor: None,
meta: None,
})
}
}use rmcp::model::{ReadResourceRequestParams};
// List all resources (handles pagination automatically)
let resources = client.list_all_resources().await?;
// Read a specific resource by URI
let result = client.read_resource(
ReadResourceRequestParams::new("file:///config.json"),
).await?;
// List resource templates, then read a resource through one by expanding its
// parameters into a concrete URI (`users://{user_id}/profile` → `users://42/profile`).
let templates = client.list_all_resource_templates().await?;
let profile = client.read_resource(
ReadResourceRequestParams::new("users://42/profile"),
).await?;Servers can notify clients when the resource list changes or when a specific resource is updated:
// Notify that the resource list has changed (clients should re-fetch)
context.peer.notify_resource_list_changed().await?;
// Notify that a specific resource was updated
context.peer.notify_resource_updated(
ResourceUpdatedNotificationParam::new("file:///config.json"),
).await?;Clients handle these via ClientHandler:
impl ClientHandler for MyClient {
async fn on_resource_list_changed(
&self,
_context: NotificationContext<RoleClient>,
) {
// Re-fetch the resource list
}
async fn on_resource_updated(
&self,
params: ResourceUpdatedNotificationParam,
_context: NotificationContext<RoleClient>,
) {
// Re-read the updated resource at params.uri
}
}Example: examples/servers/src/common/counter.rs (server), examples/clients/src/everything_stdio.rs (client)
Prompts are reusable message templates that servers expose to clients. They accept typed arguments and return conversation messages. The #[prompt] macro handles argument validation and routing automatically.
MCP Spec: Prompts
Use the #[prompt_router], #[prompt], and #[prompt_handler] macros to define prompts declaratively. Arguments are defined as structs deriving JsonSchema.
use rmcp::{
ErrorData as McpError, RoleServer, ServerHandler, ServiceExt,
handler::server::{router::prompt::PromptRouter, wrapper::Parameters},
model::*,
prompt, prompt_handler, prompt_router,
schemars::JsonSchema,
service::RequestContext,
transport::stdio,
};
use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
pub struct CodeReviewArgs {
#[schemars(description = "Programming language of the code")]
pub language: String,
#[schemars(description = "Focus areas for the review")]
pub focus_areas: Option<Vec<String>>,
}
#[derive(Clone)]
pub struct MyServer {
prompt_router: PromptRouter<Self>,
}
#[prompt_router]
impl MyServer {
fn new() -> Self {
Self { prompt_router: Self::prompt_router() }
}
/// Simple prompt without parameters
#[prompt(name = "greeting", description = "A simple greeting")]
async fn greeting(&self) -> Vec<PromptMessage> {
vec![PromptMessage::new_text(
Role::User,
"Hello! How can you help me today?",
)]
}
/// Prompt with typed arguments
#[prompt(name = "code_review", description = "Review code in a given language")]
async fn code_review(
&self,
Parameters(args): Parameters<CodeReviewArgs>,
) -> Result<GetPromptResult, McpError> {
let focus = args.focus_areas
.unwrap_or_else(|| vec!["correctness".into()]);
Ok(GetPromptResult::new(vec![
PromptMessage::new_text(
Role::User,
format!("Review my {} code. Focus on: {}", args.language, focus.join(", ")),
),
])
.with_description(format!("Code review for {}", args.language)))
}
}
#[prompt_handler]
impl ServerHandler for MyServer {
fn get_info(&self) -> ServerInfo {
ServerInfo::new(ServerCapabilities::builder().enable_prompts().build())
}
}Prompt functions support several return types:
Vec<PromptMessage>-- simple message listGetPromptResult-- messages with an optional descriptionResult<T, McpError>-- either of the above, with error handling
A PromptMessage can also carry an image or embedded resource. Use the
dedicated constructors (image/audio require the base64 feature):
use rmcp::model::{PromptMessage, Role};
// Image content — raw bytes are base64-encoded for you.
let screenshot: &[u8] = load_png();
let msg = PromptMessage::new_image(Role::User, screenshot, "image/png", None, None);
// Embedded resource — inline a text resource by URI. Pass `Some(text)` for a
// text resource, or `None` for a blob resource.
let msg = PromptMessage::new_resource(
Role::User,
"file:///spec.md".to_string(),
Some("text/markdown".to_string()),
Some("# Specification\n...".to_string()),
None, None, None,
);
# fn load_png() -> &'static [u8] { &[] }use rmcp::model::GetPromptRequestParams;
// List all prompts
let prompts = client.list_all_prompts().await?;
// Get a prompt with arguments
let result = client.get_prompt(GetPromptRequestParams {
meta: None,
name: "code_review".into(),
arguments: Some(rmcp::object!({
"language": "Rust",
"focus_areas": ["performance", "safety"]
})),
}).await?;// Server: notify that available prompts have changed
context.peer.notify_prompt_list_changed().await?;Example: examples/servers/src/prompt_stdio.rs (server), examples/clients/src/everything_stdio.rs (client)
Deprecated (SEP-2577): Sampling is deprecated and will be removed in a future release. It remains fully functional for now. See SEP-2577.
Sampling flips the usual direction: the server asks the client to run an LLM completion. The server sends a create_message request, the client processes it through its LLM, and returns the result.
MCP Spec: Sampling
Access the client's sampling capability through context.peer.create_message():
use rmcp::model::*;
// Inside a ServerHandler method (e.g., call_tool):
let response = context.peer.create_message(
CreateMessageRequestParams::new(
vec![SamplingMessage::user_text("Explain this error: connection refused")],
150,
)
.with_model_preferences(
ModelPreferences::new()
.with_hints(vec![ModelHint::new("claude")])
.with_cost_priority(0.3)
.with_speed_priority(0.8)
.with_intelligence_priority(0.7),
)
.with_system_prompt("You are a helpful assistant.")
.with_include_context(ContextInclusion::None)
.with_temperature(0.7),
).await?;
// Extract the response text
let text = response.message.content
.first()
.and_then(|c| c.as_text())
.map(|t| &t.text);On the client side, implement ClientHandler::create_message(). This is where you'd call your actual LLM:
use rmcp::{ClientHandler, model::*, service::{RequestContext, RoleClient}};
#[derive(Clone, Default)]
struct MyClient;
impl ClientHandler for MyClient {
async fn create_message(
&self,
params: CreateMessageRequestParams,
_context: RequestContext<RoleClient>,
) -> Result<CreateMessageResult, ErrorData> {
// Forward to your LLM, or return a mock response:
let response_text = call_your_llm(¶ms.messages).await;
Ok(CreateMessageResult::new(
SamplingMessage::assistant_text(response_text),
"my-model".into(),
)
.with_stop_reason(CreateMessageResult::STOP_REASON_END_TURN))
}
}Example: examples/servers/src/sampling_stdio.rs (server), examples/clients/src/sampling_stdio.rs (client)
Elicitation lets a server pause mid-operation to ask the user for input, in one of two modes: form mode (structured fields with a JSON Schema) or URL mode (send the user to a web page and wait for completion).
MCP Spec: Elicitation
Define a struct deriving JsonSchema, mark it elicit_safe!, and call
elicit::<T>() on the peer. Schema validation, defaults, and enum choices all
come from the type.
use rmcp::{elicit_safe, model::*, service::{RequestContext, RoleServer}};
use schemars::JsonSchema;
use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
#[schemars(description = "User information")]
pub struct UserInfo {
#[schemars(description = "User's name")]
pub name: String,
// Optional field; omitted if the user doesn't provide it.
#[serde(default)]
#[schemars(description = "Preferred greeting")]
pub greeting: Option<String>,
}
// Whitelist the type for elicitation (schema-validated on both ends).
elicit_safe!(UserInfo);
#[tool(description = "Greet the user")]
async fn greet(&self, ctx: RequestContext<RoleServer>) -> Result<CallToolResult, McpError> {
// Returns Ok(Some(UserInfo)) if the user accepts.
// Decline and cancel are returned as ElicitationError variants.
match ctx.peer.elicit::<UserInfo>("Please provide your name").await {
Ok(Some(info)) => Ok(CallToolResult::success(vec![ContentBlock::text(
format!("Hello, {}!", info.name),
)])),
Ok(None) => Ok(CallToolResult::success(vec![ContentBlock::text(
"No name provided.",
)])),
Err(e) => Ok(CallToolResult::error(vec![ContentBlock::text(
format!("Elicitation failed: {e}"),
)])),
}
}Enum fields become a choice list. schemars needs two hints to inline and type
the enum correctly:
#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema, Default)]
#[schemars(inline)] // inline the enum into the parent schema
#[schemars(extend("type" = "string"))] // schemars omits `type` for enums; add it
enum Priority {
#[schemars(title = "Low priority")]
#[default]
Low,
#[schemars(title = "High priority")]
High,
}See examples/servers/src/elicitation_enum_inference.rs
for single-select, multi-select, titled, and defaulted enum forms.
For flows a form can't capture (OAuth consent, a payment page), send the user to
a URL. elicit_url returns the user's ElicitationAction rather than typed data:
use rmcp::model::ElicitationAction;
use url::Url;
let action = ctx.peer.elicit_url(
"Please complete setup in your browser",
Url::parse("https://example.com/setup").unwrap(),
"setup-123", // a unique elicitation id
).await?;
match action {
ElicitationAction::Accept => { /* user consented */ }
ElicitationAction::Decline => { /* user declined */ }
ElicitationAction::Cancel => { /* user aborted */ }
}Implement ClientHandler::create_elicitation(), matching on the request variant
to handle form vs. URL mode:
use rmcp::{ClientHandler, model::*, service::{RequestContext, RoleClient}};
impl ClientHandler for MyClient {
async fn create_elicitation(
&self,
request: ElicitRequestParams,
_context: RequestContext<RoleClient>,
) -> Result<ElicitResult, ErrorData> {
match request {
ElicitRequestParams::FormElicitationParams { message, .. } => {
// Show `message` + the requested schema, collect input, then:
Ok(ElicitResult {
action: ElicitationAction::Accept,
content: Some(rmcp::object!({ "name": "Ada" })),
meta: None,
})
}
ElicitRequestParams::UrlElicitationParams { url, .. } => {
// Open `url`, wait for the user, then report the action.
let _ = url;
Ok(ElicitResult { action: ElicitationAction::Accept, content: None, meta: None })
}
}
}
}On completion the client sends a notifications/elicitation/response
notification to release the waiting server-side elicit_url call.
Example: examples/servers/src/elicitation_stdio.rs (form + URL), examples/servers/src/elicitation_enum_inference.rs (enum forms)
Deprecated (SEP-2577): Roots is deprecated and will be removed in a future release. It remains fully functional for now. See SEP-2577.
Roots tell servers which directories or projects the client is working in. A root is a URI (typically file://) pointing to a workspace or repository. Servers can query roots to know where to look for files and how to scope their work.
MCP Spec: Roots
Ask the client for its root list, and handle change notifications:
use rmcp::{ServerHandler, model::*, service::{NotificationContext, RoleServer}};
impl ServerHandler for MyServer {
// Query the client for its roots
async fn call_tool(
&self,
request: CallToolRequestParams,
context: RequestContext<RoleServer>,
) -> Result<CallToolResult, ErrorData> {
let roots = context.peer.list_roots().await?;
// Use roots.roots to understand workspace boundaries
// ...
}
// Called when the client's root list changes
async fn on_roots_list_changed(
&self,
_context: NotificationContext<RoleServer>,
) {
// Re-fetch roots to stay current
}
}Clients declare roots capability and implement list_roots():
use rmcp::{ClientHandler, model::*};
impl ClientHandler for MyClient {
async fn list_roots(
&self,
_context: RequestContext<RoleClient>,
) -> Result<ListRootsResult, ErrorData> {
Ok(ListRootsResult::new(vec![
Root::new("file:///home/user/project").with_name("My Project"),
]))
}
}Clients notify the server when roots change:
// After adding or removing a workspace root:
client.notify_roots_list_changed().await?;Deprecated (SEP-2577): Logging is deprecated and will be removed in a future release. It remains fully functional for now. See SEP-2577.
Servers can send structured log messages to clients. The client sets a minimum severity level, and the server sends messages through the peer notification interface.
MCP Spec: Logging
Enable the logging capability, handle level changes from the client, and send log messages via the peer:
use rmcp::{ServerHandler, model::*, service::RequestContext};
impl ServerHandler for MyServer {
fn get_info(&self) -> ServerInfo {
ServerInfo::new(
ServerCapabilities::builder()
.enable_logging()
.build(),
)
}
// Client sets the minimum log level
async fn set_level(
&self,
request: SetLevelRequestParams,
_context: RequestContext<RoleServer>,
) -> Result<(), ErrorData> {
// Store request.level and filter future log messages accordingly
Ok(())
}
}
// Send a log message from any handler with access to the peer:
context.peer.notify_logging_message(
LoggingMessageNotificationParam::new(
LoggingLevel::Info,
serde_json::json!({
"message": "Processing completed",
"items_processed": 42
}),
)
.with_logger("my-server"),
).await?;Available log levels (from least to most severe): Debug, Info, Notice, Warning, Error, Critical, Alert, Emergency.
Clients handle incoming log messages via ClientHandler:
impl ClientHandler for MyClient {
async fn on_logging_message(
&self,
params: LoggingMessageNotificationParam,
_context: NotificationContext<RoleClient>,
) {
println!("[{}] {}: {}", params.level,
params.logger.unwrap_or_default(), params.data);
}
}Clients can also set the server's log level:
client.set_level(SetLevelRequestParams::new(LoggingLevel::Warning)).await?;Completions give auto-completion suggestions for prompt or resource template arguments. As a user fills in arguments, the client can ask the server for suggestions based on what's already been entered.
MCP Spec: Completions
Enable the completions capability and implement the complete() handler. Use request.context to inspect previously filled arguments:
use rmcp::{ErrorData as McpError, ServerHandler, model::*, service::RequestContext, RoleServer};
impl ServerHandler for MyServer {
fn get_info(&self) -> ServerInfo {
ServerInfo::new(
ServerCapabilities::builder()
.enable_completions()
.enable_prompts()
.build(),
)
}
async fn complete(
&self,
request: CompleteRequestParams,
_context: RequestContext<RoleServer>,
) -> Result<CompleteResult, McpError> {
let values = match &request.r#ref {
// Completion for a prompt argument (`ref/prompt`).
Reference::Prompt(prompt_ref) if prompt_ref.name == "sql_query" => {
match request.argument.name.as_str() {
"operation" => vec!["SELECT", "INSERT", "UPDATE", "DELETE"],
"table" => vec!["users", "orders", "products"],
"columns" => {
// Adapt suggestions based on previously filled arguments
if let Some(ctx) = &request.context {
if let Some(op) = ctx.get_argument("operation") {
match op.to_uppercase().as_str() {
"SELECT" | "UPDATE" => {
vec!["id", "name", "email", "created_at"]
}
_ => vec![],
}
} else { vec![] }
} else { vec![] }
}
_ => vec![],
}
}
// Completion for a resource-template argument (`ref/resource`). The
// `uri` identifies the template (e.g. `users://{user_id}/profile`)
// and `argument.name` is the template variable being completed.
Reference::Resource(resource_ref)
if resource_ref.uri == "users://{user_id}/profile" =>
{
match request.argument.name.as_str() {
"user_id" => vec!["1", "2", "42"],
_ => vec![],
}
}
_ => vec![],
};
// Filter by the user's partial input
let filtered: Vec<String> = values.into_iter()
.map(String::from)
.filter(|v| v.to_lowercase().contains(&request.argument.value.to_lowercase()))
.collect();
let completion = CompletionInfo::with_pagination(filtered, None, false)
.map_err(|e| McpError::internal_error(e, None))?;
Ok(CompleteResult::new(completion))
}
}use rmcp::model::*;
// Completion for a prompt argument.
let result = client.complete(CompleteRequestParams::new(
Reference::for_prompt("sql_query"),
ArgumentInfo::new("operation", "SEL"),
)).await?;
// result.completion.values contains suggestions like ["SELECT"]
// Completion for a resource-template argument: reference the template by URI
// and complete one of its variables (`user_id`).
let resource_completion = client.complete(CompleteRequestParams::new(
Reference::for_resource("users://{user_id}/profile"),
ArgumentInfo::new("user_id", "4"),
)).await?;
// resource_completion.completion.values contains suggestions like ["42"]Example: examples/servers/src/completion_stdio.rs
Notifications are fire-and-forget messages -- no response is expected. They cover progress updates, cancellation, and lifecycle events. Both sides can send and receive them.
MCP Spec: Notifications
Servers can report progress during long-running operations:
use rmcp::model::*;
// Inside a tool handler:
for i in 0..total_items {
process_item(i).await;
context.peer.notify_progress(
ProgressNotificationParam::new(
ProgressToken(NumberOrString::Number(i as i64)),
i as f64,
)
.with_total(total_items as f64)
.with_message(format!("Processing item {}/{}", i + 1, total_items)),
).await?;
}Either side can cancel an in-progress request:
// Send a cancellation
context.peer.notify_cancelled(CancelledNotificationParam::new(
Some(the_request_id),
Some("User requested cancellation".into()),
)).await?;Handle cancellation in ServerHandler or ClientHandler:
impl ServerHandler for MyServer {
async fn on_cancelled(
&self,
params: CancelledNotificationParam,
_context: NotificationContext<RoleServer>,
) {
// Abort work for params.request_id
}
}Legacy clients send initialized after the initialize handshake completes.
Clients using ClientLifecycleMode::Discover do not send this notification:
// Sent automatically by rmcp during the legacy serve() handshake.
// Servers handle it via:
impl ServerHandler for MyServer {
async fn on_initialized(
&self,
_context: NotificationContext<RoleServer>,
) {
// Server is ready to receive requests
}
}When available tools, prompts, or resources change, tell the client:
context.peer.notify_tool_list_changed().await?;
context.peer.notify_prompt_list_changed().await?;
context.peer.notify_resource_list_changed().await?;Example: examples/servers/src/common/progress_demo.rs
Protocol 2026-07-28 replaces resources/subscribe, resources/unsubscribe, and
the standalone HTTP GET stream with the transport-neutral, long-lived
subscriptions/listen request. Each requested notification category is opt-in.
MCP Spec: Subscriptions
Declare the notification capabilities you serve, return the accepted subset, and use the filter-enforcing subscription sink:
use rmcp::{
ErrorData, ServerHandler,
model::*,
service::SubscriptionContext,
};
impl ServerHandler for MyServer {
fn get_info(&self) -> ServerInfo {
ServerInfo::new(
ServerCapabilities::builder()
.enable_tools()
.enable_tool_list_changed()
.build(),
)
}
fn accepted_subscription_filter(
&self,
requested: &SubscriptionFilter,
) -> Option<SubscriptionFilter> {
Some(requested.clone())
}
async fn listen(&self, context: SubscriptionContext) -> Result<(), ErrorData> {
if context.accepted().tools_list_changed == Some(true) {
context.sink().notify_tool_list_changed().await
.map_err(|error| ErrorData::internal_error(error.to_string(), None))?;
}
context.cancelled().await;
Ok(())
}
}The SDK intersects the handler's filter with the requested categories and the
capabilities advertised by get_info(). It sends the acknowledgment before
listen, tags every sink notification with the listen request ID, and rejects
categories or resource URIs outside the accepted filter.
use rmcp::model::*;
let mut subscription = client.listen(
SubscriptionFilter::builder()
.tools_list_changed()
.resource_subscription("file:///config.json")
.build(),
).await?;
println!("accepted: {:?}", subscription.acknowledged());
while let Some(notification) = subscription.next().await? {
println!("notification: {notification:?}");
}
subscription.cancel().await?;listen() buffers up to 64 notifications per subscription. Use
listen_with_capacity() to choose a different non-zero capacity; if a consumer
falls behind, Subscription::end() reports SubscriptionEnd::Lagged.
For older negotiated protocol versions, the deprecated subscribe() and
unsubscribe() APIs retain their legacy wire behavior. Modern Streamable HTTP
uses the listen POST response stream directly and does not use sessions, GET,
DELETE, or Last-Event-ID. After an abrupt transport close, call listen
again; subscription state is not resumed across HTTP or stdio reconnects.
See the modern subscription server and client examples.
Protocol 2026-07-28 adds Multi-Round-Trip Requests (MRTR, SEP-2322): a server
can answer a tools/call, prompts/get, or resources/read with an
InputRequiredResult instead of a final result, asking the client to fulfill
one or more embedded server requests (elicitation, sampling, or roots) and then
retry. The exchange is stateless — the server carries its progress in an opaque
requestState that the client echoes back verbatim.
MCP Spec: Multiple Round-Trip Requests
Return an InputRequiredResult via the outcome enum for the method
(CallToolResponse, GetPromptResponse, or ReadResourceResponse). The SDK
only forwards it to peers that negotiated 2026-07-28 or newer — older peers
get a protocol error instead.
async fn call_tool(&self, request: CallToolRequestParams, _ctx: RequestContext<RoleServer>)
-> Result<CallToolResponse, ErrorData>
{
match request.request_state {
// First round: ask the client for input, seal progress into requestState.
None => {
let mut input_requests = InputRequests::new();
input_requests.insert("city".into(), InputRequest::Elicitation(elicit_city()));
let sealed = self.codec.seal_json(&json!({ "awaiting": "city" }))?;
Ok(InputRequiredResult::new(Some(input_requests), Some(sealed)).into())
}
// Retry round: verify the echoed state, read the responses, finish.
Some(sealed) => {
let _state = self.codec.open_json(&sealed)
.map_err(|_| ErrorData::invalid_params("tampered request state", None))?;
let city = request.input_responses.as_ref()
.and_then(|r| r.get("city"));
Ok(CallToolResult::success(vec![ContentBlock::text("It is sunny.")]).into())
}
}
}
requestStateis untrusted. The client echoes it back verbatim, so a stateless server that stores meaningful data in it MUST verify integrity first. Enable therequest-statefeature and useRequestStateCodecto seal and open it (HMAC-tagged), or keep state server-side and userequestStateonly as an opaque handle.
The high-level call_tool, get_prompt, and read_resource helpers drive MRTR
automatically: they fulfill each embedded request through the local
ClientHandler and retry, up to DEFAULT_MRTR_MAX_ROUNDS (10).
// Auto mode: the SDK fulfills embedded requests and retries for you.
let result = client.call_tool(CallToolRequestParams::new("weather")).await?;
// Choose a custom round cap.
let result = client
.call_tool_with_mrtr_max_rounds(CallToolRequestParams::new("weather"), 3)
.await?;
// Manual mode: get the intermediate InputRequiredResult and drive rounds yourself.
match client.call_tool_once(CallToolRequestParams::new("weather")).await? {
CallToolResponse::InputRequired(input_required) => { /* fulfill + retry */ }
CallToolResponse::Complete(result) => { /* done */ }
_ => {}
}Example: examples/servers/src/mrtr.rs (end-to-end server + client)
rmcp implements the MCP Tasks extension
(SEP-2663, io.modelcontextprotocol/tasks). A client declares the extension in its
capabilities; the server then decides per request whether to materialize a tools/call
as a task, returning a CreateTaskResult (resultType: "task"). The client polls
tasks/get, answers in-task input requests via tasks/update, and may request
cooperative cancellation via tasks/cancel. Use rmcp::task_manager::TaskManager
to manage task lifecycles server-side.
// Client: declare the tasks extension capability.
let caps = ClientCapabilities::builder().enable_tasks().build();
// Server: decide per request whether to materialize a task.
async fn call_tool(&self, request: CallToolRequestParams, context: RequestContext<RoleServer>)
-> Result<CallToolResponse, McpError>
{
let client_supports_tasks = context
.client_capabilities()
.is_some_and(|caps| caps.supports_tasks());
if client_supports_tasks {
let task = self.tasks.spawn(TaskOptions::default(), move |_ctx| {
Box::pin(async move { /* long-running work -> Ok(CallToolResult) */ })
});
return Ok(CallToolResponse::Task(CreateTaskResult::new(task)));
}
// ... fall back to synchronous execution
}See servers_task_stdio and the matching
clients_task_stdio for a runnable end-to-end example.
rmcp clients transparently cache responses that carry the
SEP-2549
caching hints (ttlMs / cacheScope) for server/discover, tools/list,
prompts/list, resources/list, resources/templates/list, and resources/read.
Caching is on by default but only stores a response when the server sends a
positive ttlMs, so servers that omit the hint behave exactly as before. Entries
expire after their TTL, are partitioned by cache scope, and are invalidated
automatically by the matching list_changed / resource updated notifications.
No call-site changes are needed — existing calls benefit automatically:
let tools = peer.list_tools(None).await?; // served from cache while fresh
let res = peer.read_resource(params).await?; // cached per-URITune or disable it per connection via the Peer:
use std::time::Duration;
use rmcp::ClientCacheConfig;
// Customize behavior.
peer.set_response_cache_config(
ClientCacheConfig::default()
.with_default_ttl(Duration::from_secs(30)) // TTL for servers that omit ttlMs
.with_max_ttl(Duration::from_secs(3600)) // upper bound on any TTL
.with_max_entries(1024)
.with_private_partition(user_id) // separate private caches per principal
.with_serve_stale_on_error(false), // surface errors instead of stale data
).await;
// Or turn it off entirely.
peer.set_response_cache_config(ClientCacheConfig::disabled()).await;
// Manually flush.
peer.clear_response_cache().await;Note: with the default
serve_stale_on_error, a failed re-fetch returns the last cached response (even if expired) asOk(..)instead of an error. Setwith_serve_stale_on_error(false)if callers must observe fetch failures.
Protocol 2026-07-28 standardizes a set of Streamable HTTP request headers
(SEP-2243) so proxies and gateways can route MCP traffic without parsing the
JSON body: Mcp-Method, Mcp-Name, and Mcp-Param-*. rmcp emits and
validates these automatically once a connection negotiates 2026-07-28 or
newer — no call-site changes are required, and older negotiated versions are
untouched.
MCP Spec: Header standardization
Mcp-Method— the JSON-RPC method (e.g.tools/call).Mcp-Name— the target name, sourced fromparams.name(tools/call,prompts/get),params.uri(resources/*), orparams.taskId(tasks/*).Mcp-Param-*— selectedtools/callarguments, promoted from the tool's input schema.
To promote a tool argument into a routing header, annotate the top-level schema
property with x-mcp-header:
// A `region` argument surfaces as the `Mcp-Param-Region` request header.
let schema = serde_json::json!({
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"region": { "type": "string", "x-mcp-header": "Region" }
}
});Annotations must be non-empty RFC 9110 tokens, case-insensitively unique, and
applied only to top-level primitive (string/integer/boolean) properties.
Values that cannot travel as a bare header (leading/trailing whitespace,
control/non-ASCII characters) are transparently Base64-wrapped as
=?base64?<b64>?=.
Per SEP-2567, rmcp serves the 2026-07-28 draft statelessly automatically:
no Mcp-Session-Id, no standalone GET/DELETE stream, and no Last-Event-ID
resumption. The legacy_session_mode flag below only controls behavior for
legacy protocol versions (< 2026-07-28).
MCP Spec: Transports
A default server already serves 2026-07-28 clients statelessly. To also serve
legacy clients without sessions, disable legacy_session_mode (formerly
stateful_mode; builder with_stateful_mode). Optionally set
with_json_response(true) so simple request/response tools reply with a single
application/json body instead of an SSE stream (the server still falls back to
text/event-stream if a handler emits a notification or server request first):
use rmcp::transport::streamable_http_server::{
StreamableHttpService, StreamableHttpServerConfig,
session::local::LocalSessionManager,
};
let config = StreamableHttpServerConfig::default()
.with_legacy_session_mode(false) // stateless for legacy versions too
.with_json_response(true); // plain JSON replies for simple tools
let service = StreamableHttpService::new(
|| Ok(Counter::new()), // a fresh handler per request
LocalSessionManager::default().into(),
config,
);
// `StreamableHttpService` is a Tower service — mount it on any router.
let router = axum::Router::new().nest_service("/mcp", service);Because there is no per-session state, the
service_factoryruns per request. Keep shared state (DB pools, caches) in aClonehandle captured by the closure; don't rely on in-memory state surviving between requests.Modern-only servers can additionally call
with_stateless_protocol_metadata_required(true)to reject the compatibility fallback for requests missing their per-request protocol signals. rmcp clients negotiated below2026-07-28do not attach that body metadata and will be rejected, so pair this option with asupported_protocol_versionsimplementation that advertises only2026-07-28and later.
The Streamable HTTP client transport allows stateless operation by default
(allow_stateless: true), so no configuration is needed to talk to a stateless
server — it simply omits the session header when the server doesn't issue one:
use rmcp::transport::StreamableHttpClientTransport;
// Defaults are stateless-friendly.
let transport = StreamableHttpClientTransport::from_uri("http://localhost:8000/mcp");
let client = ClientInfo::default().serve(transport).await?;Example: examples/servers/src/counter_streamhttp.rs (server), examples/clients/src/streamable_http.rs (client)
A transport moves JSON-RPC messages between client and server. Any Transport
impl can be passed to .serve(..); rmcp ships the common ones behind Cargo
features.
MCP Spec: Transports
| Transport | Feature(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| stdio | transport-io (client + server) |
Communicate over stdin/stdout; the standard way to launch local MCP servers as child processes. |
| Child process (client) | transport-child-process |
Spawn a server binary and talk to it over its stdio. |
| Streamable HTTP (server) | transport-streamable-http-server |
The current HTTP transport. Exposes a Tower service you can mount on any router. |
| Streamable HTTP (client) | transport-streamable-http-client-reqwest |
HTTP client transport built on reqwest. |
| Worker / in-process | transport-worker |
For embedding or testing without real I/O. |
use rmcp::{ServiceExt, transport::stdio};
// Server: serve over stdin/stdout.
let server = MyServer.serve(stdio()).await?;
server.waiting().await?;use rmcp::{ServiceExt, transport::{TokioChildProcess, ConfigureCommandExt}};
use tokio::process::Command;
// Client: launch a server binary and talk to it over its stdio.
let transport = TokioChildProcess::new(Command::new("uvx").configure(|cmd| {
cmd.arg("mcp-server-git");
}))?;
let client = ().serve(transport).await?;StreamableHttpService is a Tower service — mount it on any axum/hyper
router (see Stateless Streamable HTTP for the full
server example). The client transport connects with a single URI:
use rmcp::transport::StreamableHttpClientTransport;
let transport = StreamableHttpClientTransport::from_uri("http://localhost:8000/mcp");
let client = ClientInfo::default().serve(transport).await?;Streamable HTTP responses arrive as either a single application/json body or a
text/event-stream (Server-Sent Events) stream when the server pushes
notifications or requests before the result. rmcp handles both automatically
(SSE parsing lives behind the client-side-sse feature). There is no separate
"SSE transport" to configure — it's an implementation detail of Streamable HTTP.
The standalone two-endpoint HTTP+SSE transport defined in protocol revision
2024-11-05 (a separate GET SSE channel plus a POST message endpoint) is a
deliberate non-goal for rmcp. It was replaced by Streamable HTTP in the
2025-03-26 revision,
and rmcp targets current spec revisions (2025-11-25 and 2026-07-28), so it
ships no legacy HTTP+SSE client or server transport.
What to use instead:
- New client/server code — use Streamable HTTP. It carries the same SSE streaming semantics over a single endpoint and is the transport all supported spec revisions expect.
- Server-to-client streaming (push notifications, resource updates) — this is built into Streamable HTTP; see Subscriptions.
- Talking to a legacy
2024-11-05-only server — front it with a proxy that speaks Streamable HTTP, or pin a dependency to a release that predates the transport's removal.rmcpwill not add the legacy transport back.
This is a supported-surface decision, not a missing feature: every transport
rmcp implements is listed in the Transports table above.
List operations (tools/list, prompts/list, resources/list,
resources/templates/list) are paginated via a next_cursor. The list_all_*
helpers walk every page for you:
// Fetches all pages transparently.
let tools = client.list_all_tools().await?;
let prompts = client.list_all_prompts().await?;
let resources = client.list_all_resources().await?;To page manually, call the single-page method and follow next_cursor until
it's None:
use rmcp::model::PaginatedRequestParams;
let mut cursor = None;
loop {
let page = client
.list_tools(Some(PaginatedRequestParams { meta: None, cursor }))
.await?;
for tool in &page.tools {
// handle each tool
}
cursor = page.next_cursor;
if cursor.is_none() {
break;
}
}On the server, return a next_cursor from your list_* handler when more pages
remain (None when complete).
MCP Spec: Pagination
At initialization, client and server exchange capabilities so each side
knows what the other supports. Declare yours with the ServerCapabilities
builder in get_info():
use rmcp::model::{ServerCapabilities, ServerInfo};
fn get_info(&self) -> ServerInfo {
ServerInfo::new(
ServerCapabilities::builder()
.enable_tools()
.enable_prompts()
.enable_resources()
.enable_resources_subscribe()
.enable_tool_list_changed()
.enable_logging()
.build(),
)
}Clients do the same via ClientCapabilities::builder(). Macros like
#[tool_handler] / #[prompt_handler] set the relevant flags automatically.
After connecting, read the peer's capabilities via peer.peer_info().
MCP is versioned by date. rmcp negotiates automatically on connect — the
client offers a preferred ProtocolVersion and falls back to one the server
supports:
use rmcp::model::ProtocolVersion;
ProtocolVersion::LATEST; // newest stable version this SDK defaults to
ProtocolVersion::V_2026_07_28; // a specific version constant
ProtocolVersion::KNOWN_VERSIONS; // every version this SDK understandsVersion-specific behavior (SEP-2243 headers, SEP-2567 stateless serving, the SEP-2575 subscription model) is gated on the negotiated version, so older clients keep working while newer ones opt in.
MCP Spec: Versioning and Compatibility
Deriving schemars::JsonSchema on your parameter and result types generates
JSON Schema draft 2020-12 — the dialect the MCP spec
requires — for the tool's inputSchema and outputSchema.
use rmcp::schemars;
#[derive(Debug, serde::Deserialize, schemars::JsonSchema)]
struct SearchParams {
/// Full-text query.
query: String,
/// Maximum number of results.
#[serde(default)]
limit: Option<u32>,
}Field names, types, and doc comments flow into the schema — no manual authoring
needed. As of 2026-07-28 (SEP-2106), outputSchema may be any JSON Schema type
(not only object) and structuredContent may be any JSON value.
See examples.
See Oauth_support for details.
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See docs/CONTRIBUTE.MD to get some tips for contributing.
If you want to use dev container, see docs/DEVCONTAINER.md for instructions on using Dev Container for development.