---
title: "Arcade MCP (MCP Server SDK) - Python Overview"
description: "Overview of the Arcade MCP (MCP Server SDK) for Python"
---

# Arcade MCP (MCP Server SDK) - Python Overview

`arcade mcp`, the secure framework for building MCP servers, provides a clean, minimal API to build MCP servers programmatically. It handles tool collection, server configuration, and transport setup with a developer-friendly interface.

#### Basic Usage

```python
from arcade_mcp_server import MCPApp
from typing import Annotated

app = MCPApp(name="my_server", version="1.0.0")

@app.tool
def greet(name: Annotated[str, "The name of the person to greet"]) -> str:
    """Greet a person by name."""
    return f"Hello, {name}!"

app.run(host="127.0.0.1", port=8000)
```

#### Class Reference

### `MCPApp`

**`arcade_mcp_server.mcp_app.MCPApp`**

A FastAPI-like interface for building MCP servers.

The app collects tools and configuration, then lazily creates the server and transport when `run()` is called.

**Example:**

```python
from arcade_mcp_server import MCPApp
from typing import Annotated

app = MCPApp(name="my_server", version="1.0.0")

@app.tool
def greet(name: Annotated[str, "The name of the person to greet"]) -> str:
    """Greet a person by name."""
    return f"Hello, {name}!"

# Runtime CRUD once you have a server bound to the app:
# app.server = mcp_server
# await app.tools.add(materialized_tool)
# await app.prompts.add(prompt, handler)
# await app.resources.add(resource)

app.run(host="127.0.0.1", port=8000)
```

#### Properties

##### `prompts`

Runtime prompts API: add/remove/list.

##### `resources`

Runtime resources API: add/remove/list.

##### `tools`

Runtime and build-time tools API: add/update/remove/list.

#### Methods

##### `__init__`

```python
__init__(
    name='ArcadeMCP',
    version='1.0.0dev',
    title=None,
    instructions=None,
    log_level='INFO',
    transport='stdio',
    host='127.0.0.1',
    port=8000,
    reload=False,
    **kwargs
)
```

Initialize the MCP app.

**Parameters:**

| Name           | Type            | Description                                 | Default       |
| -------------- | --------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ------------- |
| `name`         | `str`           | Server name                                 | `'ArcadeMCP'` |
| `version`      | `str`           | Server version                              | `'1.0.0dev'`  |
| `title`        | `str \| None`   | Server title for display                    | `None`        |
| `instructions` | `str \| None`   | Server instructions                         | `None`        |
| `log_level`    | `str`           | Logging level (DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR) | `'INFO'`      |
| `transport`    | `TransportType` | Transport type ("stdio" or "http")          | `'stdio'`     |
| `host`         | `str`           | Host for transport                          | `'127.0.0.1'` |
| `port`         | `int`           | Port for transport                          | `8000`        |
| `reload`       | `bool`          | Enable auto-reload for development          | `False`       |
| `**kwargs`     | `Any`           | Additional server configuration             | `{}`          |

##### `add_tool`

```python
add_tool(
    func,
    desc=None,
    name=None,
    requires_auth=None,
    requires_secrets=None,
    requires_metadata=None,
    adapters=None
)
```

Add a tool for build-time materialization (pre-server).

##### `tool`

```python
tool(
    func=None,
    desc=None,
    name=None,
    requires_auth=None,
    requires_secrets=None,
    requires_metadata=None,
    adapters=None
)
```

Decorator for adding tools with optional parameters.

#### Examples

```python
# --- server.py ---
# Programmatic server creation with a simple tool and HTTP transport

from arcade_mcp_server import MCPApp
from typing import Annotated

app = MCPApp(name="example_server", version="1.0.0")

@app.tool
def echo(text: Annotated[str, "The text to echo"]) -> str:
    """Echo the text back."""
    return f"Echo: {text}"

if __name__ == "__main__":
    # Start an HTTP server (good for local development/testing)
    app.run(transport="http", host="0.0.0.0", port=8000, reload=False, debug=True)
```

```bash
# then run the server
python server.py
```