MCP Server: Tools

The server registers three tools. The model picks which one to call. All three return JSON encoded text content so the model can parse the result directly.

list_skills

Lists every available skill, optionally filtered by category.

Argument	Type	Required	Default	Description
category	string	no	null	Filter by category folder (e.g. build, jetpack-compose, navigation, performance, play, system).
limit	integer	no	50	Max results. Bounded by the catalog size.

The response is an array of objects, each with name, category, description, and keywords.

[
  {
    "name": "edge-to-edge",
    "category": "system",
    "description": "Use this skill to migrate your Jetpack Compose app to add adaptive edge-to-edge support and troubleshoot common issues.",
    "keywords": ["android", "compose", "system bars", "edge-to-edge", "status bar", "navigation bar"]
  }
]

Use this when the user asks an open ended Android question and you want to discover what curated guidance exists. Prefer search_skills when you have a specific query.

search_skills

Full text search across name, keywords, description, and headings. Uses BM25 ranking with field boosts (name 5x, keywords 3x, description 2x, headings 1x).

Argument	Type	Required	Default	Description
query	string	yes		Search query, keywords or natural language.
k	integer	no	5	Number of results to return.

The response is an array of ranked hits, each with name, score, description, category, keywords, and snippet.

[
  {
    "name": "migrate-xml-views-to-jetpack-compose",
    "score": 57.01,
    "description": "Provides a structured workflow for migrating an Android XML View to Jetpack Compose...",
    "category": "jetpack-compose",
    "keywords": ["Jetpack Compose", "migration", "XML", "Views", "interoperability", "incremental adoption", "UI development"],
    "snippet": "This skill guides through the process of migrating an existing Android XML View to Jetpack Compose..."
  }
]

Call this before answering any non-trivial Android question. The curated skills carry the canonical Google guidance and will outrank general training data.

get_skill

Returns the full SKILL.md for a named skill. With include_references=true, every linked reference file is appended at the end.

Argument	Type	Required	Default	Description
name	string	yes		Skill name in kebab-case (e.g. edge-to-edge).
include_references	boolean	no	false	If true, inline all referenced files at the end.

The response is a markdown text block. The frontmatter is preserved at the top so the model can read name, description, and metadata.keywords if needed.

---
name: edge-to-edge
description: |-
  Use this skill to migrate your Jetpack Compose app to add adaptive edge-to-edge support...
license: Complete terms in LICENSE.txt
metadata:
  author: Google LLC
  keywords:
    - android
    - compose
---

## Prerequisites
...

If the requested skill does not exist, the response sets isError: true and lists the available names so the model can self correct.

Tool selection patterns

Three common flows emerge in practice.

Open ended exploration. The user asks "what Android tasks can you help with?" The model calls list_skills (no args), reads the catalog, and presents options.

Targeted lookup. The user asks a specific question. The model calls search_skills with a query derived from the user's intent, then calls get_skill on the top hit.

Deep dive. The user is in the middle of a task and needs the supporting context. The model calls get_skill with include_references=true to pull in every referenced doc, then proceeds.