MCP Tools
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Purpose
MCP Tools connects to a saved Model Context Protocol server, discovers its tools, and either exposes enabled tools to Agent Core or runs one selected tool in a normal flow.
When to use it
- Run one known MCP tool as a fixed flow step.
- Give Agent Core a small set of tools from one MCP server.
- Connect to a local STDIO server or a remote SSE server that you have already configured.
Required setup
Create or select a reachable MCP server and confirm its authentication. MCP Tools is not supported in deployed agents, so plan to replace it before deployment.
How to use it
- Add MCP Tools and select MCP Server.
- Let Arkus discover the server's tools.
Tool Mode
- Review the enabled Actions and connect the tool output to Agent Core.
- Test one real call in the Builder.
Normal mode
- Choose one tool and fill in its generated arguments.
- Connect the DataFrame output to the next step and test the call.
Configuration
| Setting | What it controls | Recommended starting point |
|---|---|---|
| MCP Server | Selects the saved server and loads its available tools. | Add and test one server before configuring arguments. |
| Use Cached Server | Reuses the server and tool list discovered earlier instead of fetching them again. It is off by default. | Turn it on only when repeated runs against the same server are slow. |
| Tool | Selects one discovered tool in normal mode. | Choose the smallest tool that completes the flow step. |
| Generated tool fields | Match the selected tool's input schema. | Fill only the arguments the server requires. |
| Actions | Enables or disables discovered tools in Tool Mode. | Enable only tools the Agent needs. |
Expected result
Tool Mode gives Agent Core the enabled discovered tools. Normal mode returns the selected tool's content as DataFrame rows. Discovery, schema, and server failures stop the call rather than returning a fabricated result.
Reference details
Use JSON, STDIO, or SSE when you add a server. You supply the server's own secrets yourself, as SSE headers or STDIO environment values, so keep those, the server command, and tool arguments out of screenshots and prompts.
Works well with
MCP Tools connects to Agent Core through its tools input in Tool Mode. In normal mode, send the DataFrame output to a component that can read tabular results.