MCP resource tools

April 16, 2026 ยท View on GitHub

MCP resource tools let Gemini CLI discover and retrieve data from contextual resources exposed by Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers.

1. list_mcp_resources (ListMcpResources)

list_mcp_resources retrieves a list of all available resources from connected MCP servers. This is primarily a discovery tool that helps the model understand what external data sources are available for reference.

  • Tool name: list_mcp_resources
  • Display name: List MCP Resources
  • Kind: Search
  • File: list-mcp-resources.ts
  • Parameters:
    • serverName (string, optional): An optional filter to list resources from a specific server.
  • Behavior:
    • Iterates through all connected MCP servers.
    • Fetches the list of resources each server exposes.
    • Formats the results into a plain-text list of URIs and descriptions.
  • Output (llmContent): A formatted list of available resources, including their URI, server name, and optional description.
  • Confirmation: No. This is a read-only discovery tool.

2. read_mcp_resource (ReadMcpResource)

read_mcp_resource retrieves the content of a specific resource identified by its URI.

  • Tool name: read_mcp_resource
  • Display name: Read MCP Resource
  • Kind: Read
  • File: read-mcp-resource.ts
  • Parameters:
    • uri (string, required): The URI of the MCP resource to read.
  • Behavior:
    • Locates the resource and its associated server by URI.
    • Calls the server's resources/read method.
    • Processes the response, extracting text or binary data.
  • Output (llmContent): The content of the resource. For binary data, it returns a placeholder indicating the data type.
  • Confirmation: No. This is a read-only retrieval tool.