About mcp-testing-kit
mcp-testing-kit is a TypeScript library for testing MCP servers, intended for developers writing server tests. It connects directly to a server instance and exercises tools, resources, and prompts without relying on HTTP/SSE.
Key features
- 01Works with Vitest, Jest, and other frameworks
- 02Connect directly to an MCP server instance
- 03Call tools and list resources
- 04Retrieve prompts
- 05Listen for notifications, errors, and progress
Use cases
- 01Test tools registered by an MCP server
- 02Check resource and prompt behavior
- 03Inspect server notifications and progress messages
MCP support
The library tests MCP servers by connecting to an instance, sending requests, receiving notifications, and asserting server behavior.
Configuration
Local server config is the same for every client. Copy it into your client’s MCP config file.
We haven’t collected a package or remote endpoint for this server. Follow the instructions in the project README.
Tools
Local servers expose tools only once running on your machine, and the maintainer has not provided a tool list.
Details
From the project READMEmcp-testing-kit

The testing library you need to test your MCP servers.
Overview
mcp-testing-kit provides utilities to test Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. It allows you to connect to an MCP server instance, send requests, receive notifications, and assert server behavior in your tests.
Features
- Works with any testing framework (vitest, jest etc)
- Lightweight, provides "just enough" utils to test an MCP server.
- Typescript
Installation
$ npm i -D mcp-testing-kit
Example
Suppose you have an MCP server defined in example/basic/src/index.ts:
// mcp-server.ts
import { McpServer } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/mcp.js";
import { z } from "zod";
const server = new McpServer({ name: 'simple-mcp-server', version: '1.0.0' });
server.tool(
'add',
'Add two numbers MCP style',
{
a: z.number().describe('first number'),
b: z.number().describe('second number')
},
async ({ name }) => ({
messages: [
{ role: 'user', content: { type: 'text', text: String(a + b) } }
]
})
);
export default server;
You can write a test using mcp-testing-kit like this:
// mcp-server.test.js
import server from "../src/index.js";
// Use your favorite testing framework.
import { describe, it, expect, afterEach } from "vitest";
import { connect, close } from "../../../index.js";
describe("Basic MCP server", () => {
afterEach(async () => {
await close(server);
});
it("Should return correct sum when `sum` is called", async () => {
// Connect to the server and create a mock client.
const client = await connect(server);
const result = await client.callTool("greeting-template", { a: 10, b: 2 });
expect(result.content[0].text).toEqual("12");
});
});
How it works
- Creates a dummy transport layer to connect to the MCP Server directly instead of relying on HTTP/SSE.
- Provides abstractions for invoking the tools/resources/prompts directly on the server.
API
connect(server: Server)
Connects to an MCP server instance and returns a client with the following methods:
| Method | Signature | Description |
|---|---|---|
listTools | (): Promise<ListToolsResult> | List all tools registered on the server. |
callTool | (tool: string, params?: any): Promise<any> | Call a tool by name with optional parameters. |
listResources | (): Promise<ListResourcesResult> | List all resources registered on the server. |
listPrompts | (): Promise<ListPromptsResult> | List all prompts registered on the server. |
getPrompt | (prompt: string, params?: any): Promise<any> | Get a prompt by name with optional parameters. |
onNotification | (cb: (message: JSONRPCMessage) => void): void | Register a callback for notifications from the server. |
onError | (cb: (message: JSONRPCMessage) => void): void | Register a callback for error messages from the server. |
onProgress | (cb: (message: JSONRPCMessage) => void): void | Register a callback for progress notifications from the server. |
sendToServer | (message: Request): Promise<any> | Send a raw JSON-RPC request to the server. |
close(server: Server)
Closes the MCP server instance.
More Examples
See example/basic for a full-featured MCP server and corresponding tests.
License
MIT
Comments
New to MCP?
From what the protocol is to installing your first server, these answers cover most first questions.
An open protocol that defines how AI applications connect to external tools and data in a uniform way. Clients talk to the model; MCP servers provide tools, resources and prompt templates. They exchange standard messages, so one server can be reused by many clients.