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name: tools-mcp description: "Guide Swarms tool schema conversion, BaseTool helpers, and MCP client/server workflows." metadata: disco-role: operating disable-model-invocation: true license: Apache 2.0

Tools and MCP

Use this sub-skill when the user wants to turn Python callables into tools, reason about tool schemas, or connect Swarms to an MCP server.

Owns these workflows

• Convert functions and Pydantic models into tool schemas.
• Use BaseTool to inspect, validate, and execute local tools.
• Configure MCPManager, MCPConnection, and MCPOAuthConfig.
• Use one or many MCP servers from an Agent.
• Build or smoke-test a small local MCP server.

Does not own

• Single-agent prompt, memory, marketplace, or fallback behavior; use single-agent.
• CLI file loading or autoswarm generation; use cli-loaders.
• Multi-agent orchestration, routing, or swarm selection; use multi-agent-workflows.

Read this sub-skill when the request mentions

• BaseTool, tool_registry, func_to_dict, base_model_to_openai_function, or execute_tool_by_name.
• MCPManager, MCPConnection, MCPOAuthConfig, mcp_url, mcp_urls, or mcp_configs.
• streamable_http, sse, stdio, auth headers, bearer tokens, OAuth, or tool routing.
• Agent(..., mcp_url=...) or local MCP server debugging.

Working shape

1. Decide whether the user needs local tool schemas, a direct MCP client, or an MCP server.
2. Check auth style and transport before promising a live connection.
3. Use the bundled references for API shapes and recovery steps.
4. Prefer a local server smoke test before a remote MCP endpoint.

What to read next

• references/api-reference.md for schema helpers and MCP config objects.
• references/workflows.md for function-schema, Agent+MCP, and local-server recipes.
• references/troubleshooting.md for auth, transport, and tool routing failures.
• scripts/tool_schema_smoke.py and scripts/mcp_smoke.py for safe offline checks.

Typical user questions this sub-skill should answer

• How do I convert a function or Pydantic model into a tool schema?
• How do I route MCP tools from one or many servers?
• Why does the client say it cannot find a tool name?
• Why does a local MCP server work on one header but not another?
• How do I prove the tool path without talking to a remote service?

Route boundaries

• If the task is mainly about one agent’s prompt or memory, route to single-agent.
• If the task is about command-line creation or file loaders, route to cli-loaders.
• If the task is about a swarm shape or router choice, route to multi-agent-workflows.

Acceptance checklist

• The response should identify the right helper function or MCP config object.
• The response should state which transport and auth style are required.
• The response should provide a concrete smoke or validation step.
• The response should include a recovery path for missing dependencies, bad headers, or empty tool lists.