# MCP tools overview

Solo exposes MCP tools through the local MCP server configured in **Settings > MCP**. Compatible clients launch Solo's bundled stdio helper, and the running Solo app enforces which tools are available.

This section is a tool reference. For setup steps and client configuration, see [MCP server integration](/docs/integrations/mcp-server).

## Core tool groups

Core tools are available when the MCP server is enabled:

- [Project tools](/docs/mcp-tools/project) choose the effective Solo project, create, rename, and delete projects, and inspect project state.
- [Workspace tools](./workspaces.md) list, create, edit, delete, and reorder workspaces, and move projects between them.
- [Services tools](/docs/mcp-tools/services) discover localhost services and wait for ports.
- [Process tools](/docs/mcp-tools/process) list, inspect, select, rename, start, stop, restart, close, and send input to Solo processes.
- [Bulk tools](/docs/mcp-tools/bulk) provide project-scoped batch operations to start trusted commands, stop running commands regardless of trust, or restart by first stopping running commands and then starting trusted commands.
- [Output tools](/docs/mcp-tools/output) read, search, clear, and inspect terminal output and ports.
- [Agent and terminal tools](/docs/mcp-tools/agent-terminal) spawn terminals or agents and bind MCP sessions to Solo-managed processes.
- [Coordination tools](/docs/mcp-tools/coordination) provide project-scoped lease locks for shared work.
- [Setup and support tools](./setup-support.md) provide local help, search Solo's official documentation, summarize the enabled tool catalog, run a smoke test, draft feedback, and write agent integration instructions.

## Feature tool groups

Feature tools are controlled by separate settings toggles. They augment the same MCP server; they do not start separate servers:

- [Scratchpad tools](/docs/mcp-tools/scratchpads) expose project-scoped Markdown scratchpads.
- [Todo tools](/docs/mcp-tools/todos) expose project-scoped todos, blockers, locks, tags, and comments.
- [Timer tools](/docs/mcp-tools/timers) schedule user turns for Solo-managed agent processes.
- [Key-value tools](/docs/mcp-tools/key-value) expose project-scoped JSON storage.
- [Prompt template tools](./prompt-templates.md) expose Solo prompt templates for listing, editing, and export.

Scratchpads, todos, and timers inherit MCP server enablement until an explicit setting is saved. Key-value and prompt template tools default off until enabled.

## Prompts and resources

Besides tools, the server exposes built-in MCP prompts (orchestration playbooks) and readable MCP resources for scratchpads and todos. See [MCP prompts and resources](./prompts-and-resources.md).

## Scope and identity

Most tools operate on the effective project scope. A client can select that scope with `select_project`, or Solo can infer it from the MCP session and the bound Solo process.

Agents launched by Solo are normally identified automatically. If auto-identification fails, `identify_session` lets a client assert its own `SOLO_PROCESS_ID`, and clients outside Solo can register as external actors. Use `whoami` to inspect the caller identity, effective project, and process association. See [Agent and terminal tools](./agent-terminal.md).

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Are you a human? Read this doc on the web: https://soloterm.com/docs/mcp-tools/overview