MCP (Model Context Protocol) for Dart
mcp_dart is a dual-era Dart and Flutter SDK for MCP clients, servers, and AI
hosts. It implements the complete core client/server wire surface of the locked
MCP 2026-07-28 specification, retains the MCP 2025-11-25 feature set, and
negotiates supported earlier initialization-based specifications.
Here, core means the normative wire requirements assigned to client and server roles by the pinned final specification. It excludes optional MCP extensions, host UI behavior, an authorization-server implementation, JSON Schema external-reference resolution, and custom JSON Schema vocabularies.
Important
The coordinated stable release pairs mcp_dart 2.3.0 with
mcp_dart_cli 0.2.0. Current source passes the official alpha.10 MCP
2026-07-28 client and server suites with no expected failures, including
all 25 authorization scenarios, plus bidirectional published TypeScript SDK
2.0.0 and Python SDK 2.0.0rc1 interoperability.
Requirements
| Package | Minimum Dart SDK |
|---|---|
mcp_dart 2.3.0 |
3.4 |
mcp_dart_cli 0.2.0 |
3.12 |
SDK-only generated projects retain the SDK's Dart 3.4 minimum. CLI projects use Dart 3.12 because the CLI and its toolchain target that release.
Install Dart from dart.dev.
Installation
Production channel
Use the latest stable package for production projects:
dart pub add mcp_dart
Pin the coordinated stable release
Pin the stable 2.3 line explicitly when reproducible dependency resolution is important:
dependencies:
mcp_dart: ^2.3.0
The snippets below use the coordinated stable package line. Package versions
remain separate from protocol profiles: McpProtocol.stable names the SDK's
default compatibility policy.
The coordinated release publishes the SDK first and the CLI after the exact SDK version is available on pub.dev.
For direct SDK integration, start with the getting-started guide. The CLI below is optional and provides scaffolding, inspection, and conformance commands.
What the SDK provides
- MCP servers, clients, and host integrations with null-safe Dart APIs.
- Core tools, resources, prompts, completion, elicitation, subscriptions, logging, roots, and sampling APIs with behavior selected for the negotiated protocol era. MCP 2026-07-28 logging is retained for compatibility but is deprecated upstream.
- Stdio, Streamable HTTP, IO stream, and custom transports.
- OAuth client discovery/PKCE hooks, server authentication callbacks, DNS rebinding protection, and strict Streamable HTTP validation.
- An experimental Tasks extension implementation, MCP Apps metadata helpers, and generic extension negotiation. Extensions are separate from core protocol coverage; Tasks is not an official extension or part of the SDK's core conformance claim.
- Automated MCP 2025-11-25 and MCP 2026-07-28 conformance, bidirectional published TypeScript SDK 2.0.0 interoperability, bidirectional Python SDK 2.0.0rc1 interoperability, real-browser transport tests, a real Flutter Web service integration in Chrome, deterministic widget tests, and an independent pinned JSON Schema Test Suite gate.
MCP has three roles: a host owns the user experience, a client connects that host to one server, and a server exposes tools, resources, and prompts. A host can manage multiple clients and servers.
Protocol profiles
| Profile | Protocol behavior |
|---|---|
McpProtocol.stable |
Default dual-era profile: prefer MCP 2026-07-28, then fall back to initialization-based MCP specifications; body-only discovery probes are bounded to 5 seconds |
McpProtocol.legacy |
Initialization-era profile: negotiate the MCP 2025-11-25, MCP 2025-06-18, MCP 2025-03-26, MCP 2024-11-05, or MCP 2024-10-07 specification |
McpProtocol.require2026 |
Require MCP 2026-07-28 and reject legacy initialization |
Use stableProtocolVersion or defaultProtocolVersion for MCP 2026-07-28.
previewProtocolVersion remains as a deprecated alias for applications built
against a 2.3 prerelease.
latestInitializationProtocolVersion remains 2025-11-25 when the default
profile falls back to the legacy lifecycle. For compatibility,
latestProtocolVersion and supportedProtocolVersions retain their mcp_dart
2.2 initialization-era values; use allSupportedProtocolVersions for the
dual-era list.
Select a profile only when you need to constrain negotiation:
final legacyClient = McpClient(
const Implementation(name: 'my-client', version: '1.0.0'),
options: const McpClientOptions(protocol: McpProtocol.legacy),
);
final strict2026Server = McpServer(
const Implementation(name: 'my-server', version: '1.0.0'),
options: const McpServerOptions(protocol: McpProtocol.require2026),
);
See the MCP 2026-07-28 transition guide for fallback rules and APIs specific to MCP 2026-07-28, or run the strict MCP 2026-07-28 example. Applications upgrading from the stable 2.2 line should also follow the 2.2 to 2.3 migration guide.
Quick start with the CLI
Install the matching stable CLI:
dart pub global activate mcp_dart_cli 0.2.0
mcp_dart create my_server
cd my_server
mcp_dart inspect
The 0.2.0 CLI creates a project with mcp_dart: ^2.3.0. The inspector
launches the generated stdio server itself. After leaving the interactive
inspector, you can run a single tool directly:
mcp_dart inspect --tool add --json-args '{"a": 1, "b": 2}'
Useful commands:
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
create |
Scaffold a Dart MCP server using the SDK channel paired with the CLI |
serve |
Run a generated server over stdio or HTTP |
doctor |
Check project health and connectivity |
inspect |
Interactively use a server's capabilities |
inspect-server |
Produce a structured report for a live server |
inspect-client |
Run a stdio harness that inspects a connecting client |
trace |
Proxy and record a real stdio session |
conformance |
Run the repository's built-in protocol regression fixtures |
See the CLI documentation for command options and scope.
Documentation
- Start: getting started, server guide, client guide, quick reference
- Upgrade: 2.2 to 2.3 migration guide, migration cookbooks, MCP 2026-07-28 transition guide
- Build: tools, transports, examples, MCP Apps
- Deploy: Streamable HTTP security, OAuth examples, Flutter recipes
- Verify: interop matrix, MCP 2025-11-25 coverage, MCP 2026-07-28 coverage, day-0 runbook
Standalone integration examples may declare newer Dart SDK requirements; check each example README before running it.
Authentication
StreamableHttpClientTransport supports OAuthClientProvider and optional
authorization-code discovery. Servers can use authenticator or
authenticationHandler and publish protected-resource metadata.
The checked-in OAuth examples store tokens in plaintext files for local learning. Production applications must use platform secure storage or an encrypted credential service. See the OAuth examples and Streamable HTTP authentication.
Do not expose example HTTP servers directly to untrusted networks. Production deployments should use TLS, authenticate requests, and configure the documented Host and Origin protections.
Platform support
| Target | Stdio | Streamable HTTP | IO/custom stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dart VM / desktop server | Yes | Client and server | Yes |
| Browser / Flutter Web | No process spawning | Client | Yes |
| Flutter mobile | Only app-managed native helpers | Remote client | Yes |
| Flutter desktop | Local helper processes | Client and server | Yes |
See Flutter host and client recipes for lifecycle and secure-storage guidance.
Choosing a Dart MCP package
The Dart team maintains dart_mcp in
dart-lang/ai.
Choose it when you prefer the Dart team's APIs. Choose mcp_dart when you need
this SDK's transport, security, compatibility, extension, and inspection
surface. Re-check both packages' current releases before a production decision.
Support
Libraries
- mcp_dart
- Support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP) SDK for Dart.