MCP server tools not showing
22,341 servers started in our checks. 19,769 of them listed no tools.
What our check reads
After the handshake our check calls tools/list and keeps every tool the server names, with its
description and inputs. A server that lists none may still offer prompts or resources, which a check does not read.
A server that wants a key before it lists anything shows as needing a key instead: 10,786 servers did in their newest check. Give it the key its documentation names and its tools appear.
When the client shows none
- After changing the config, restart the client or reload its MCP servers, so it reads the file again.
- Give each server its own name in the config: a second entry under the same name replaces the first.