Official agent skill

MCP Spec Docs Lookup

by modelcontextprotocol in modelcontextprotocol/kotlin-sdk

Fetches live Model Context Protocol specification and docs from modelcontextprotocol.io whenever work touches MCP behavior, SEPs or conformance.

OfficialCustom licenceAuto-check passedAgent Workflows

Install MCP Spec Docs Lookup

skills CLI
$ npx skills add modelcontextprotocol/kotlin-sdk --skill mcp-docs -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install modelcontextprotocol/kotlin-sdk mcp-docs --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/kotlin-sdk.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.claude/skills/mcp-docs .claude/skills/mcp-docs && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
mcp-docs
GitHub stars
1.5k
Token cost
~879 tokens
SKILL.md length
326 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
2
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
Custom licence

At a glance

Fetches live Model Context Protocol specification and docs from modelcontextprotocol.io whenever work touches MCP behavior, SEPs or conformance.

  • Works in 3 steps: Fetch the documentation index → Identify the relevant page URL(s) from… → Fetch the specific page
  • Implementing an MCP feature such as sampling, elicitation or transports
  • SKILL.md covers When to use, How to fetch documentation and Presenting information
  • Reaches modelcontextprotocol.io

What it does

The skill treats the spec as faster-moving than training data, so it consults live docs for message schemas, required fields, capability negotiation, error handling and transport requirements. It runs proactively when implementing or reviewing MCP features or fixing conformance test failures, and on demand for questions about a feature, spec ambiguities or SEPs, the specification enhancement proposals.

Fetching tries the search_model_context_protocol tool first for ranked results, and otherwise reads the llms.txt index with WebFetch and then the specific pages in the specification, SEP, learning and development sections. It uses the latest spec version unless you ask for a dated version or the draft, answers field-level questions from one page where possible, and cites the source pages it used. It is skipped for pure Kotlin, build or refactoring work with no MCP dependency.

When your agent uses it

  • Implementing an MCP feature such as sampling, elicitation or transports
  • Fixing MCP conformance test failures
  • Looking up what an SEP requires or why a design was chosen
  • Checking authorization or capability negotiation rules in the spec

Example prompts

  • “What does the spec require for Streamable HTTP reconnection?”
  • “Check the live spec for how elicitation requests must be structured.”
  • “Why is our conformance test for capability negotiation failing?”

Requirements

  • Network access to modelcontextprotocol.io

Workflow steps

3 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Fetch the documentation index
  2. Identify the relevant page URL(s) from the index. Key sections
  3. Fetch the specific page

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 32e6483. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    Hosts in commands or code, which the agent is likely to contact:

    • modelcontextprotocol.io

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

MCP Spec Docs Lookup loads about 879 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 154 tokens; SKILL.md has 326 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~154
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~879

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

Its licence (Custom licence) doesn't allow us to republish the file, so here is its outline and opening line. It has 326 words (~879 tokens).

“Provides access to the official MCP specification and docs from modelcontextprotocol.io. The spec evolves faster than training data — always consult live documentation for protocol specifics like message schemas, required fields, capability negotiation, error handling, and transport requirements.”

— opening of SKILL.md by modelcontextprotocol, Custom licence
name
mcp-docs
user_invocable
true

Read the full SKILL.md on GitHub

Files

Just SKILL.md in .claude/skills/mcp-docs of modelcontextprotocol/kotlin-sdk.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 32e6483

Compare with similar skills

MCP Spec Docs Lookup next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

MCP Spec Docs Lookup compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
MCP Spec Docs Lookup this skillmodelcontextprotocol/kotlin-sdk1.5k—~879Automated safety check: PassCustom licence
Crush Configurationcharmbracelet/crush29k—~3.7kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence
PicoClaw Agentsipeed/picoclaw30k—~7.2kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
Chatgpt AppsHaohao-end/openagent8071 repos~4.9kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Chatgpt App Builderalpic-ai/skybridge2.1k—~1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Agent Setup Health Audittw93/Waza7.2k—~5.2kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT

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Questions about MCP Spec Docs Lookup

What does MCP Spec Docs Lookup do?

Fetches live Model Context Protocol specification and docs from modelcontextprotocol.io whenever work touches MCP behavior, SEPs or conformance. The skill treats the spec as faster-moving than training data, so it consults live docs for message schemas, required fields, capability negotiation, error handling and transport requirements. It runs proactively when implementing or reviewing MCP features or fixing conformance test failures, and on demand for questions about a feature, spec ambiguities or SEPs, the specification enhancement proposals.

When should I use MCP Spec Docs Lookup?

MCP Spec Docs Lookup fits situations like: implementing an MCP feature such as sampling, elicitation or transports; fixing MCP conformance test failures; looking up what an SEP requires or why a design was chosen; checking authorization or capability negotiation rules in the spec.

How do I install MCP Spec Docs Lookup in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add modelcontextprotocol/kotlin-sdk --skill mcp-docs -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.claude/skills/mcp-docs in modelcontextprotocol/kotlin-sdk) into .claude/skills/mcp-docs in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install MCP Spec Docs Lookup in Codex?

Run `npx skills add modelcontextprotocol/kotlin-sdk --skill mcp-docs -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.claude/skills/mcp-docs in modelcontextprotocol/kotlin-sdk) into .agents/skills/mcp-docs in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use MCP Spec Docs Lookup in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add modelcontextprotocol/kotlin-sdk --skill mcp-docs -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/mcp-docs, .gemini/skills/mcp-docs, .github/skills/mcp-docs and .opencode/skills/mcp-docs in your project.

What does MCP Spec Docs Lookup need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: MCP Spec Docs Lookup is instructions for the agent only. Our summary lists: Network access to modelcontextprotocol.io.

Does MCP Spec Docs Lookup access the network?

SKILL.md names 1 domain. In commands or code: modelcontextprotocol.io; the agent is likely to contact it when it follows the instructions. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is MCP Spec Docs Lookup safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does MCP Spec Docs Lookup use?

MCP Spec Docs Lookup has a licence file (the repository's licence) that doesn't match a standard licence. Read it on GitHub before reusing the skill.

How many tokens does MCP Spec Docs Lookup use?

About 879 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 3.5k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to MCP Spec Docs Lookup?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with MCP Spec Docs Lookup: Crush Configuration (charmbracelet/crush, 29k stars), PicoClaw Agent (sipeed/picoclaw, 30k stars), Chatgpt Apps (Haohao-end/openagent, 807 stars) and Chatgpt App Builder (alpic-ai/skybridge, 2.1k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains MCP Spec Docs Lookup?

modelcontextprotocol (a GitHub organization, an official publisher) maintains it in modelcontextprotocol/kotlin-sdk, which has 1,464 GitHub stars. The repository holds 2 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 5, 2026.

Source: modelcontextprotocol/kotlin-sdk on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.