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MCP Tool Schema

Reviewed 19 July 2026 Canonical definition Part of: MCP & Agent Protocol Terms →

An MCP tool schema is the machine-readable definition of a tool's input parameters, output format, description, and metadata published by an MCP server. Agents use tool schemas for automatic tool selection and parameter generation; operators use them to assess what an agent is capable of doing and what data it will process.

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Questions

Common questions.

What is MCP Tool Schema?

An MCP tool schema is the machine-readable definition of a tool's input parameters, output format, description, and metadata published by an MCP server.

How is MCP Tool Schema used in production?

Agents use tool schemas for automatic tool selection and parameter generation; operators use them to assess what an agent is capable of doing and what data it will process.

Which terms are related to MCP Tool Schema?

Closely related concepts include MCP Tool Definition, MCP Poisoning, MCP Server Discovery, MCP Transport. Each is defined in the Prefactor glossary.

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Where this fits.

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