ext-server-card/schema.ts
Tadas Antanavicius 10e958fa82
Server Cards: recommend /server-card over .well-known (resolves #12) (#22)
Resolves #12.

## What & why

Moves the **single-server Server Card** off a `.well-known` path. We
reserve `GET <streamable-http-url>/server-card` as the recommended
location while allowing **any unreserved URI** — the Catalog
(`/.well-known/mcp/catalog.json`) is the discovery entrypoint and
already carries each card's `url`, so clients never need to guess where
a card lives.

Adopts wording close to the resolution discussed in #12 (credit: Darrel
Miller's point that `.well-known` is for *site-wide* metadata, not
application-level metadata like an individual server's card; proposed
wording from @SamMorrowDrums and @tadasant):

> MCP Servers MAY host their Server Card at `GET
<streamable-http-url>/server-card`, which we reserve for this purpose,
though any unreserved URI is valid. MCP Servers SHOULD respect the
agreed media type wherever they choose to host it. After a client
identifies a Server Card URL from an AI Catalog or MCP Catalog, it
SHOULD request that URL expressing the Server Card media type.

### Content negotiation

A client fetching a Server Card requests its preferred representation
with the `Accept` header (`Accept: application/mcp-server-card+json`) —
the request-side content-negotiation header for a GET. The server echoes
the type it actually served back in the response's `Content-Type`.

> **Note on media type:** this PR is scoped to *placement* only and does
**not** perform the `application/mcp-server+json` →
`application/mcp-server-card+json` rename — that is handled in a
separate PR. So the two coexist deliberately here:
> - **Pre-existing strings** (catalog-entry description, the four
example `mediaType` values, validation prose, and the "Server Cards use
the media type" line) are left as `application/mcp-server+json`,
untouched, for the rename PR to sweep.
> - **New prose introduced by this PR** (the reserved-location
blockquote and the `Accept`-header example in the "Server Card Location"
section) names the type explicitly as the **post-rename
`application/mcp-server-card+json`**, since the rename PR's diff is
against `main` and would not touch text that doesn't yet exist there.
>
> The temporary mix resolves to a single consistent type once both PRs
land.

## Rationale for `/server-card` (also captured permanently in
`docs/discovery.md` → "Alternatives considered")

- **Not `.well-known`:** site-wide vs. application-level metadata; the
Catalog already provides the `url`, so `.well-known` adds no value for
the card.
- **Not the bare streamable-HTTP endpoint** (`GET <url>` with no
suffix): a GET there already opens the SSE stream in Streamable HTTP.
Hosting the card there overloads the connection-establishing endpoint
and forces content negotiation to disambiguate. Spec-*allowed*,
explicitly **not recommended** — this is the primary motivation for a
distinct suffix.
- **Not domain-root `/mcp/` nesting:** `/mcp` denotes the *transport
endpoint itself* in MCP's canonical-URI examples; there's no precedent
for `/mcp/` as a metadata sub-namespace, and it collides conceptually
with "the JSON-RPC endpoint."
- **Elegant consequence:** because the suffix is appended to the
streamable-HTTP URL, a server at `https://host/mcp` naturally yields
`https://host/mcp/server-card` — path-namespacing for free.

## Scope guardrail

This applies **only to the single-server Server Card**. `.well-known` is
unchanged and remains correct for the **Catalog**
(`/.well-known/mcp/catalog.json`) and OAuth metadata
(`/.well-known/oauth-protected-resource`, etc.) — those are genuinely
site-wide. The doc calls this out explicitly so it doesn't read as
"abandon `.well-known` everywhere."

## Files changed

- **`docs/discovery.md`** — new "Server Card Location" section with the
reserved convention + `Accept`-header guidance; permanent "Alternatives
considered" subsection; rewritten single- and multi-server example URLs
(`https://example.com/mcp/server-card`;
`https://acme.com/code-review/server-card`, `/docs-search/server-card`,
`/ci-cd/server-card`).
- **`schema.ts`** — updated the two `.well-known` doc comments
(`ServerCard` and `Server`) to the new convention.
- **`schema.json`** — regenerated from `schema.ts` (`npm run generate`).
- **`README.md`** — updated the "What is a Server Card?" line to the new
convention, normalizing the pre-existing README-vs-schema `.well-known`
mismatch.

## Verification

- [x] `npm run check` passes (schema.json in sync with schema.ts + `tsc
--noEmit` clean)
- [x] `npm run generate` run and regenerated `schema.json` committed in
the same change
- [x] `npm run validate` passes — all 7 examples validate against the
regenerated schema
- [x] `npm run format` run (prettier clean)
- [x] No single-server-card `.well-known` references remain in
`README.md`, `schema.ts`, `schema.json`, or `docs/discovery.md`
(verified via grep); remaining `.well-known` references are
Catalog/OAuth/the "Alternatives considered" explainer only
- [x] Pre-existing media-type strings left untouched — `git diff
origin/main` shows zero changes to existing
`application/mcp-server+json` strings (rename owned by a separate PR);
only the new placement prose names the post-rename
`application/mcp-server-card+json`
- [x] Examples updated and internally consistent with the new prose
- [x] Fresh-eyes subagent review performed; its one cosmetic finding was
addressed and CI re-confirmed green
- [x] CI green (see checks on this PR)

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

---------

Co-authored-by: Agent (Claude) <peter@tadasant.com>
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-06-08 12:40:51 -07:00

577 lines
17 KiB
TypeScript

/**
* MCP Server Cards
*
* Experimental schema for SEP-2127. This file is the single source of truth
* for the Server Card and `server.json` types and is intended to be lifted
* directly into `schema/draft/schema.ts` of the main MCP specification when
* Server Cards graduate from this experimental extension.
*
* @see https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/modelcontextprotocol/pull/2127
*/
/**
* A static metadata document describing a remote MCP server, suitable for
* pre-connection discovery. A Server Card MAY be hosted at any unreserved URI;
* MCP reserves `GET <streamable-http-url>/server-card` as the recommended
* location. Clients learn a card's URL from an MCP/AI Catalog rather than
* guessing it.
*
* Server Cards intentionally describe only what is needed to discover and
* connect to a remote server: identity, transport, and protocol versions.
* They do not enumerate primitives (tools, resources, prompts) — those remain
* subject to runtime listing via the protocol's standard list operations.
*
* The companion {@link Server} shape is a strict superset that adds local
* package metadata for use cases like the MCP Registry's `server.json`.
*
* @see [SEP-2127: MCP Server Cards](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/modelcontextprotocol/pull/2127)
* @category Server Cards
*/
export interface ServerCard {
/**
* The Server Card JSON Schema URI that this document conforms to. Required.
*
* Must be a `/v1/` URL under `static.modelcontextprotocol.io/schemas/`,
* naming a Server Card / `server.json` schema (e.g.,
* `https://static.modelcontextprotocol.io/schemas/v1/server-card.schema.json`
* or `https://static.modelcontextprotocol.io/schemas/v1/server.schema.json`).
* Schema URLs are versioned by the `vN` segment rather than by date so that
* minor, additive revisions of the v1 shape don't bump every published
* document's `$schema` URL.
*
* @format uri
* @pattern ^https://static\.modelcontextprotocol\.io/schemas/v1/[^/]+\.schema\.json$
*/
$schema: string;
/**
* Server name in reverse-DNS format. Must contain exactly one forward slash
* separating namespace from server name.
*
* @minLength 3
* @maxLength 200
* @pattern ^[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+/[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+$
*/
name: string;
/**
* Version string for this server. SHOULD follow semantic versioning
* (e.g., '1.0.2', '2.1.0-alpha'). Equivalent of `Implementation.version`
* in the MCP specification. Non-semantic versions are allowed but may not
* sort predictably. Version ranges are rejected (e.g., '^1.2.3', '~1.2.3',
* '>=1.2.3', '1.x', '1.*').
*
* @maxLength 255
*/
version: string;
/**
* Clear human-readable explanation of server functionality. Should focus on
* capabilities, not implementation details.
*
* @minLength 1
* @maxLength 100
*/
description: string;
/**
* Optional human-readable title or display name for the MCP server.
* MCP subregistries or clients MAY choose to use this for display purposes.
*
* @minLength 1
* @maxLength 100
*/
title?: string;
/**
* Optional URL to the server's homepage, documentation, or project website.
* Provides a central link for users to learn more about the server.
* Particularly useful when the server has custom installation instructions
* or setup requirements.
*
* @format uri
*/
websiteUrl?: string;
/**
* Optional repository metadata for the MCP server source code.
* Recommended for transparency and security inspection.
*/
repository?: Repository;
/**
* Optional set of sized icons that the client can display in a user interface.
*
* Clients that support rendering icons MUST support at least the following
* MIME types: `image/png` and `image/jpeg` (safe, universal compatibility).
* Clients SHOULD also support: `image/svg+xml` (scalable but requires security
* precautions) and `image/webp` (modern, efficient format).
*/
icons?: Icon[];
/**
* Metadata helpful for making HTTP-based connections to this MCP server.
*/
remotes?: Remote[];
/**
* Extension metadata using reverse-DNS namespacing for vendor-specific data.
*
* Follows the protocol's standard `_meta` definition.
*
* @see {@link MetaObject}
*/
_meta?: MetaObject;
}
/**
* A superset of {@link ServerCard} that additionally describes locally-runnable
* packages. This is the shape used by the MCP Registry's `server.json`.
*
* `Server` documents are typically published to a registry rather than served
* from a Server Card URI (e.g., `<streamable-http-url>/server-card`), since they
* may include instructions for installing and executing a server on a client's
* local machine.
*
* @see [SEP-2127: MCP Server Cards](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/modelcontextprotocol/pull/2127)
* @category Server Cards
*/
export interface Server extends ServerCard {
/**
* Metadata helpful for running and connecting to local instances of this MCP server.
*/
packages?: Package[];
}
/**
* Repository metadata for the MCP server source code. Enables users and
* security experts to inspect the code, improving transparency.
*
* @category Server Cards
*/
export interface Repository {
/**
* Repository URL for browsing source code. Should support both web browsing
* and `git clone` operations.
*
* @format uri
*/
url: string;
/**
* Repository hosting service identifier (e.g., `"github"`). Used by registries
* to determine validation and API access methods.
*/
source: string;
/**
* Optional relative path from repository root to the server location within a
* monorepo or nested package structure. Must be a clean relative path.
*/
subfolder?: string;
/**
* Repository identifier from the hosting service (e.g., GitHub repo ID).
* Owned and determined by the source forge. Should remain stable across
* repository renames and may be used to detect repository resurrection
* attacks — if a repository is deleted and recreated, the ID should change.
*/
id?: string;
}
/**
* Metadata for connecting to a remote (HTTP-based) MCP server endpoint.
*
* @category Server Cards
*/
export interface Remote {
/**
* The transport type for this remote endpoint.
*/
type: "streamable-http" | "sse";
/**
* URL template for the remote endpoint. Must start with `http://`,
* `https://`, or a `{template-variable}`. Variables in `{curly_braces}`
* are substituted from the {@link Remote.variables} map before the
* client connects.
*
* @pattern ^(https?://[^\s]+|\{[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*\}[^\s]*)$
*/
url: string;
/**
* HTTP headers required or accepted when connecting to this remote
* endpoint. Each header is described as a {@link KeyValueInput} so that
* clients can prompt users for required values, mark secrets, surface
* defaults, and constrain to a list of choices.
*/
headers?: KeyValueInput[];
/**
* Configuration variables that can be referenced as `{curly_braces}`
* placeholders in `url` (and inside header values via
* {@link InputWithVariables.variables}). The map key is the variable
* name; the value defines the variable's properties (e.g., human-readable
* description, default, whether it is required or secret).
*/
variables?: { [key: string]: Input };
/**
* MCP protocol versions actively supported by this remote endpoint. Allows
* clients to negotiate a compatible protocol version before initialization.
*/
supportedProtocolVersions?: string[];
}
/**
* Metadata for installing and running a packaged MCP server locally.
*
* @category Server Cards
*/
export interface Package {
/**
* Registry type indicating how to download packages
* (e.g., `"npm"`, `"pypi"`, `"oci"`, `"nuget"`, `"mcpb"`).
*/
registryType: string;
/**
* Package identifier — either a package name (for registries)
* or a URL (for direct downloads).
*/
identifier: string;
/**
* Transport configuration for invoking this package after installation.
*/
transport: PackageTransport;
/**
* Base URL of the package registry.
*
* @format uri
*/
registryBaseUrl?: string;
/**
* Package version.
*
* @minLength 1
*/
version?: string;
/**
* MCP protocol versions actively supported by this package.
*/
supportedProtocolVersions?: string[];
/**
* A hint to help clients determine the appropriate runtime for the package
* (e.g., `"npx"`, `"uvx"`, `"docker"`, `"dnx"`). Should be provided when
* `runtimeArguments` are present.
*/
runtimeHint?: string;
/**
* Arguments passed to the package's runtime command (such as `docker` or
* `npx`). The `runtimeHint` field should be provided when `runtimeArguments`
* are present.
*/
runtimeArguments?: Argument[];
/**
* Arguments passed to the package's binary.
*/
packageArguments?: Argument[];
/**
* Environment variables to be set when running the package.
*/
environmentVariables?: KeyValueInput[];
/**
* SHA-256 hash of the package file for integrity verification. Required for
* MCPB packages and optional for other package types. If present, MCP
* clients MUST validate the downloaded file matches the hash before running
* packages to ensure file integrity.
*
* @pattern ^[a-f0-9]{64}$
*/
fileSha256?: string;
}
/**
* Transport protocol configuration for a locally-runnable package.
*
* @category Server Cards
*/
export type PackageTransport =
| StdioTransport
| StreamableHttpPackageTransport
| SsePackageTransport;
/**
* Stdio transport — the client launches the package as a subprocess and
* communicates over standard input and output.
*
* @category Server Cards
*/
export interface StdioTransport {
type: "stdio";
}
/**
* Streamable-HTTP transport for a locally-runnable package that exposes
* itself over HTTP after launch.
*
* @category Server Cards
*/
export interface StreamableHttpPackageTransport {
type: "streamable-http";
/**
* URL template for the streamable-http transport. Must start with
* `http://`, `https://`, or a `{template-variable}`. Variables in
* `{curly_braces}` reference argument value-hints, argument names, or
* environment variable names from the parent {@link Package}.
*
* @pattern ^(https?://[^\s]+|\{[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*\}[^\s]*)$
*/
url: string;
/**
* HTTP headers to include when connecting to the package's local endpoint.
*/
headers?: KeyValueInput[];
}
/**
* Server-sent events (SSE) transport for a locally-runnable package.
*
* @category Server Cards
*/
export interface SsePackageTransport {
type: "sse";
/**
* SSE endpoint URL template. See {@link StreamableHttpPackageTransport.url}
* for variable-substitution semantics.
*
* @pattern ^(https?://[^\s]+|\{[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*\}[^\s]*)$
*/
url: string;
/**
* HTTP headers to include when connecting to the package's local endpoint.
*/
headers?: KeyValueInput[];
}
/**
* A command-line argument supplied to a package's binary or runtime.
*
* @remarks
* Arguments construct command-line parameters that may contain user-provided
* input. This creates potential command-injection risks if clients execute
* commands in a shell environment. Clients SHOULD prefer non-shell execution
* methods (e.g., `posix_spawn`) when possible to eliminate injection risks
* entirely. Where not possible, clients SHOULD obtain user consent to run the
* resolved command before execution.
*
* @category Server Cards
*/
export type Argument = PositionalArgument | NamedArgument;
/**
* A user-supplied or pre-set input value, used in {@link Package} argument
* and environment-variable definitions.
*
* @category Server Cards
*/
export interface Input {
/**
* Human-readable explanation of the input. Clients can use this to provide
* context to the user.
*/
description?: string;
/**
* Whether the input must be supplied for the package to run.
*/
isRequired?: boolean;
/**
* Whether the input is a secret value (e.g., password, token). If true,
* clients should handle the value securely.
*/
isSecret?: boolean;
/**
* Specifies the input format. `"filepath"` should be interpreted as a file
* on the user's filesystem. When the input is converted to a string,
* booleans should be represented by `"true"`/`"false"`, and numbers by
* decimal values.
*/
format?: "string" | "number" | "boolean" | "filepath";
/**
* Default value for the input. SHOULD be a valid value for the input.
*/
default?: string;
/**
* Placeholder displayed during configuration to provide examples or
* guidance about the expected form of the input.
*/
placeholder?: string;
/**
* Pre-set value for the input. If set, the value should not be configurable
* by end users. Identifiers wrapped in `{curly_braces}` will be replaced
* with the corresponding entries from the input's `variables` map (if any).
*/
value?: string;
/**
* Allowed values for the input. If provided, the user must select one.
*/
choices?: string[];
}
/**
* An {@link Input} whose `value` may reference variables for substitution.
*
* @category Server Cards
*/
export interface InputWithVariables extends Input {
/**
* Variables referenced by `{curly_braces}` identifiers in `value`. The map
* key is the variable name; the value defines the variable's properties.
*/
variables?: { [key: string]: Input };
}
/**
* A named input — used for environment variables and HTTP headers.
*
* @category Server Cards
*/
export interface KeyValueInput extends InputWithVariables {
/**
* Name of the header or environment variable.
*/
name: string;
}
/**
* A positional command-line input — a value inserted verbatim into the
* command line.
*
* @category Server Cards
*/
export interface PositionalArgument extends InputWithVariables {
type: "positional";
/**
* Identifier for the positional argument. It is not part of the command
* line; it may be used by client configuration as a label identifying the
* argument, and it identifies the value in transport URL variable
* substitution.
*
* Implementations SHOULD ensure that at least one of `valueHint` or
* `value` is set so the positional argument resolves to a concrete value.
*/
valueHint?: string;
/**
* Whether the argument can be repeated multiple times in the command line.
*/
isRepeated?: boolean;
}
/**
* A named command-line input — a `--flag={value}` parameter.
*
* @category Server Cards
*/
export interface NamedArgument extends InputWithVariables {
type: "named";
/**
* The flag name, including any leading dashes (e.g., `"--port"`).
*/
name: string;
/**
* Whether the argument can be repeated multiple times.
*/
isRepeated?: boolean;
}
/* ---------- Inlined dependencies from the main MCP spec ---------- */
/**
* Represents the contents of a `_meta` field, which clients and servers use to attach additional metadata to their interactions.
*
* Certain key names are reserved by MCP for protocol-level metadata; implementations MUST NOT make assumptions about values at these keys. Additionally, specific schema definitions may reserve particular names for purpose-specific metadata, as declared in those definitions.
*
* Valid keys have two segments:
*
* **Prefix:**
* - Optional — if specified, MUST be a series of _labels_ separated by dots (`.`), followed by a slash (`/`).
* - Labels MUST start with a letter and end with a letter or digit. Interior characters may be letters, digits, or hyphens (`-`).
* - Any prefix consisting of zero or more labels, followed by `modelcontextprotocol` or `mcp`, followed by any label, is **reserved** for MCP use. For example: `modelcontextprotocol.io/`, `mcp.dev/`, `api.modelcontextprotocol.org/`, and `tools.mcp.com/` are all reserved.
*
* **Name:**
* - Unless empty, MUST start and end with an alphanumeric character (`[a-z0-9A-Z]`).
* - Interior characters may be alphanumeric, hyphens (`-`), underscores (`_`), or dots (`.`).
*
* @see [General fields: `_meta`](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/draft/basic#meta) for more details.
* @category Common Types
*/
export type MetaObject = Record<string, unknown>;
/**
* An optionally-sized icon that can be displayed in a user interface.
*
* @category Common Types
*/
export interface Icon {
/**
* A standard URI pointing to an icon resource. May be an HTTP/HTTPS URL or a
* `data:` URI with Base64-encoded image data.
*
* Consumers SHOULD take steps to ensure URLs serving icons are from the
* same domain as the client/server or a trusted domain.
*
* Consumers SHOULD take appropriate precautions when consuming SVGs as they can contain
* executable JavaScript.
*
* @format uri
*/
src: string;
/**
* Optional MIME type override if the source MIME type is missing or generic.
* For example: `"image/png"`, `"image/jpeg"`, or `"image/svg+xml"`.
*/
mimeType?: string;
/**
* Optional array of strings that specify sizes at which the icon can be used.
* Each string should be in WxH format (e.g., `"48x48"`, `"96x96"`) or `"any"` for scalable formats like SVG.
*
* If not provided, the client should assume that the icon can be used at any size.
*/
sizes?: string[];
/**
* Optional specifier for the theme this icon is designed for. `"light"` indicates
* the icon is designed to be used with a light background, and `"dark"` indicates
* the icon is designed to be used with a dark background.
*
* If not provided, the client should assume the icon can be used with any theme.
*/
theme?: "light" | "dark";
}