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docs/tools/inspector.mdx

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---
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title: MCP Inspector
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title: Inspector
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description: In-depth guide to using the MCP Inspector for testing and debugging Model Context Protocol servers
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---
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The [MCP Inspector](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/inspector) is an interactive developer tool for testing and debugging MCP servers. While the [Debugging Guide](docs/tools/debugging) covers the Inspector as part of the overall debugging toolkit, this document provides a detailed exploration of the Inspector's features and capabilities.
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The [MCP Inspector](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/inspector) is an interactive developer tool for testing and debugging MCP servers. While the [Debugging Guide](/docs/tools/debugging) covers the Inspector as part of the overall debugging toolkit, this document provides a detailed exploration of the Inspector's features and capabilities.
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## Getting started
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npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector path/to/server.js arg1 arg2
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```
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## Interface overview
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## Feature overview
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The Inspector provides several key panels for interacting with your MCP server:
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The Inspector provides several features for interacting with your MCP server:
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### Server info panel
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- Displays server name and version
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- Shows negotiated protocol version
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- Lists supported capabilities
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- Indicates connection status
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### Server connection pane
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- Allows selecting the [transport](/docs/concepts/transports) for connecting to the server
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- For local servers, supports customizing the command-line arguments and environment
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### Resources browser
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### Resources tab
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- Lists all available resources
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- Shows resource metadata (MIME types, descriptions)
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- Allows resource content inspection
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- Supports subscription testing
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### Prompts panel
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### Prompts tab
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- Displays available prompt templates
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- Shows prompt arguments and descriptions
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- Enables prompt testing with custom arguments
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- Previews generated messages
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### Tools panel
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### Tools tab
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- Lists available tools
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- Shows tool schemas and descriptions
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- Provides input validation
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- Enables tool testing with custom inputs
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- Displays tool execution results
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## Testing features
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### Resource testing
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```typescript
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// Example resource URI to test
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resource://myapp/data/123
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```
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1. View resource metadata
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2. Inspect content representations
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3. Test subscription updates
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4. Monitor resource changes
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### Prompt testing
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Test prompts with different arguments:
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```json
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{
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"temperature": 0.7,
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"style": "concise"
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}
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```
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1. Validate argument constraints
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2. Preview generated messages
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3. Test error conditions
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4. Check template rendering
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### Tool testing
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Test tool execution with various inputs:
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```json
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{
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"query": "SELECT * FROM users",
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"limit": 10
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}
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```
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1. Validate input schemas
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2. Test error handling
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3. Monitor execution progress
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4. Inspect tool results
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## Advanced usage
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### Message inspector
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The Message inspector panel shows all communication between the client and server:
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1. Request/response pairs
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2. Notifications
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3. Progress updates
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4. Error messages
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This helps debug:
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- Protocol conformance
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- Message formatting
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- Error conditions
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- State transitions
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### Subscription testing
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Test resource subscriptions:
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1. Subscribe to resources
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2. Monitor update notifications
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3. Test unsubscribe behavior
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4. Verify update patterns
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### Capability testing
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Verify server capabilities:
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1. Check supported features
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2. Test capability negotiation
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3. Verify feature availability
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4. Monitor initialization flow
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### Notifications pane
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- Presents all logs recorded from the server
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- Shows notifications received from the server
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## Best practices
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2. Iterative testing
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- Make server changes
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- Restart Inspector
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- Rebuild the server
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- Reconnect the Inspector
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- Test affected features
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- Monitor messages
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3. Error testing
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- Test invalid inputs
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- Check error responses
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- Verify error handling
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- Test recovery flows
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### Tips and tricks
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1. Keep Inspector Running
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- Monitor changes in real-time
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- Quick iteration cycle
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- Immediate feedback
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2. Use Message Filtering
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- Filter by message type
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- Focus on specific features
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- Debug targeted behaviors
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3. Test Edge Cases
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- Invalid resource URIs
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- Malformed tool inputs
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3. Test edge cases
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- Invalid inputs
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- Missing prompt arguments
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- Concurrent operations
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## Common patterns
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### Development loop
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1. Start server development
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2. Launch Inspector
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3. Implement feature
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4. Test in Inspector
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5. Refine implementation
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6. Repeat
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### Integration testing
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1. Test basic functionality
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2. Verify error handling
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3. Check performance
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4. Validate protocols
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5. Test user flows
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- Verify error handling and error responses
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## Next steps
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>
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Review message specifications
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</Card>
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</CardGroup>
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</CardGroup>

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