# Model Context Protocol (MCP) support in SeaShell

> SeaShell connects to Model Context Protocol servers and exposes their tools to the agent, so you can extend it with your own tools and data sources.

SeaShell supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP): it connects to MCP servers and exposes their tools to the agent, so you can bring your own tools and data sources into the terminal. Combined with its plugin system, MCP makes SeaShell extensible without leaving the shell in 2026.

## Key takeaways

- SeaShell connects to MCP servers and exposes their tools to the agent.
- MCP plus the plugin system make SeaShell extensible with your own tools.
- Every MCP tool call still runs behind SeaShell's permission gate.
- SeaShell connects to MCP servers over stdio, SSE, and HTTP.

## What MCP adds

The Model Context Protocol is an open standard for connecting AI agents to external tools and data. SeaShell connects to MCP servers and converts their tools into agent tools, so the model can call them like any built-in.

That means you can wire SeaShell to issue trackers, databases, documentation, or internal services through MCP, and the agent uses them as part of a task. Because the tools are imported into the same registry as built-ins, they participate in planning and permissions like everything else.

## Safe by default

MCP servers can read and write outside your repository, so SeaShell keeps them behind the same permission model as every other tool. Each MCP tool call is gated against allow, ask, and deny rules.

This matters: extending an agent should not weaken its guardrails. With SeaShell, an MCP tool that writes data still prompts for approval unless you explicitly allow it. You get extensibility without giving up the permission gate that makes the agent safe to run.

## Plugins and MCP together

Alongside MCP, SeaShell has a plugin system that contributes tools and hooks into agent lifecycle events. Together they cover both first-party extensions and standard third-party servers.

Use plugins for tools you build for SeaShell directly, and MCP for the growing ecosystem of standard servers. Either way, you shape SeaShell around your stack, and every tool either one adds is registered next to the built-ins and gated by the same permission rules.

## FAQ

### Does SeaShell support Model Context Protocol?

Yes. SeaShell connects to MCP servers and exposes their tools to the agent so you can extend it with your own tools and data sources.

### How does SeaShell import MCP tools?

SeaShell converts each MCP server tool into an agent tool and registers it alongside built-in tools, so it participates in planning and permissions.

### Are MCP tools permission-gated?

Yes. Every MCP tool call runs behind SeaShell's allow, ask, and deny permission model, just like built-in tools.

### What is the difference between plugins and MCP in SeaShell?

Plugins are first-party extensions that contribute tools and hooks; MCP connects SeaShell to standard third-party servers. SeaShell supports both.

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