UTCP Specification
The specification for the Universal Tool Calling Protocol
What is UTCP Specification?
UTCP Specification is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to specification for the universal tool calling protocol
The specification for the Universal Tool Calling Protocol
This server falls under the Developer Tools category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- The specification for the Universal Tool Calling Protocol
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx utcp-specificationConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use UTCP Specification
The Universal Tool Calling Protocol (UTCP) specification defines a vendor-neutral standard for how AI agents discover and invoke tools across different transports — HTTP, CLI, WebSocket, text, and MCP. The repository serves both as the authoritative protocol documentation and as a Python reference implementation that developers can install and use to build interoperable tool-calling clients and servers. UTCP supports multiple authentication methods (API key, OAuth, custom) and provides a unified async interface regardless of the underlying transport.
Prerequisites
- Python 3.9+ for the reference implementation
- Node.js and npm if you want to run the documentation site locally
- Familiarity with the MCP protocol is helpful but not required
- An MCP-capable client (Claude Desktop, Cursor) if using the MCP transport plugin
Install the UTCP core package
Install the utcp base package from PyPI. This provides the core client, discovery, and calling interfaces.
pip install utcpInstall transport plugins
Install the protocol plugins you need. The MCP plugin allows UTCP to integrate with MCP-compatible servers.
pip install utcp-http utcp-cli utcp-websocket utcp-text utcp-mcpClone the repository for the full specification
Clone the repo to read the full specification documents and access example implementations.
git clone https://github.com/universal-tool-calling-protocol/utcp-specification.git
cd utcp-specificationBrowse the specification documentation locally
Install Node.js dependencies and start the documentation site to read the full UTCP specification in your browser.
npm install
npm start
# Opens http://localhost:3000Use the UTCP client in your code
Import the async UTCP client in your Python project to discover and call tools via any supported transport. Authenticate using API key, OAuth, or custom auth handlers.
from utcp import UTCPClient
async with UTCPClient() as client:
tools = await client.discover(provider_url)
result = await client.call(tool_name, inputs)UTCP Specification Examples
Client configuration
If running the UTCP MCP server to expose tools to Claude Desktop, add this entry to claude_desktop_config.json.
{
"mcpServers": {
"utcp-specification": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["utcp-specification"]
}
}
}Prompts to try
Use these prompts when working with the UTCP specification documentation server or exploring the protocol.
- "Explain the UTCP tool discovery mechanism and how it differs from MCP"
- "Show me the UTCP schema for defining a tool that accepts HTTP POST requests"
- "What authentication methods does UTCP support and how do I configure OAuth?"
- "Compare UTCP's WebSocket transport to its HTTP transport for real-time tools"Troubleshooting UTCP Specification
pip install utcp fails with 'No matching distribution found'
Ensure you are using Python 3.9+ and that pip is up to date ('pip install --upgrade pip'). The utcp package may also be available under an alternative name — check PyPI directly for the latest package name.
npm start fails for the documentation site
Run 'npm install' first to install all Node.js dependencies. If you see peer dependency errors, try 'npm install --legacy-peer-deps'. Node.js 16+ is recommended.
UTCP client cannot discover tools from a provider URL
Verify the provider URL is correct and accessible. UTCP uses a discovery endpoint (typically /.well-known/utcp or /tools) — check the provider's documentation for the exact discovery path and any required authentication headers.
Frequently Asked Questions about UTCP Specification
What is UTCP Specification?
UTCP Specification is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that specification for the universal tool calling protocol It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install UTCP Specification?
Follow the installation instructions on the UTCP Specification GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with UTCP Specification?
UTCP Specification works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is UTCP Specification free to use?
Yes, UTCP Specification is open source and available under the NOASSERTION license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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