MCP Kotlin SDK Tutorial: Building Multiplatform MCP Clients and Servers
July 6, 2026 ยท View on GitHub
Learn how to implement MCP client/server workflows with
modelcontextprotocol/kotlin-sdk, including module boundaries, transport choices, capability negotiation, and production lifecycle controls.
Why This Track Matters
Kotlin teams increasingly need one MCP implementation that works across JVM, Native, JS, and Wasm. The official Kotlin SDK offers a clean split across core, client, and server modules with coroutine-friendly APIs and transport adapters for local and remote workflows.
This track focuses on:
- selecting the right module/artifact strategy for your codebase
- building capability-safe clients and servers with typed APIs
- choosing stdio, SSE, streamable HTTP, or WebSocket transports by workload
- running conformance, release, and upgrade workflows with low drift
Current Snapshot (auto-updated)
- repository:
modelcontextprotocol/kotlin-sdk - stars: about 1.4k
- GitHub release reference:
0.14.0(checked 2026-07-06; release metadata on GitHub)
Mental Model
flowchart LR
A[App code] --> B[kotlin-sdk-client]
A --> C[kotlin-sdk-server]
B --> D[kotlin-sdk-core]
C --> D
B --> E[stdio SSE WS streamable-http]
C --> F[tools resources prompts sampling]
Chapter Guide
| Chapter | Key Question | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 01 - Getting Started and Module Selection | How do I choose artifacts and baseline dependencies? | Stable dependency baseline |
| 02 - Core Protocol Model and Module Architecture | How do core, client, and server responsibilities fit together? | Clear architecture boundaries |
| 03 - Client Runtime and Capability Negotiation | How do Kotlin clients connect safely and use server features? | Safer client behavior |
| 04 - Server Runtime, Primitives, and Feature Registration | How do I expose tools/resources/prompts with capability discipline? | Stronger server design |
| 05 - Transports: stdio, Streamable HTTP, SSE, and WebSocket | Which transport should I run in each environment? | Better transport decisions |
| 06 - Advanced Client Features: Roots, Sampling, and Elicitation | How do advanced MCP features change client behavior? | Better UX and control |
| 07 - Testing, Conformance, and Operational Diagnostics | How do I validate SDK behavior and catch drift early? | Higher reliability |
| 08 - Release Strategy and Production Rollout | How do teams keep Kotlin MCP integrations healthy over time? | Durable operations |
What You Will Learn
- how to map Kotlin module boundaries to real client/server deployment needs
- how to run capability-aware MCP workflows with typed request/response models
- how to operate transports and sessions with fewer runtime surprises
- how to standardize testing and upgrade practices as protocol versions evolve
Source References
- Kotlin SDK README
- Kotlin SDK Module Documentation
- kotlin-sdk-core Module Guide
- kotlin-sdk-client Module Guide
- kotlin-sdk-server Module Guide
- Kotlin MCP Client Sample
- Kotlin MCP Server Sample
- Weather STDIO Sample
Related Tutorials
Start with Chapter 1: Getting Started and Module Selection.
Navigation & Backlinks
- Start Here: Chapter 1: Getting Started and Module Selection
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Full Chapter Map
- Chapter 1: Getting Started and Module Selection
- Chapter 2: Core Protocol Model and Module Architecture
- Chapter 3: Client Runtime and Capability Negotiation
- Chapter 4: Server Runtime, Primitives, and Feature Registration
- Chapter 5: Transports: stdio, Streamable HTTP, SSE, and WebSocket
- Chapter 6: Advanced Client Features: Roots, Sampling, and Elicitation
- Chapter 7: Testing, Conformance, and Operational Diagnostics
- Chapter 8: Release Strategy and Production Rollout
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