MCP Builder
MicrosoftOfficialPublished by Microsoft
- Skill
- Guidelines
- Software development
- MIT
- Low risk
- Has scripts
AutoGineer summary
Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author
mcp-builder provides a structured, four-phase workflow for developing MCP servers that enable LLMs to interact with external services. It covers the entire lifecycle from initial research and planning, through implementation in TypeScript, Python, or C#, to testing and creating robust evaluations. The guide emphasizes best practices for tool design, schema definition, and error handling to ensure agents can effectively utilize the exposed functionality.
What it does
- Provides a step-by-step process for building MCP servers.
- Offers guidance on selecting the right language SDK (TypeScript, Python, C#).
- Defines standards for tool naming, schema design, and context management.
- Includes instructions for implementing core infrastructure like authentication and pagination.
- Outlines a methodology for creating XML-based evaluations to test agent performance.
- Provides references for Microsoft-specific MCP patterns and Azure integration.
When to use it
- When you need to integrate custom internal APIs or third-party SaaS into an LLM agent.
- When you are building a new MCP server and want to follow industry best practices.
- When you need to evaluate the effectiveness of your MCP server's tools.
- When deciding between building a custom server or using existing Microsoft MCP infrastructure.
Advantages
- Standardizes the development process for consistent, high-quality MCP servers.
- Promotes the use of structured schemas for better agent interaction.
- Includes a clear path for testing and validating server performance.
- Supports multiple programming languages and transport mechanisms.
Usage examples
- “I need to build an MCP server for my internal CRM API. What is the recommended workflow?”
- The agent will guide you through the four-phase process: planning your tool definitions, selecting the appropriate SDK, implementing the server with proper error handling, and creating an evaluation suite.
- “How should I structure my tool definitions for an MCP server?”
- The agent will provide patterns for clear, action-oriented naming, using Zod or Pydantic for input schemas, and defining output schemas to help agents process data effectively.
Install
Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/microsoft/mcp-builder/downloadUnzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:
mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip mcp-builder.zip -d .agents/skills
Documentation by Microsoft
MCP Server Development Guide
Overview
Create MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers that enable LLMs to interact with external services through well-designed tools. The quality of an MCP server is measured by how well it enables LLMs to accomplish real-world tasks.
Microsoft MCP Ecosystem
Microsoft provides extensive MCP infrastructure for Azure and Foundry services. Understanding this ecosystem helps you decide whether to build custom servers or leverage existing ones.
Server Types
| Type | Transport | Use Case | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local | stdio | Desktop apps, single-user, local dev | Azure MCP Server via NPM/Docker |
| Remote | Streamable HTTP | Cloud services, multi-tenant, Agent Service | https://mcp.ai.azure.com (Foundry) |
Microsoft MCP Servers
Before building a custom server, check if Microsoft already provides one:
| Server | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Azure MCP | Local | 48+ Azure services (Storage, KeyVault, Cosmos, SQL, etc.) |
| Foundry MCP | Remote | https://mcp.ai.azure.com - Models, deployments, evals, agents |
| Fabric MCP | Local | Microsoft Fabric APIs, OneLake, item definitions |
| Playwright MCP | Local | Browser automation and testing |
| GitHub MCP | Remote | https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp |
Full ecosystem: See 🔷 Microsoft MCP Patterns for complete server catalog and patterns.
When to Use Microsoft vs Custom
| Scenario | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Azure service integration | Use Azure MCP Server (48 services covered) |
| AI Foundry agents/evals | Use Foundry MCP remote server |
| Custom internal APIs | Build custom server (this guide) |
| Third-party SaaS integration | Build custom server (this guide) |
| Extending Azure MCP | Follow Microsoft MCP Patterns |
Process
🚀 High-Level Workflow
Creating a high-quality MCP server involves four main phases:
Phase 1: Deep Research and Planning
1.1 Understand Modern MCP Design
API Coverage vs. Workflow Tools: Balance comprehensive API endpoint coverage with specialized workflow tools. Workflow tools can be more convenient for specific tasks, while comprehensive coverage gives agents flexibility to compose operations. Performance varies by client—some clients benefit from code execution that combines basic tools, while others work better with higher-level workflows. When uncertain, prioritize comprehensive API coverage.
Tool Naming and Discoverability:
Clear, descriptive tool names help agents find the right tools quickly. Use consistent prefixes (e.g., github_create_issue, github_list_repos) and action-oriented naming.
Context Management: Agents benefit from concise tool descriptions and the ability to filter/paginate results. Design tools that return focused, relevant data. Some clients support code execution which can help agents filter and process data efficiently.
Actionable Error Messages: Error messages should guide agents toward solutions with specific suggestions and next steps.
1.2 Study MCP Protocol Documentation
Navigate the MCP specification:
Start with the sitemap to find relevant pages: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/sitemap.xml
Then fetch specific pages with .md suffix for markdown format (e.g., https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/draft.md).
Key pages to review:
Specification overview and architecture
Transport mechanisms (streamable HTTP, stdio)
Tool, resource, and prompt definitions
1.3 Study Framework Documentation
Language Selection:
| Language | Best For | SDK |
|---|---|---|
| TypeScript (recommended) | General MCP servers, broad compatibility | @modelcontextprotocol/sdk |
| Python | Data/ML pipelines, FastAPI integration | mcp (FastMCP) |
| C#/.NET | Azure/Microsoft ecosystem, enterprise | Microsoft.Mcp.Core |
Transport Selection:
| Transport | Use Case | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Streamable HTTP | Remote servers, multi-tenant, Agent Service | Stateless, scalable, requires auth |
| stdio | Local servers, desktop apps | Simple, single-user, no network |
Load framework documentation:
MCP Best Practices: 📋 View Best Practices - Core guidelines
For TypeScript (recommended):
TypeScript SDK: Use WebFetch to load
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/modelcontextprotocol/typescript-sdk/main/README.md⚡ TypeScript Guide - TypeScript patterns and examples
For Python:
Python SDK: Use WebFetch to load
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/modelcontextprotocol/python-sdk/main/README.md🐍 Python Guide - Python patterns and examples
For C#/.NET (Microsoft ecosystem):
🔷 Microsoft MCP Patterns - C# patterns, Azure MCP architecture, command hierarchy
1.4 Plan Your Implementation
Understand the API: Review the service's API documentation to identify key endpoints, authentication requirements, and data models. Use web search and WebFetch as needed.
Tool Selection: Prioritize comprehensive API coverage. List endpoints to implement, starting with the most common operations.
Phase 2: Implementation
2.1 Set Up Project Structure
See language-specific guides for project setup:
⚡ TypeScript Guide - Project structure, package.json, tsconfig.json
🐍 Python Guide - Module organization, dependencies
🔷 Microsoft MCP Patterns - C# project structure, command hierarchy
2.2 Implement Core Infrastructure
Create shared utilities:
API client with authentication
Error handling helpers
Response formatting (JSON/Markdown)
Pagination support
2.3 Implement Tools
For each tool:
Input Schema:
Use Zod (TypeScript) or Pydantic (Python)
Include constraints and clear descriptions
Add examples in field descriptions
Output Schema:
Define
outputSchemawhere possible for structured dataUse
structuredContentin tool responses (TypeScript SDK feature)Helps clients understand and process tool outputs
Tool Description:
Concise summary of functionality
Parameter descriptions
Return type schema
Implementation:
Async/await for I/O operations
Proper error handling with actionable messages
Support pagination where applicable
Return both text content and structured data when using modern SDKs
Annotations:
readOnlyHint: true/falsedestructiveHint: true/falseidempotentHint: true/falseopenWorldHint: true/false
Phase 3: Review and Test
3.1 Code Quality
Review for:
No duplicated code (DRY principle)
Consistent error handling
Full type coverage
Clear tool descriptions
3.2 Build and Test
TypeScript:
Run
npm run buildto verify compilationTest with MCP Inspector:
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector
Python:
Verify syntax:
python -m py_compile your_server.pyTest with MCP Inspector
See language-specific guides for detailed testing approaches and quality checklists.
Phase 4: Create Evaluations
After implementing your MCP server, create comprehensive evaluations to test its effectiveness.
Load ✅ Evaluation Guide for complete evaluation guidelines.
4.1 Understand Evaluation Purpose
Use evaluations to test whether LLMs can effectively use your MCP server to answer realistic, complex questions.
4.2 Create 10 Evaluation Questions
To create effective evaluations, follow the process outlined in the evaluation guide:
Tool Inspection: List available tools and understand their capabilities
Content Exploration: Use READ-ONLY operations to explore available data
Question Generation: Create 10 complex, realistic questions
Answer Verification: Solve each question yourself to verify answers
4.3 Evaluation Requirements
Ensure each question is:
Independent: Not dependent on other questions
Read-only: Only non-destructive operations required
Complex: Requiring multiple tool calls and deep exploration
Realistic: Based on real use cases humans would care about
Verifiable: Single, clear answer that can be verified by string comparison
Stable: Answer won't change over time
4.4 Output Format
Create an XML file with this structure:
<evaluation>
<qa_pair>
<question>Find discussions about AI model launches with animal codenames. One model needed a specific safety designation that uses the format ASL-X. What number X was being determined for the model named after a spotted wild cat?</question>
<answer>3</answer>
</qa_pair>
<!-- More qa_pairs... -->
</evaluation>Reference Files
📚 Documentation Library
Load these resources as needed during development:
Core MCP Documentation (Load First)
MCP Protocol: Start with sitemap at
https://modelcontextprotocol.io/sitemap.xml, then fetch specific pages with.mdsuffix📋 MCP Best Practices - Universal MCP guidelines including:
Server and tool naming conventions
Response format guidelines (JSON vs Markdown)
Pagination best practices
Transport selection (streamable HTTP vs stdio)
Security and error handling standards
Microsoft MCP Documentation (For Azure/Foundry)
🔷 Microsoft MCP Patterns - Microsoft-specific patterns including:
Azure MCP Server architecture (48+ Azure services)
C#/.NET command implementation patterns
Remote MCP with Foundry Agent Service
Authentication (Entra ID, OBO flow, Managed Identity)
Testing infrastructure with Bicep templates
SDK Documentation (Load During Phase 1/2)
Python SDK: Fetch from
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/modelcontextprotocol/python-sdk/main/README.mdTypeScript SDK: Fetch from
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/modelcontextprotocol/typescript-sdk/main/README.mdMicrosoft MCP SDK: See Microsoft MCP Patterns for C#/.NET
Language-Specific Implementation Guides (Load During Phase 2)
🐍 Python Implementation Guide - Complete Python/FastMCP guide with:
Server initialization patterns
Pydantic model examples
Tool registration with
@mcp.toolComplete working examples
Quality checklist
⚡ TypeScript Implementation Guide - Complete TypeScript guide with:
Project structure
Zod schema patterns
Tool registration with
server.registerToolComplete working examples
Quality checklist
🔷 Microsoft MCP Patterns - Complete C#/.NET guide with:
Command hierarchy (BaseCommand → GlobalCommand → SubscriptionCommand)
Naming conventions (
{Resource}{Operation}Command)Option handling with
.AsRequired()/.AsOptional()Azure Functions remote MCP deployment
Live test patterns with Bicep
Evaluation Guide (Load During Phase 4)
✅ Evaluation Guide - Complete evaluation creation guide with:
Question creation guidelines
Answer verification strategies
XML format specifications
Example questions and answers
Running an evaluation with the provided scripts
Files
- ATTRIBUTION.mdAdded by AutoGineer853 B
- LICENSELicence file added by AutoGineer1.1 KiB
- SKILL.md11.9 KiB
- reference/evaluation.md21.2 KiB
- reference/mcp_best_practices.md12.1 KiB
- reference/microsoft_mcp_patterns.md21.0 KiB
- reference/node_mcp_server.md28.5 KiB
- reference/python_mcp_server.md25.1 KiB
- scripts/connections.pyScript4.8 KiB
- scripts/evaluation.pyScript12.3 KiB
- scripts/example_evaluation.xml1.2 KiB
- scripts/requirements.txt29 B
scripts/evaluation.py
"""MCP Server Evaluation Harness
This script evaluates MCP servers by running test questions against them using Claude.
"""
import argparse
import asyncio
import json
import re
import sys
import time
import traceback
import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
from pathlib import Path
from typing import Any
from anthropic import Anthropic
from connections import create_connection
EVALUATION_PROMPT = """You are an AI assistant with access to tools.
When given a task, you MUST:
1. Use the available tools to complete the task
2. Provide summary of each step in your approach, wrapped in <summary> tags
3. Provide feedback on the tools provided, wrapped in <feedback> tags
4. Provide your final response, wrapped in <response> tags
Summary Requirements:
- In your <summary> tags, you must explain:
- The steps you took to complete the task
- Which tools you used, in what order, and why
- The inputs you provided to each tool
- The outputs you received from each tool
- A summary for how you arrived at the response
Feedback Requirements:
- In your <feedback> tags, provide constructive feedback on the tools:
- Comment on tool names: Are they clear and descriptive?
- Comment on input parameters: Are they well-documented? Are required vs optional parameters clear?
- Comment on descriptions: Do they accurately describe what the tool does?
- Comment on any errors encountered during tool usage: Did the tool fail to execute? Did the tool return too many tokens?
- Identify specific areas for improvement and explain WHY they would help
- Be specific and actionable in your suggestions
Response Requirements:
- Your response should be concise and directly address what was asked
- Always wrap your final response in <response> tags
- If you cannot solve the task return <response>NOT_FOUND</response>
- For numeric responses, provide just the number
- For IDs, provide just the ID
- For names or text, provide the exact text requested
- Your response should go last"""
def parse_evaluation_file(file_path: Path) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
"""Parse XML evaluation file with qa_pair elements."""
try:
tree = ET.parse(file_path)
root = tree.getroot()
evaluations = []
for qa_pair in root.findall(".//qa_pair"):
question_elem = qa_pair.find("question")
answer_elem = qa_pair.find("answer")
if question_elem is not None and answer_elem is not None:
evaluations.append({
"question": (question_elem.text or "").strip(),
"answer": (answer_elem.text or "").strip(),
})
return evaluations
except Exception as e:
print(f"Error parsing evaluation file {file_path}: {e}")
return []
def extract_xml_content(text: str, tag: str) -> str | None:
"""Extract content from XML tags."""
pattern = rf"<{tag}>(.*?)</{tag}>"
matches = re.findall(pattern, text, re.DOTALL)
return matches[-1].strip() if matches else None
async def agent_loop(
client: Anthropic,
model: str,
question: str,
tools: list[dict[str, Any]],
connection: Any,
) -> tuple[str, dict[str, Any]]:
"""Run the agent loop with MCP tools."""
messages = [{"role": "user", "content": question}]
response = await asyncio.to_thread(
client.messages.create,
model=model,
max_tokens=4096,
system=EVALUATION_PROMPT,
messages=messages,
tools=tools,
)
messages.append({"role": "assistant", "content": response.content})
tool_metrics = {}
while response.stop_reason == "tool_use":
tool_use = next(block for block in response.content if block.type == "tool_use")
tool_name = tool_use.name
tool_input = tool_use.input
tool_start_ts = time.time()
try:
tool_result = await connection.call_tool(tool_name, tool_input)
tool_response = json.dumps(tool_result) if isinstance(tool_result, (dict, list)) else str(tool_result)
except Exception as e:
tool_response = f"Error executing tool {tool_name}: {str(e)}\n"
tool_response += traceback.format_exc()
tool_duration = time.time() - tool_start_ts
if tool_name not in tool_metrics:
tool_metrics[tool_name] = {"count": 0, "durations": []}
tool_metrics[tool_name]["count"] += 1
tool_metrics[tool_name]["durations"].append(tool_duration)
messages.append({
"role": "user",
"content": [{
"type": "tool_result",
"tool_use_id": tool_use.id,
"content": tool_response,
}]
})
response = await asyncio.to_thread(
client.messages.create,
model=model,
max_tokens=4096,
system=EVALUATION_PROMPT,
messages=messages,
tools=tools,
)
messages.append({"role": "assistant", "content": response.content})
response_text = next(
(block.text for block in response.content if hasattr(block, "text")),
None,
)
return response_text, tool_metrics
async def evaluate_single_task(
client: Anthropic,
model: str,
qa_pair: dict[str, Any],
tools: list[dict[str, Any]],
connection: Any,
task_index: int,
) -> dict[str, Any]:
"""Evaluate a single QA pair with the given tools."""
start_time = time.time()
print(f"Task {task_index + 1}: Running task with question: {qa_pair['question']}")
response, tool_metrics = await agent_loop(client, model, qa_pair["question"], tools, connection)
response_value = extract_xml_content(response, "response")
summary = extract_xml_content(response, "summary")
feedback = extract_xml_content(response, "feedback")
duration_seconds = time.time() - start_time
return {
"question": qa_pair["question"],
"expected": qa_pair["answer"],
"actual": response_value,
"score": int(response_value == qa_pair["answer"]) if response_value else 0,
"total_duration": duration_seconds,
"tool_calls": tool_metrics,
"num_tool_calls": sum(len(metrics["durations"]) for metrics in tool_metrics.values()),
"summary": summary,
"feedback": feedback,
}
REPORT_HEADER = """
# Evaluation Report
## Summary
- **Accuracy**: {correct}/{total} ({accuracy:.1f}%)
- **Average Task Duration**: {average_duration_s:.2f}s
- **Average Tool Calls per Task**: {average_tool_calls:.2f}
- **Total Tool Calls**: {total_tool_calls}
---
"""
TASK_TEMPLATE = """
### Task {task_num}
**Question**: {question}
**Ground Truth Answer**: `{expected_answer}`
**Actual Answer**: `{actual_answer}`
**Correct**: {correct_indicator}
**Duration**: {total_duration:.2f}s
**Tool Calls**: {tool_calls}
**Summary**
{summary}
**Feedback**
{feedback}
---
"""
async def run_evaluation(
eval_path: Path,
connection: Any,
model: str = "claude-3-7-sonnet-20250219",
) -> str:
"""Run evaluation with MCP server tools."""
print("🚀 Starting Evaluation")
client = Anthropic()
tools = await connection.list_tools()
print(f"📋 Loaded {len(tools)} tools from MCP server")
qa_pairs = parse_evaluation_file(eval_path)
print(f"📋 Loaded {len(qa_pairs)} evaluation tasks")
results = []
for i, qa_pair in enumerate(qa_pairs):
print(f"Processing task {i + 1}/{len(qa_pairs)}")
result = await evaluate_single_task(client, model, qa_pair, tools, connection, i)
results.append(result)
correct = sum(r["score"] for r in results)
accuracy = (correct / len(results)) * 100 if results else 0
average_duration_s = sum(r["total_duration"] for r in results) / len(results) if results else 0
average_tool_calls = sum(r["num_tool_calls"] for r in results) / len(results) if results else 0
total_tool_calls = sum(r["num_tool_calls"] for r in results)
report = REPORT_HEADER.format(
correct=correct,
total=len(results),
accuracy=accuracy,
average_duration_s=average_duration_s,
average_tool_calls=average_tool_calls,
total_tool_calls=total_tool_calls,
)
report += "".join([
TASK_TEMPLATE.format(
task_num=i + 1,
question=qa_pair["question"],
expected_answer=qa_pair["answer"],
actual_answer=result["actual"] or "N/A",
correct_indicator="✅" if result["score"] else "❌",
total_duration=result["total_duration"],
tool_calls=json.dumps(result["tool_calls"], indent=2),
summary=result["summary"] or "N/A",
feedback=result["feedback"] or "N/A",
)
for i, (qa_pair, result) in enumerate(zip(qa_pairs, results))
])
return report
def parse_headers(header_list: list[str]) -> dict[str, str]:
"""Parse header strings in format 'Key: Value' into a dictionary."""
headers = {}
if not header_list:
return headers
for header in header_list:
if ":" in header:
key, value = header.split(":", 1)
headers[key.strip()] = value.strip()
else:
print(f"Warning: Ignoring malformed header: {header}")
return headers
def parse_env_vars(env_list: list[str]) -> dict[str, str]:
"""Parse environment variable strings in format 'KEY=VALUE' into a dictionary."""
env = {}
if not env_list:
return env
for env_var in env_list:
if "=" in env_var:
key, value = env_var.split("=", 1)
env[key.strip()] = value.strip()
else:
print(f"Warning: Ignoring malformed environment variable: {env_var}")
return env
async def main():
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
description="Evaluate MCP servers using test questions",
formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter,
epilog="""
Examples:
# Evaluate a local stdio MCP server
python evaluation.py -t stdio -c python -a my_server.py eval.xml
# Evaluate an SSE MCP server
python evaluation.py -t sse -u https://example.com/mcp -H "Authorization: Bearer token" eval.xml
# Evaluate an HTTP MCP server with custom model
python evaluation.py -t http -u https://example.com/mcp -m claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022 eval.xml
""",
)
parser.add_argument("eval_file", type=Path, help="Path to evaluation XML file")
parser.add_argument("-t", "--transport", choices=["stdio", "sse", "http"], default="stdio", help="Transport type (default: stdio)")
parser.add_argument("-m", "--model", default="claude-3-7-sonnet-20250219", help="Claude model to use (default: claude-3-7-sonnet-20250219)")
stdio_group = parser.add_argument_group("stdio options")
stdio_group.add_argument("-c", "--command", help="Command to run MCP server (stdio only)")
stdio_group.add_argument("-a", "--args", nargs="+", help="Arguments for the command (stdio only)")
stdio_group.add_argument("-e", "--env", nargs="+", help="Environment variables in KEY=VALUE format (stdio only)")
remote_group = parser.add_argument_group("sse/http options")
remote_group.add_argument("-u", "--url", help="MCP server URL (sse/http only)")
remote_group.add_argument("-H", "--header", nargs="+", dest="headers", help="HTTP headers in 'Key: Value' format (sse/http only)")
parser.add_argument("-o", "--output", type=Path, help="Output file for evaluation report (default: stdout)")
args = parser.parse_args()
if not args.eval_file.exists():
print(f"Error: Evaluation file not found: {args.eval_file}")
sys.exit(1)
headers = parse_headers(args.headers) if args.headers else None
env_vars = parse_env_vars(args.env) if args.env else None
try:
connection = create_connection(
transport=args.transport,
command=args.command,
args=args.args,
env=env_vars,
url=args.url,
headers=headers,
)
except ValueError as e:
print(f"Error: {e}")
sys.exit(1)
print(f"🔗 Connecting to MCP server via {args.transport}...")
async with connection:
print("✅ Connected successfully")
report = await run_evaluation(args.eval_file, connection, args.model)
if args.output:
args.output.write_text(report)
print(f"\n✅ Report saved to {args.output}")
else:
print("\n" + report)
if __name__ == "__main__":
asyncio.run(main())
Requirements and compatibility
Written for: Claude Code
Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta
“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.
Needs: Names Claude Code tools, Needs an MCP server, Needs network access, Needs Python, Needs Node.js
Security
What our scanner noticed· Low risk
- Instructions that use the network
- Scripts that your agent may run
This skill includes scripts that your agent may run. Read them before you use it.
A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.
Attribution and licence
- Published by
- Microsoft
- Publisher
- Microsoft (Official)
- Source
- microsoft/skills · .github/skills/mcp-builder · commit 0696600
- Licence
- MIT License (redistribution allowed)
- LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
- ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
- Synced
AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft.
Download ZIP
The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download mcp-builder.zip