modelcontextprotocol · chr-hertel · Nov 1, 2025 · Oct 8, 2025
@@ -254,6 +254,7 @@ $server = Server::builder()
 - [Server Builder](docs/server-builder.md) - Complete ServerBuilder reference and configuration
 - [Transports](docs/transports.md) - STDIO and HTTP transport setup and usage
 - [MCP Elements](docs/mcp-elements.md) - Creating tools, resources, and prompts
+- [Client Communiocation](docs/client-communication.md) - Communicating back to the client from server-side
 
 **Learning:**
 - [Examples](docs/examples.md) - Comprehensive example walkthroughs

@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
       "Mcp\\Example\\HttpDiscoveryUserProfile\\": "examples/http-discovery-userprofile/",
       "Mcp\\Example\\HttpSchemaShowcase\\": "examples/http-schema-showcase/",
       "Mcp\\Example\\StdioCachedDiscovery\\": "examples/stdio-cached-discovery/",
+      "Mcp\\Example\\StdioClientCommunication\\": "examples/stdio-client-communication/",
       "Mcp\\Example\\StdioCustomDependencies\\": "examples/stdio-custom-dependencies/",
       "Mcp\\Example\\StdioDiscoveryCalculator\\": "examples/stdio-discovery-calculator/",
       "Mcp\\Example\\StdioEnvVariables\\": "examples/stdio-env-variables/",

@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+# Client Communication
+
+MCP supports various ways a server can communicate back to a server on top of the main request-response flow.
+
+## Table of Contents
+
+- [ClientGateway](#client-gateway)
+- [Sampling](#sampling)
+- [Logging](#logging)
+- [Notification](#notification)
+- [Progress](#progress)
+
+## ClientGateway
+
+Every communication back to client is handled using the `Mcp\Server\ClientGateway` and its dedicated methods per
+operation. To use the `ClientGateway` in your code, there are two ways to do so:
+
+### 1. Method Argument Injection
+
+Every refernce of a MCP element, that translates to an actual method call, can just add an type-hinted argument for the
+`ClientGateway` and the SDK will take care to include the gateway in the arguments of the method call:
+
+```php
+use Mcp\Capability\Attribute\McpTool;
+use Mcp\Server\ClientGateway;
+
+class MyService
+{
+    #[McpTool('my_tool', 'My Tool Description')]
+    public function myTool(ClientGateway $client): string
+    {
+        $client->log(...);
+```
+
+### 2. Implementing `ClientAwareInterface`
+
+Whenever a service class of an MCP element implements the interface `Mcp\Server\ClientAwareInterface` the `setClient`
+method of that class will get called while handling the reference, and in combination with `Mcp\Server\ClientAwareTrait`
+this ends up with code like this:
+
+```php
+use Mcp\Capability\Attribute\McpTool;
+use Mcp\Server\ClientAwareInterface;
+use Mcp\Server\ClientAwareTrait;
+
+class MyService implements ClientAwareInterface
+{
+    use ClientAwareTrait;
+
+    #[McpTool('my_tool', 'My Tool Description')]
+    public function myTool(): string
+    {
+        $this->log(...);
+```
+
+## Sampling
+
+With [sampling](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-06-18/client/sampling) servers can request clients to
+execute "completions" or "generations" with a language model for them:
+
+```php
+$result = $clientGateway->sample('Roses are red, violets are', 350, 90, ['temperature' => 0.5]);
+```
+
+The `sample` method accepts four arguments:
+
+1. `message`, which is **required** and accepts a string, an instance of `Content` or an array of `SampleMessage` instances.
+2. `maxTokens`, which defaults to `1000`
+3. `timeout` in seconds, which defaults to `120`
+4. `options` which might include `system_prompt`, `preferences` for model choice, `includeContext`, `temperature`, `stopSequences` and `metadata`
+
+[Find more details to sampling payload in the specification.](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-06-18/client/sampling#protocol-messages)
+
+## Logging
+
+The [Logging](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-06-18/server/utilities/logging) utility enables servers
+to send structured log messages as notifcation to clients:
+
+```php
+use Mcp\Schema\Enum\LoggingLevel;
+
+$clientGateway->log(LoggingLevel::Warning, 'The end is near.');
+```
+
+## Progress
+
+With a [Progress](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-06-18/basic/utilities/progress#progress)
+notification a server can update a client while an operation is ongoing:
+
+```php
+$clientGateway->progress(4.2, 10, 'Downloading needed images.');
+```
+
+## Notification
+
+Lastly, the server can push all kind of notifications, that implement the `Mcp\Schema\JsonRpc\Notification` interface
+to the client to:
+
+```php
+$clientGateway->notify($yourNotification);
+```
@@ -163,6 +163,16 @@ $server = Server::builder()
     ->setDiscovery(__DIR__, ['.'], [], $cache)
 ```
 
+### Client Communication
+
+**File**: `examples/stdio-client-communication/`
+
+**What it demostrates:**
+- Server initiated communcation back to the client
+- Logging, sampling, progress and notifications
+- Using `ClientGateway` in service class via `ClientAwareInterface` and corresponding trait
+- Using `ClientGateway` in tool method via method argument injection
+
 ## HTTP Examples
 
 ### Discovery User Profile

@@ -14,10 +14,8 @@
 
 use Http\Discovery\Psr17Factory;
 use Laminas\HttpHandlerRunner\Emitter\SapiEmitter;
-use Mcp\Exception\ToolCallException;
 use Mcp\Schema\Content\TextContent;
 use Mcp\Schema\Enum\LoggingLevel;
-use Mcp\Schema\JsonRpc\Error as JsonRpcError;
 use Mcp\Schema\ServerCapabilities;
 use Mcp\Server;
 use Mcp\Server\ClientGateway;
@@ -57,18 +55,13 @@ function (string $projectName, array $milestones, ClientGateway $client): array
                 implode(', ', $milestones)
             );
 
-            $response = $client->sample(
-                prompt: $prompt,
+            $result = $client->sample(
+                message: $prompt,
                 maxTokens: 400,
                 timeout: 90,
                 options: ['temperature' => 0.4]
             );
 
-            if ($response instanceof JsonRpcError) {
-                throw new ToolCallException(sprintf('Sampling request failed (%d): %s', $response->code, $response->message));
-            }
-
-            $result = $response->result;
             $content = $result->content instanceof TextContent ? trim((string) $result->content->text) : '';
 
             $client->log(LoggingLevel::Info, 'Briefing ready, returning to caller.');

@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the official PHP MCP SDK.
+ *
+ * A collaboration between Symfony and the PHP Foundation.
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+ * file that was distributed with this source code.
+ */
+
+namespace Mcp\Example\StdioClientCommunication;
+
+use Mcp\Capability\Attribute\McpTool;
+use Mcp\Schema\Content\TextContent;
+use Mcp\Schema\Enum\LoggingLevel;
+use Mcp\Server\ClientAwareInterface;
+use Mcp\Server\ClientAwareTrait;
+use Psr\Log\LoggerInterface;
+
+final class ClientAwareService implements ClientAwareInterface
+{
+    use ClientAwareTrait;
+
+    public function __construct(
+        private readonly LoggerInterface $logger,
+    ) {
+        $this->logger->info('SamplingTool instantiated for sampling example.');
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return array{incident: string, recommended_actions: string, model: string}
+     */
+    #[McpTool('coordinate_incident_response', 'Coordinate an incident response with logging, progress, and sampling.')]
+    public function coordinateIncident(string $incidentTitle): array
+    {
+        $this->log(LoggingLevel::Warning, \sprintf('Incident triage started: %s', $incidentTitle));
+
+        $steps = [
+            'Collecting telemetry',
+            'Assessing scope',
+            'Coordinating responders',
+        ];
+
+        foreach ($steps as $index => $step) {
+            $progress = ($index + 1) / \count($steps);
+
+            $this->progress($progress, 1, $step);
+
+            usleep(180_000); // Simulate work being done
+        }
+
+        $prompt = \sprintf(
+            'Provide a concise response strategy for incident "%s" based on the steps completed: %s.',
+            $incidentTitle,
+            implode(', ', $steps)
+        );
+
+        $result = $this->sample($prompt, 350, 90, ['temperature' => 0.5]);
+
+        $recommendation = $result->content instanceof TextContent ? trim((string) $result->content->text) : '';
+
+        $this->log(LoggingLevel::Info, \sprintf('Incident triage completed for %s', $incidentTitle));
+
+        return [
+            'incident' => $incidentTitle,
+            'recommended_actions' => $recommendation,
+            'model' => $result->model,
+        ];
+    }
+}
@@ -13,70 +13,18 @@
 require_once dirname(__DIR__).'/bootstrap.php';
 chdir(__DIR__);
 
-use Mcp\Schema\Content\TextContent;
 use Mcp\Schema\Enum\LoggingLevel;
-use Mcp\Schema\JsonRpc\Error as JsonRpcError;
 use Mcp\Schema\ServerCapabilities;
 use Mcp\Server;
 use Mcp\Server\ClientGateway;
 use Mcp\Server\Transport\StdioTransport;
 
-$capabilities = new ServerCapabilities(logging: true, tools: true);
-
 $server = Server::builder()
     ->setServerInfo('STDIO Client Communication Demo', '1.0.0')
     ->setLogger(logger())
     ->setContainer(container())
-    ->setCapabilities($capabilities)
-    ->addTool(
-        function (string $incidentTitle, ClientGateway $client): array {
-            $client->log(LoggingLevel::Warning, sprintf('Incident triage started: %s', $incidentTitle));
-
-            $steps = [
-                'Collecting telemetry',
-                'Assessing scope',
-                'Coordinating responders',
-            ];
-
-            foreach ($steps as $index => $step) {
-                $progress = ($index + 1) / count($steps);
-
-                $client->progress(progress: $progress, total: 1, message: $step);
-
-                usleep(180_000); // Simulate work being done
-            }
-
-            $prompt = sprintf(
-                'Provide a concise response strategy for incident "%s" based on the steps completed: %s.',
-                $incidentTitle,
-                implode(', ', $steps)
-            );
-
-            $sampling = $client->sample(
-                prompt: $prompt,
-                maxTokens: 350,
-                timeout: 90,
-                options: ['temperature' => 0.5]
-            );
-
-            if ($sampling instanceof JsonRpcError) {
-                throw new RuntimeException(sprintf('Sampling request failed (%d): %s', $sampling->code, $sampling->message));
-            }
-
-            $result = $sampling->result;
-            $recommendation = $result->content instanceof TextContent ? trim((string) $result->content->text) : '';
-
-            $client->log(LoggingLevel::Info, sprintf('Incident triage completed for %s', $incidentTitle));
-
-            return [
-                'incident' => $incidentTitle,
-                'recommended_actions' => $recommendation,
-                'model' => $result->model,
-            ];
-        },
-        name: 'coordinate_incident_response',
-        description: 'Coordinate an incident response with logging, progress, and sampling.'
-    )
+    ->setCapabilities(new ServerCapabilities(logging: true, tools: true))
+    ->setDiscovery(__DIR__)
     ->addTool(
         function (string $dataset, ClientGateway $client): array {
             $client->log(LoggingLevel::Info, sprintf('Running quality checks on dataset "%s"', $dataset));

@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@
 
 use Mcp\Exception\InvalidArgumentException;
 use Mcp\Exception\RegistryException;
+use Mcp\Server\ClientAwareInterface;
 use Mcp\Server\ClientGateway;
+use Mcp\Server\Session\SessionInterface;
 use Psr\Container\ContainerInterface;
 
 /**
@@ -31,12 +33,18 @@ public function __construct(
      */
     public function handle(ElementReference $reference, array $arguments): mixed
     {
+        $session = $arguments['_session'];
+
         if (\is_string($reference->handler)) {
             if (class_exists($reference->handler) && method_exists($reference->handler, '__invoke')) {
                 $reflection = new \ReflectionMethod($reference->handler, '__invoke');
                 $instance = $this->getClassInstance($reference->handler);
                 $arguments = $this->prepareArguments($reflection, $arguments);
 
+                if ($instance instanceof ClientAwareInterface) {
+                    $instance->setClient(new ClientGateway($session));
+                }
+
                 return \call_user_func($instance, ...$arguments);
             }
 
@@ -49,7 +57,7 @@ public function handle(ElementReference $reference, array $arguments): mixed
         }
 
         if (\is_callable($reference->handler)) {
-            $reflection = $this->getReflectionForCallable($reference->handler);
+            $reflection = $this->getReflectionForCallable($reference->handler, $session);
             $arguments = $this->prepareArguments($reflection, $arguments);
 
             return \call_user_func($reference->handler, ...$arguments);
@@ -59,6 +67,11 @@ public function handle(ElementReference $reference, array $arguments): mixed
             [$className, $methodName] = $reference->handler;
             $reflection = new \ReflectionMethod($className, $methodName);
             $instance = $this->getClassInstance($className);
+
+            if ($instance instanceof ClientAwareInterface) {
+                $instance->setClient(new ClientGateway($session));
+            }
+
             $arguments = $this->prepareArguments($reflection, $arguments);
 
             return \call_user_func([$instance, $methodName], ...$arguments);
@@ -130,7 +143,7 @@ private function prepareArguments(\ReflectionFunctionAbstract $reflection, array
     /**
      * Gets a ReflectionMethod or ReflectionFunction for a callable.
      */
-    private function getReflectionForCallable(callable $handler): \ReflectionMethod|\ReflectionFunction
+    private function getReflectionForCallable(callable $handler, SessionInterface $session): \ReflectionMethod|\ReflectionFunction
     {
         if (\is_string($handler)) {
             return new \ReflectionFunction($handler);
@@ -143,6 +156,10 @@ private function getReflectionForCallable(callable $handler): \ReflectionMethod|
         if (\is_array($handler) && 2 === \count($handler)) {
             [$class, $method] = $handler;
 
+            if ($class instanceof ClientAwareInterface) {
+                $class->setClient(new ClientGateway($session));
+            }
+
             return new \ReflectionMethod($class, $method);
         }