Laravel MCP Skill

Comprehensive assistance with Laravel MCP (Model Context Protocol) development. Laravel MCP provides a simple and elegant way for AI clients to interact with your Laravel application through the Model Context Protocol, enabling you to define servers, tools, resources, and prompts for AI-powered interactions.

When to Use This Skill

This skill should be triggered when:

• Building MCP servers for Laravel applications
• Creating AI tools that perform actions in Laravel
• Defining reusable prompts for AI interactions
• Exposing Laravel resources (data/content) to AI clients
• Implementing OAuth 2.1 or Sanctum authentication for MCP
• Registering and configuring MCP routes (web or local)
• Testing MCP servers and tools
• Working with Laravel JSON Schema builder for tool inputs
• Implementing streaming responses or progress notifications
• Building AI-powered Laravel features using MCP

Key Concepts

Core Components

MCP Server: The central communication point that exposes MCP capabilities. Each server has:

• name: Server identifier
• version: Server version
• instructions: Description of the server's purpose
• tools: Array of tool classes
• resources: Array of resource classes
• prompts: Array of prompt classes

Tools: Enable AI clients to perform actions. Tools can:

• Define input schemas using Laravel's JSON Schema builder
• Validate arguments with Laravel validation rules
• Support dependency injection
• Return single or multiple responses
• Stream responses using generators
• Use annotations like #[IsReadOnly] and #[IsIdempotent]

Prompts: Reusable prompt templates that provide a standardized way to structure common queries with argument definitions and validation.

Resources: Enable your server to expose data and content that AI clients can read, including text and blob responses with customizable MIME types and URIs.

Quick Reference

1. Basic MCP Server Definition

<?php
namespace App\Mcp\Servers;

use Laravel\Mcp\Server;

class WeatherServer extends Server
{
    protected string $name = 'Weather Server';
    protected string $version = '1.0.0';
    protected string $instructions = 'This server provides weather information and forecasts.';

    protected array $tools = [
        // CurrentWeatherTool::class,
    ];

    protected array $resources = [
        // WeatherGuidelinesResource::class,
    ];

    protected array $prompts = [
        // DescribeWeatherPrompt::class,
    ];
}

2. Tool with Input Schema

<?php
namespace App\Mcp\Tools;

use Illuminate\JsonSchema\JsonSchema;
use Laravel\Mcp\Request;
use Laravel\Mcp\Response;
use Laravel\Mcp\Server\Tool;

class CurrentWeatherTool extends Tool
{
    protected string $description = 'Fetches the current weather forecast for a specified location.';

    public function handle(Request $request): Response
    {
        $location = $request->get('location');
        // Get weather...
        return Response::text('The weather is...');
    }

    public function schema(JsonSchema $schema): array
    {
        return [
            'location' => $schema->string()
                ->description('The location to get the weather for.')
                ->required(),
        ];
    }
}

3. Tool with Validation

public function handle(Request $request): Response
{
    $validated = $request->validate([
        'location' => 'required|string|max:100',
        'units' => 'in:celsius,fahrenheit',
    ], [
        'location.required' => 'You must specify a location.',
        'units.in' => 'You must specify either "celsius" or "fahrenheit".',
    ]);
    // Fetch weather data...
}

4. Tool with Dependency Injection

<?php
namespace App\Mcp\Tools;

use App\Repositories\WeatherRepository;
use Laravel\Mcp\Request;
use Laravel\Mcp\Response;
use Laravel\Mcp\Server\Tool;

class CurrentWeatherTool extends Tool
{
    public function __construct(
        protected WeatherRepository $weather,
    ) {}

    public function handle(Request $request, WeatherRepository $weather): Response
    {
        $location = $request->get('location');
        $forecast = $weather->getForecastFor($location);
        // ...
    }
}

5. Tool with Annotations

<?php
namespace App\Mcp\Tools;

use Laravel\Mcp\Server\Tools\Annotations\IsIdempotent;
use Laravel\Mcp\Server\Tools\Annotations\IsReadOnly;
use Laravel\Mcp\Server\Tool;

#[IsIdempotent]
#[IsReadOnly]
class CurrentWeatherTool extends Tool
{
    // ...
}

6. Streaming Tool Response

<?php
namespace App\Mcp\Tools;

use Generator;
use Laravel\Mcp\Request;
use Laravel\Mcp\Response;
use Laravel\Mcp\Server\Tool;

class CurrentWeatherTool extends Tool
{
    public function handle(Request $request): Generator
    {
        $locations = $request->array('locations');

        foreach ($locations as $index => $location) {
            yield Response::notification('processing/progress', [
                'current' => $index + 1,
                'total' => count($locations),
                'location' => $location,
            ]);
            yield Response::text($this->forecastFor($location));
        }
    }
}

7. Prompt Definition

<?php
namespace App\Mcp\Prompts;

use Laravel\Mcp\Server\Prompt;
use Laravel\Mcp\Server\Prompts\Argument;

class DescribeWeatherPrompt extends Prompt
{
    protected string $description = 'Generates a natural-language explanation of the weather.';

    public function arguments(): array
    {
        return [
            new Argument(
                name: 'tone',
                description: 'The tone to use in the weather description.',
                required: true,
            ),
        ];
    }

    public function handle(Request $request): array
    {
        $tone = $request->string('tone');
        return [
            Response::text("You are a weather assistant. Provide a {$tone} tone.")->asAssistant(),
            Response::text("What is the current weather like in New York City?"),
        ];
    }
}

8. Resource Definition

<?php
namespace App\Mcp\Resources;

use Laravel\Mcp\Request;
use Laravel\Mcp\Response;
use Laravel\Mcp\Server\Resource;

class WeatherGuidelinesResource extends Resource
{
    protected string $description = 'Comprehensive guidelines for using the Weather API.';
    protected string $uri = 'weather://resources/guidelines';
    protected string $mimeType = 'application/pdf';

    public function handle(Request $request): Response
    {
        return Response::text($weatherData);
    }
}

9. Server Registration (Web)

use App\Mcp\Servers\WeatherServer;
use Laravel\Mcp\Facades\Mcp;

Mcp::web('/mcp/weather', WeatherServer::class);

// With middleware
Mcp::web('/mcp/weather', WeatherServer::class)
    ->middleware(['throttle:mcp']);

10. Server Registration (Local)

use App\Mcp\Servers\WeatherServer;
use Laravel\Mcp\Facades\Mcp;

Mcp::local('weather', WeatherServer::class);

11. OAuth 2.1 Authentication Setup

use App\Mcp\Servers\WeatherExample;
use Laravel\Mcp\Facades\Mcp;

Mcp::oauthRoutes();

Mcp::web('/mcp/weather', WeatherExample::class)
    ->middleware('auth:api');

12. Sanctum Authentication

use App\Mcp\Servers\WeatherExample;
use Laravel\Mcp\Facades\Mcp;

Mcp::web('/mcp/demo', WeatherExample::class)
    ->middleware('auth:sanctum');

Reference Files

This skill includes comprehensive documentation in references/:

• other.md - Complete Laravel MCP documentation from Laravel 12.x official docs, including:
  • Installation and setup instructions
  • Server, tool, resource, and prompt creation
  • Input schema definition using JSON Schema builder
  • Validation and dependency injection
  • Streaming responses and progress notifications
  • Authentication (OAuth 2.1 and Sanctum)
  • Registration (web and local routes)
  • Testing and inspection

Use view to read specific reference files when detailed information is needed.

Working with This Skill

For Beginners

Start by understanding the core concepts:

1. Installation: Install Laravel MCP via composer require laravel/mcp
2. Setup: Run php artisan vendor:publish --tag=ai-routes to create routes/ai.php
3. First Server: Generate your first server with php artisan make:mcp-server
4. Register: Add your server to routes/ai.php using Mcp::web() or Mcp::local()

Begin with simple read-only tools using the #[IsReadOnly] annotation before moving to tools that modify data.

For Intermediate Users

Focus on building robust tools:

• Use JSON Schema builder for precise input validation
• Leverage Laravel's validation rules for complex constraints
• Implement dependency injection for clean, testable code
• Use prompts to create reusable AI interaction patterns
• Expose resources to provide context to AI clients

For Advanced Users

Implement production-ready features:

• Add OAuth 2.1 or Sanctum authentication to secure your MCP servers
• Use streaming responses for long-running operations with progress notifications
• Apply middleware for rate limiting and custom authentication
• Create idempotent tools using #[IsIdempotent] annotation
• Build complex multi-tool workflows
• Use the MCP Inspector for debugging and testing

Navigation Tips

• Quick implementation: Use the Quick Reference section above for common patterns
• Detailed learning: Read references/other.md for comprehensive documentation
• Examples: All code examples include proper namespaces and imports
• Testing: Refer to documentation for MCP Inspector usage and unit testing

Common Patterns

Creating a New MCP Server

# Generate server class
php artisan make:mcp-server WeatherServer

# Edit app/Mcp/Servers/WeatherServer.php
# Add tools, resources, and prompts

# Register in routes/ai.php
Mcp::web('/mcp/weather', WeatherServer::class);

Input Schema Patterns

// Simple required string
'location' => $schema->string()->required()

// Optional with default
'units' => $schema->string()->default('celsius')

// Number with constraints
'temperature' => $schema->number()->minimum(0)->maximum(100)

// Array of items
'cities' => $schema->array()->items($schema->string())

// Object with properties
'forecast' => $schema->object()->properties([
    'temperature' => $schema->number(),
    'humidity' => $schema->number(),
])

Response Patterns

// Text response
return Response::text('The weather is sunny');

// Multiple responses
return [
    Response::text('First message'),
    Response::text('Second message'),
];

// Notification (streaming)
yield Response::notification('processing/progress', ['status' => 'processing']);

Resources

Installation

composer require laravel/mcp
php artisan vendor:publish --tag=ai-routes

Official Documentation

• Laravel MCP Docs: https://laravel.com/docs/12.x/mcp
• Model Context Protocol Spec: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/

Related Laravel Features

• JSON Schema Builder: For defining tool input schemas
• Validation: For validating tool arguments
• Service Container: For dependency injection in tools and resources
• OAuth/Sanctum: For authentication

Notes

• This skill was generated from official Laravel 12.x MCP documentation
• All code examples use proper PHP 8+ syntax with typed properties
• Examples demonstrate Laravel's elegant API design
• Tools support both synchronous and streaming responses
• Authentication is optional but recommended for production use
• Both web (HTTP) and local (CLI) server registration are supported

Tips & Best Practices

1. Start Simple: Begin with read-only tools marked with #[IsReadOnly]
2. Validate Input: Always define schemas and use validation for user input
3. Use DI: Leverage dependency injection for repositories and services
4. Stream Progress: For long operations, use generators to stream progress
5. Secure Your Servers: Add authentication middleware for production
6. Test Thoroughly: Use the MCP Inspector and unit tests to validate functionality
7. Document Well: Write clear descriptions for servers, tools, prompts, and resources
8. Follow Conventions: Use Laravel's service container patterns and naming conventions