111 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
111 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
# MCP Browser - Universal Model Context Protocol Proxy
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Welcome to MCP Browser! This tool solves the **context explosion problem** by acting as a smart proxy between AI systems and potentially hundreds of MCP tools.
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## The Context Problem MCP Browser Solves
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Traditional MCP setups expose ALL tools to the AI context immediately, which can easily consume thousands of tokens. MCP Browser implements a **minimal-to-maximal interface pattern**:
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- **What AI sees**: Only 3 simple meta-tools (minimal context usage)
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- **What AI can access**: All tools from all configured MCP servers (maximal functionality)
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- **How it works**: JSONRPC proxy that filters and routes tool calls transparently
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## Core Architecture: Minimal Interface → Maximal Backend
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### 1. **Sparse Mode Frontend** (What AI Sees)
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Only 3 meta-tools are exposed, preventing context explosion:
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- `mcp_discover` - Explore available tools without loading them into context
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- `mcp_call` - Execute any tool by constructing JSON-RPC calls
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- `onboarding` - Identity-aware persistent instructions
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### 2. **Transparent JSONRPC Proxy** (How It Works)
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- **Intercepts** `tools/list` responses and replaces full catalogs with sparse tools
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- **Routes** tool calls to appropriate internal or external MCP servers
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- **Transforms** meta-tool calls into actual JSONRPC requests
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- **Buffers** responses and handles async message routing
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### 3. **Multi-Server Backend** (What's Available)
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- **Built-in Servers**: Screen, Memory, Patterns, Onboarding (always available)
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- **External Servers**: Any MCP server configured in `~/.claude/mcp-browser/config.yaml`
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- **Runtime Discovery**: New servers added without restart via config monitoring
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## Key Insight: Tool Discovery Without Context Pollution
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Instead of loading hundreds of tool descriptions into context, AI can discover them on-demand:
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```python
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# Explore what's available (uses 0 additional context)
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mcp_discover(jsonpath="$.tools[*].name")
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# Get specific tool details only when needed
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mcp_discover(jsonpath="$.tools[?(@.name=='brave_web_search')]")
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# Execute discovered tools
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mcp_call(method="tools/call", params={"name": "brave_web_search", "arguments": {...}})
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```
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## Discovery Examples
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```python
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# Discover all available tools (built-in + external servers)
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mcp_discover(jsonpath="$.tools[*].name")
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# Get tools from specific server
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mcp_discover(jsonpath="$.servers.brave-search.tools[*].name")
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# Get all configured servers
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mcp_discover(jsonpath="$.servers[*].name")
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# Get tool details
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mcp_discover(jsonpath="$.tools[?(@.name=='brave_web_search')]")
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```
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## Using External Server Tools
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Once discovered, call any tool through `mcp_call`:
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```python
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# Example: Brave search
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mcp_call(
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method="tools/call",
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params={
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"name": "brave_web_search",
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"arguments": {"query": "MCP protocol"}
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}
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)
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# Example: GitHub
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mcp_call(
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method="tools/call",
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params={
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"name": "search_repositories",
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"arguments": {"query": "mcp-browser"}
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}
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)
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```
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## Runtime Configuration
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The config file at `~/.claude/mcp-browser/config.yaml` is monitored for changes. You can:
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1. Add new server configurations
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2. The proxy will automatically reload and make new tools available
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3. No restart required!
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Example config addition:
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```yaml
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servers:
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github:
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command: ["npx", "-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"]
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env:
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GITHUB_TOKEN: ${GITHUB_TOKEN}
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```
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## Architecture
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```
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Claude Desktop → MCP Browser (Proxy) → External MCP Servers
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↓
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Built-in Servers
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```
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MCP Browser provides a unified interface to multiple MCP servers while optimizing context usage through sparse mode and discovery. |