Model Context Protocol (MCP) Utilities Overview

An overview of the optional utility features in MCP, including cancellation, ping, progress tracking, and task management, enabling robust, responsive, and observable interactions between clients and servers.

MCP cancellation

Describes how either side can abort an in‑progress request using a `notifications/cancelled` message that includes the request ID and an optional reason. It details required behaviors, timing considerations, and error handling to ensure graceful termination of operations.

MCP ping

Explains the optional ping mechanism that lets a client or server verify the counterpart’s responsiveness. The section covers request/response format, timeout handling, usage patterns, and best‑practice recommendations for maintaining a healthy connection.

MCP progress

Details how long‑running operations can emit progress notifications. By providing a `progressToken` in the request, a side can send incremental updates (percentage, total, message) to inform the peer about its current state.

MCP tasks

Introduces task‑augmented requests, where a request is wrapped in a durable state machine identified by a task ID. It covers creation, polling, result retrieval, status notifications, cancellation, and security considerations for managing long‑running work.