Tools & MCP Articles
41 articles · Page 1 of 4
How to Build an Agent That Writes Code Instead of Calling Tools
One JSON tool call per turn is slow, token-heavy, and brittle. A short script that orchestrates tools in a sandbox is faster and cheaper. Here's how it works.
MCP now uses round-trips, not streams, for user input
The July 28 spec deprecated elicitation and sampling. Multi Round-Trip Requests (SEP-2322) replace both with a stateless pattern: the server returns InputRequiredResult, the client collects input, the client re-submits. Here's how to migrate.
9 in 10 MCP Servers Skip OAuth. The July 28 Spec Just Landed.
Only 8.5% of MCP servers use OAuth. The July 28 spec landed, and it doesn't make auth mandatory. Here's what it actually requires and what to fix first.
Your MCP tool descriptions are failing your agent
97% of real-world MCP tool descriptions contain quality problems that hurt agent accuracy and inflate token costs. Here's what the research found and how to fix it.
Four protocols that power every AI agent
MCP handles tools, A2A handles agent delegation, ACP routes across enterprise frameworks, and ANP crosses org boundaries. Here's how the four protocols divide the work and when each belongs in your stack.
MCP's 2026 spec changes what your tools can do
The MCP spec RC is out with Extensions, Tasks, MCP Apps, and OAuth hardening. Here's what changes for CX agent builders before the July 28 final.
Building MCP tools your CX agents actually use
Most CX agents have too many poorly-described tools. Here's how to design and build MCP tools that agents call correctly — covering CRM connectors, knowledge retrieval, and action tools.
What the July 28 MCP spec means for your stateful agents
The July 28 MCP spec is the largest protocol revision since launch. Sessions are removed. Stateless request handling replaces the initialization handshake. Here's what breaks and how to fix it before the deadline.
Static API keys don't work for autonomous agents
When you hand an autonomous agent a static API key, you're giving it a skeleton key with no expiry. Here's the per-call permission model that replaces it.
Parallel tool calls: the 5x speedup in your agent
Sequential tool calls compound latency for no reason. Here's how to fan out independent tool calls in parallel and cut agent response time by up to 5x in production.
MCP tasks: how async tool calls fix your agent's timeout problem
The November 2025 MCP spec introduced Tasks: a call-now, fetch-later primitive that lets agents kick off slow operations without blocking. Here's how it works and how to build with it.
The MCP registry: managing a fleet of agent tools
When you have more than 3 MCP servers, you need a registry. Here's the architecture Pinterest and Cloudflare use to manage fleets of domain-specific tool servers at scale.
Learn Agentic AI
Weekly. Patterns for shipping agents that work. MCP, scorecards, regression tests, prompts, model comparisons.
