Dev Tools · 5h ago
MCP Tool Discovery: JSON-RPC Handshake and Dynamic Enumeration Explained
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) uses a JSON-RPC 2.0 handshake to negotiate capabilities before tool discovery. Clients issue paginated `tools/list` calls with cursor-based pagination to handle hundreds of tools. Each tool includes a JSON Schema input schema that governs how LLMs construct calls and validate arguments.
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While the technical detail is solid, the piece assumes familiarity with MCP; newcomers may need a higher-level primer first.
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MCP Protocol Deep-Dive: How Tool Discovery Actually Works Under the Hood →
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