ext-apps/docs/patterns.md

---
title: Patterns
group: Getting Started
description: Common patterns and recipes for building MCP Apps — polling, chunked data, binary resources, theming, fullscreen, model context, state persistence, and more.
---

# MCP Apps Patterns

This document covers common patterns and recipes for building MCP Apps.

## Tools that are private to Apps

Set {@link types!McpUiToolMeta.visibility `Tool._meta.ui.visibility`} to `["app"]` to make tools only callable by Apps (hidden from the model). This is useful for UI-driven actions like updating server-side state, polling, or other interactions that shouldn't appear in the model's tool list.

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```ts source="../src/server/index.examples.ts#registerAppTool_appOnlyVisibility"
registerAppTool(
  server,
  "update-quantity",
  {
    description: "Update item quantity in cart",
    inputSchema: { itemId: z.string(), quantity: z.number() },
    _meta: {
      ui: {
        resourceUri: "ui://shop/cart.html",
        visibility: ["app"],
      },
    },
  },
  async ({ itemId, quantity }) => {
    const cart = await updateCartItem(itemId, quantity);
    return { content: [{ type: "text", text: JSON.stringify(cart) }] };
  },
);
```

> [!NOTE]
> For full examples that implement this pattern, see: [`examples/system-monitor-server/`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/system-monitor-server) and [`examples/pdf-server/`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/pdf-server).

## Polling for live data

For real-time dashboards or monitoring views, use an app-only tool (with `visibility: ["app"]`) that the App polls at regular intervals.

**Vanilla JS:**

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```ts source="./patterns.tsx#pollingVanillaJs"
let intervalId: number | null = null;

async function poll() {
  const result = await app.callServerTool({
    name: "poll-data",
    arguments: {},
  });
  updateUI(result.structuredContent);
}

function startPolling() {
  if (intervalId !== null) return;
  poll();
  intervalId = window.setInterval(poll, 2000);
}

function stopPolling() {
  if (intervalId === null) return;
  clearInterval(intervalId);
  intervalId = null;
}

// Clean up when host tears down the view
app.onteardown = async () => {
  stopPolling();
  return {};
};
```

**React:**

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```tsx source="./patterns.tsx#pollingReact"
useEffect(() => {
  if (!app) return;
  let cancelled = false;

  async function poll() {
    const result = await app!.callServerTool({
      name: "poll-data",
      arguments: {},
    });
    if (!cancelled) setData(result.structuredContent);
  }

  poll();
  const id = setInterval(poll, 2000);
  return () => {
    cancelled = true;
    clearInterval(id);
  };
}, [app]);
```

> [!NOTE]
> For a full example that implements this pattern, see: [`examples/system-monitor-server/`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/system-monitor-server).

## Reading large amounts of data via chunked tool calls

Some host platforms have size limits on tool call responses, so large files (PDFs, images, etc.) cannot be sent in a single response. Use an app-only tool with chunked responses to bypass these limits while keeping the data out of model context.

**Server-side**: Register an app-only tool that returns data in chunks with pagination metadata:

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```tsx source="./patterns.tsx#chunkedDataServer"
// Define the chunk response schema
const DataChunkSchema = z.object({
  bytes: z.string(), // base64-encoded data
  offset: z.number(),
  byteCount: z.number(),
  totalBytes: z.number(),
  hasMore: z.boolean(),
});

const MAX_CHUNK_BYTES = 500 * 1024; // 500KB per chunk

registerAppTool(
  server,
  "read_data_bytes",
  {
    title: "Read Data Bytes",
    description: "Load binary data in chunks",
    inputSchema: {
      id: z.string().describe("Resource identifier"),
      offset: z.number().min(0).default(0).describe("Byte offset"),
      byteCount: z
        .number()
        .default(MAX_CHUNK_BYTES)
        .describe("Bytes to read"),
    },
    outputSchema: DataChunkSchema,
    // Hidden from model - only callable by the App
    _meta: { ui: { visibility: ["app"] } },
  },
  async ({ id, offset, byteCount }): Promise<CallToolResult> => {
    const data = await loadData(id); // Your data loading logic
    const chunk = data.slice(offset, offset + byteCount);

    return {
      content: [{ type: "text", text: `${chunk.length} bytes at ${offset}` }],
      structuredContent: {
        bytes: Buffer.from(chunk).toString("base64"),
        offset,
        byteCount: chunk.length,
        totalBytes: data.length,
        hasMore: offset + chunk.length < data.length,
      },
    };
  },
);
```

**Client-side**: Loop calling the tool until all chunks are received:

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```tsx source="./patterns.tsx#chunkedDataClient"
interface DataChunk {
  bytes: string; // base64
  offset: number;
  byteCount: number;
  totalBytes: number;
  hasMore: boolean;
}

async function loadDataInChunks(
  id: string,
  onProgress?: (loaded: number, total: number) => void,
): Promise<Uint8Array> {
  const CHUNK_SIZE = 500 * 1024; // 500KB chunks
  const chunks: Uint8Array[] = [];
  let offset = 0;
  let totalBytes = 0;
  let hasMore = true;

  while (hasMore) {
    const result = await app.callServerTool({
      name: "read_data_bytes",
      arguments: { id, offset, byteCount: CHUNK_SIZE },
    });

    if (result.isError || !result.structuredContent) {
      throw new Error("Failed to load data chunk");
    }

    const chunk = result.structuredContent as unknown as DataChunk;
    totalBytes = chunk.totalBytes;
    hasMore = chunk.hasMore;

    // Decode base64 to bytes
    const binaryString = atob(chunk.bytes);
    const bytes = new Uint8Array(binaryString.length);
    for (let i = 0; i < binaryString.length; i++) {
      bytes[i] = binaryString.charCodeAt(i);
    }
    chunks.push(bytes);

    offset += chunk.byteCount;
    onProgress?.(offset, totalBytes);
  }

  // Combine all chunks into single array
  const fullData = new Uint8Array(totalBytes);
  let pos = 0;
  for (const chunk of chunks) {
    fullData.set(chunk, pos);
    pos += chunk.length;
  }

  return fullData;
}

// Usage: load data with progress updates
loadDataInChunks(resourceId, (loaded, total) => {
  console.log(`Loading: ${Math.round((loaded / total) * 100)}%`);
}).then((data) => {
  console.log(`Loaded ${data.length} bytes`);
});
```

> [!NOTE]
> For a full example that implements this pattern, see: [`examples/pdf-server/`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/pdf-server).

## Giving errors back to the model

**Server-side**: Tool handler validates inputs and returns `{ isError: true, content: [...] }`. The model receives this error through the normal tool call response.

**Client-side**: If a runtime error occurs (e.g., API failure, permission denied, resource unavailable), use {@link app!App.updateModelContext `updateModelContext`} to inform the model:

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```ts source="../src/app.examples.ts#App_updateModelContext_reportError"
try {
  const _stream = await navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia({ audio: true });
  // ... use _stream for transcription
} catch (err) {
  // Inform the model that the app is in a degraded state
  await app.updateModelContext({
    content: [
      {
        type: "text",
        text: "Error: transcription unavailable",
      },
    ],
  });
}
```

## Serving binary blobs via resources

Binary content (e.g., video) can be served via MCP resources as base64-encoded blobs. The server returns the data in the `blob` field of the resource content, and the App fetches it via `resources/read` for use in the browser.

**Server-side**: Register a resource that returns binary data in the `blob` field:

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```ts source="./patterns.tsx#binaryBlobResourceServer"
server.registerResource(
  "Video",
  new ResourceTemplate("video://{id}", { list: undefined }),
  {
    description: "Video data served as base64 blob",
    mimeType: "video/mp4",
  },
  async (uri, { id }): Promise<ReadResourceResult> => {
    // Fetch or load your binary data
    const idString = Array.isArray(id) ? id[0] : id;
    const buffer = await getVideoData(idString);
    const blob = Buffer.from(buffer).toString("base64");

    return { contents: [{ uri: uri.href, mimeType: "video/mp4", blob }] };
  },
);
```

**Client-side**: Fetch the resource and convert the base64 blob to a data URI:

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```ts source="./patterns.tsx#binaryBlobResourceClient"
const result = await app.request(
  { method: "resources/read", params: { uri: `video://${videoId}` } },
  ReadResourceResultSchema,
);

const content = result.contents[0];
if (!content || !("blob" in content)) {
  throw new Error("Resource did not contain blob data");
}

const videoEl = document.querySelector("video")!;
videoEl.src = `data:${content.mimeType!};base64,${content.blob}`;
```

> [!NOTE]
> For a full example that implements this pattern, see: [`examples/video-resource-server/`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/video-resource-server).

## Configuring CSP and CORS

See the dedicated [CSP & CORS](./csp-cors.md) guide in the Security section.

## Adapting to host context (theme, styling, fonts, and safe areas)

The host provides context about its environment via {@link types!McpUiHostContext `McpUiHostContext`}. Use this to adapt your app's appearance and layout:

- **Theme** — Use `[data-theme="dark"]` selectors or `light-dark()` function for theme-aware styles
- **CSS variables** — Use `var(--color-background-primary)`, etc. in your CSS (see {@link types!McpUiStyleVariableKey `McpUiStyleVariableKey`} for a full list)
- **Fonts** — Use `var(--font-sans)` or `var(--font-mono)` with fallbacks (e.g., `font-family: var(--font-sans, system-ui, sans-serif)`)
- **Safe area insets** — Apply padding to avoid device notches, rounded corners, or system UI overlays

**Vanilla JS:**

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```tsx source="./patterns.tsx#hostContextVanillaJs"
function applyHostContext(ctx: McpUiHostContext) {
  if (ctx.theme) {
    applyDocumentTheme(ctx.theme);
  }
  if (ctx.styles?.variables) {
    applyHostStyleVariables(ctx.styles.variables);
  }
  if (ctx.styles?.css?.fonts) {
    applyHostFonts(ctx.styles.css.fonts);
  }
  if (ctx.safeAreaInsets) {
    mainEl.style.paddingTop = `${ctx.safeAreaInsets.top}px`;
    mainEl.style.paddingRight = `${ctx.safeAreaInsets.right}px`;
    mainEl.style.paddingBottom = `${ctx.safeAreaInsets.bottom}px`;
    mainEl.style.paddingLeft = `${ctx.safeAreaInsets.left}px`;
  }
}

// Apply when host context changes
app.onhostcontextchanged = applyHostContext;

// Apply initial context after connecting
app.connect().then(() => {
  const ctx = app.getHostContext();
  if (ctx) {
    applyHostContext(ctx);
  }
});
```

**React:**

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```tsx source="./patterns.tsx#hostContextReact"
function MyApp() {
  const [hostContext, setHostContext] = useState<McpUiHostContext>();

  const { app } = useApp({
    appInfo: { name: "MyApp", version: "1.0.0" },
    capabilities: {},
    onAppCreated: (app) => {
      app.onhostcontextchanged = (ctx) => {
        setHostContext((prev) => ({ ...prev, ...ctx }));
      };
    },
  });

  // Set initial host context after connection
  useEffect(() => {
    if (app) {
      setHostContext(app.getHostContext());
    }
  }, [app]);

  // Apply styles when host context changes
  useEffect(() => {
    if (hostContext?.theme) {
      applyDocumentTheme(hostContext.theme);
    }
    if (hostContext?.styles?.variables) {
      applyHostStyleVariables(hostContext.styles.variables);
    }
    if (hostContext?.styles?.css?.fonts) {
      applyHostFonts(hostContext.styles.css.fonts);
    }
  }, [hostContext]);

  return (
    <div
      style={{
        background: "var(--color-background-primary)",
        fontFamily: "var(--font-sans)",
        paddingTop: hostContext?.safeAreaInsets?.top,
        paddingRight: hostContext?.safeAreaInsets?.right,
        paddingBottom: hostContext?.safeAreaInsets?.bottom,
        paddingLeft: hostContext?.safeAreaInsets?.left,
      }}
    >
      Styled with host CSS variables, fonts, and safe area insets
    </div>
  );
}
```

> [!NOTE]
> For full examples that implement this pattern, see: [`examples/basic-server-vanillajs/`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/basic-server-vanillajs) and [`examples/basic-server-react/`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/basic-server-react).

## Entering / exiting fullscreen

Toggle fullscreen mode by calling {@link app!App.requestDisplayMode `requestDisplayMode`}:

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```ts source="../src/app.examples.ts#App_requestDisplayMode_toggle"
const container = document.getElementById("main")!;
const ctx = app.getHostContext();
const newMode = ctx?.displayMode === "inline" ? "fullscreen" : "inline";
if (ctx?.availableDisplayModes?.includes(newMode)) {
  const result = await app.requestDisplayMode({ mode: newMode });
  container.classList.toggle("fullscreen", result.mode === "fullscreen");
}
```

Listen for display mode changes via {@link app!App.onhostcontextchanged `onhostcontextchanged`} to update your UI:

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```ts source="../src/app.examples.ts#App_onhostcontextchanged_respondToDisplayMode"
app.onhostcontextchanged = (ctx) => {
  // Adjust to current display mode
  if (ctx.displayMode) {
    const container = document.getElementById("main")!;
    const isFullscreen = ctx.displayMode === "fullscreen";
    container.classList.toggle("fullscreen", isFullscreen);
  }

  // Adjust display mode controls
  if (ctx.availableDisplayModes) {
    const fullscreenBtn = document.getElementById("fullscreen-btn")!;
    const canFullscreen = ctx.availableDisplayModes.includes("fullscreen");
    fullscreenBtn.style.display = canFullscreen ? "block" : "none";
  }
};
```

In fullscreen mode, remove the container's border radius so content extends to the viewport edges:

```css
#main {
  border-radius: var(--border-radius-lg);

  &.fullscreen {
    border-radius: 0;
  }
}
```

> [!NOTE]
> For full examples that implement this pattern, see: [`examples/shadertoy-server/`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/shadertoy-server), [`examples/pdf-server/`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/pdf-server), and [`examples/map-server/`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/map-server).

## Passing contextual information from the App to the model

Use {@link app!App.updateModelContext `updateModelContext`} to keep the model informed about what the user is viewing or interacting with. Structure the content with YAML frontmatter for easy parsing:

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```ts source="../src/app.examples.ts#App_updateModelContext_appState"
const markdown = `---
item-count: ${itemList.length}
total-cost: ${totalCost}
currency: ${currency}
---

User is viewing their shopping cart with ${itemList.length} items selected:

${itemList.map((item) => `- ${item}`).join("\n")}`;

await app.updateModelContext({
  content: [{ type: "text", text: markdown }],
});
```

> [!NOTE]
> For full examples that implement this pattern, see: [`examples/map-server/`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/map-server) and [`examples/transcript-server/`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/transcript-server).

## Sending large follow-up messages

When you need to send more data than fits in a message, use {@link app!App.updateModelContext `updateModelContext`} to set the context first, then {@link app!App.sendMessage `sendMessage`} with a brief prompt to trigger a response:

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```ts source="../src/app.examples.ts#App_sendMessage_withLargeContext"
const markdown = `---
word-count: ${fullTranscript.split(/\s+/).length}
speaker-names: ${speakerNames.join(", ")}
---

${fullTranscript}`;

// Offload long transcript to model context
await app.updateModelContext({ content: [{ type: "text", text: markdown }] });

// Send brief trigger message
await app.sendMessage({
  role: "user",
  content: [{ type: "text", text: "Summarize the key points" }],
});
```

> [!NOTE]
> For a full example that implements this pattern, see: [`examples/transcript-server/`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/transcript-server).

## Persisting view state

For recoverable view state (e.g., current page in a PDF viewer, camera position in a map), use [`localStorage`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Window/localStorage) with a stable identifier provided by the server.

**Server-side**: Tool handler generates a unique `viewUUID` and returns it in `CallToolResult._meta.viewUUID`:

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```tsx source="./patterns.tsx#persistDataServer"
// In your tool callback, include viewUUID in the result metadata.
return {
  content: [{ type: "text", text: `Displaying PDF viewer for "${title}"` }],
  structuredContent: { url, title, pageCount, initialPage: 1 },
  _meta: {
    viewUUID: randomUUID(),
  },
};
```

**Client-side**: Receive the UUID in {@link app!App.ontoolresult `ontoolresult`} and use it as the storage key:

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```tsx source="./patterns.tsx#persistData"
// Store the viewUUID received from the server
let viewUUID: string | undefined;

// Helper to save state to localStorage
function saveState<T>(state: T): void {
  if (!viewUUID) return;
  try {
    localStorage.setItem(viewUUID, JSON.stringify(state));
  } catch (err) {
    console.error("Failed to save view state:", err);
  }
}

// Helper to load state from localStorage
function loadState<T>(): T | null {
  if (!viewUUID) return null;
  try {
    const saved = localStorage.getItem(viewUUID);
    return saved ? (JSON.parse(saved) as T) : null;
  } catch (err) {
    console.error("Failed to load view state:", err);
    return null;
  }
}

// Receive viewUUID from the tool result
app.ontoolresult = (result) => {
  viewUUID = result._meta?.viewUUID
    ? String(result._meta.viewUUID)
    : undefined;

  // Restore any previously saved state
  const savedState = loadState<{ currentPage: number }>();
  if (savedState) {
    // Apply restored state to your UI...
  }
};

// Call saveState() whenever your view state changes
// e.g., saveState({ currentPage: 5 });
```

For state that represents user effort (e.g., saved bookmarks, annotations, custom configurations), consider persisting it server-side using [app-only tools](#tools-that-are-private-to-apps) instead. Pass the `viewUUID` to the app-only tool to scope the saved data to that view instance.

> [!NOTE]
> For full examples using `localStorage`, see: [`examples/pdf-server/`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/pdf-server) (persists current page) and [`examples/map-server/`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/map-server) (persists camera position).

## Pausing computation-heavy views when offscreen

Views with animations, WebGL rendering, or polling can consume significant CPU/GPU even when scrolled offscreen. Use [`IntersectionObserver`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Intersection_Observer_API) to pause expensive operations when the view isn't visible:

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```tsx source="./patterns.tsx#visibilityBasedPause"
// Use IntersectionObserver to pause when view scrolls out of view
const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries) => {
  entries.forEach((entry) => {
    if (entry.isIntersecting) {
      animation.play(); // or startPolling(), etc
    } else {
      animation.pause(); // or stopPolling(), etc
    }
  });
});
observer.observe(container);

// Clean up when the host tears down the view
app.onteardown = async () => {
  observer.disconnect();
  animation.pause();
  return {};
};
```

> [!NOTE]
> For full examples that implement this pattern, see: [`examples/shadertoy-server/`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/shadertoy-server) and [`examples/threejs-server/`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/threejs-server).

## Lowering perceived latency

Use {@link app!App.ontoolinputpartial `ontoolinputpartial`} to receive streaming tool arguments as they arrive. This lets you show a loading preview before the complete input is available, such as streaming code into a `<pre>` tag before executing it, partially rendering a table as data arrives, or incrementally populating a chart.

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```ts source="../src/app.examples.ts#App_ontoolinputpartial_progressiveRendering"
const codePreview = document.querySelector<HTMLPreElement>("#code-preview")!;
const canvas = document.querySelector<HTMLCanvasElement>("#canvas")!;

app.ontoolinputpartial = (params) => {
  codePreview.textContent = (params.arguments?.code as string) ?? "";
  codePreview.style.display = "block";
  canvas.style.display = "none";
};

app.ontoolinput = (params) => {
  codePreview.style.display = "none";
  canvas.style.display = "block";
  render(params.arguments?.code as string);
};
```

> [!IMPORTANT]
> Partial arguments are "healed" JSON — the host closes unclosed brackets/braces to produce valid JSON. This means objects may be incomplete (e.g., the last item in an array may be truncated). Don't rely on partial data for critical operations; use it only for preview UI.

> [!NOTE]
> For full examples that implement this pattern, see: [`examples/shadertoy-server/`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/shadertoy-server) and [`examples/threejs-server/`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/threejs-server).