# connect-tools-and-mcp

Wires custom Python tools and MCP servers into crewAI agents on the 1.15.x line. Handy when an agent quietly skips a tool or dies on an import.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 617 installs · ★ 48
- Author: crewAIInc
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/crewAIInc/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/connect-tools-and-mcp/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-06
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/connect-tools-and-mcp

## What it does

The skill covers three ways to hand an agent a working tool: a plain function wrapped in `@tool`, a `BaseTool` subclass carrying an `args_schema`, or a ready-made `crewai_tools` entry. A table maps the imports people still write against the ones that exist today — `BaseTool` and `tool` now live in `crewai.tools`, and `CodeInterpreterTool` gave way to sandbox tools such as `E2BPythonTool` and `DaytonaPythonTool`. Hit `ImportError: cannot import name 'BaseTool' from 'crewai_tools'` and that table is where you start.

On the MCP side you get `MCPServerStdio`, `MCPServerHTTP` and `MCPServerSSE` inside `Agent(mcps=[...])`, plus the slug string form for integrations connected in a CrewAI AMP account. The `mcp` package already ships with crewai 1.15.x, so the native path pulls in nothing extra. `MCPServerAdapter` is documented too, and it does need `crewai-tools[mcp]`.

A few details bite. `_run` must exist even on an async tool, or the class refuses to instantiate. `max_usage_count=N` counts calls within a single task, and the next kickoff starts with a full allowance again — enforce once-per-run side effects in your own code. A tool that throws does not sink the crew: the agent receives the error text and the run still reports success. When downstream logic has to know, return `ToolFailure` and set `tool_failure_policy="raise"`.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add crewAIInc/skills --skill connect-tools-and-mcp -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/connect-tools-and-mcp/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/connect-tools-and-mcp/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add crewAIInc/skills --skill connect-tools-and-mcp -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/connect-tools-and-mcp/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add crewAIInc/skills --skill connect-tools-and-mcp -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/connect-tools-and-mcp/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install crewAIInc/skills connect-tools-and-mcp
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/connect-tools-and-mcp/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add crewAIInc/skills --skill connect-tools-and-mcp -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/crewAIInc/skills --path skills/connect-tools-and-mcp
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/connect-tools-and-mcp/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add crewAIInc/skills --skill connect-tools-and-mcp -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/crewAIInc/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/connect-tools-and-mcp/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- fix a broken `BaseTool` import after moving to crewai 1.15.x
- declare a tool's input schema with `args_schema`
- attach a remote MCP server to an agent
- cap how many times a tool runs inside one task
- debug an agent that never calls its MCP tool

## Example prompts
- My agent never calls the MCP tool — check `Agent(mcps=[...])` and the tool names
- Rewrite this tool as a `BaseTool` with `args_schema` instead of the old `crewai_tools` import
- Set `max_usage_count=1` on this tool so it fires once per task

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 120d61475172de7f.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 120d61475172de7f
```text
---
name: connect-tools-and-mcp
description: "Giving crewAI agents tools and MCP servers on crewai 1.15.x: custom BaseTool with args_schema and @tool, which crewai_tools names really exist, tool caching, max_usage_count, ToolFailure, Agent(mcps=[...]) string and MCPServerStdio/HTTP/SSE forms, rewritten MCP tool names, MCPServerAdapter, timeouts, and what works on a hosted deployment. Use when writing or debugging a tool or MCP connection, when you see 'cannot import name BaseTool from crewai_tools', 'You are missing the mcp package', 'MCPConnectionError', 'Operation timed out after 30 seconds', 'reached its usage limit', 'Invalid MCP reference', 'Anthropic function name ... must start with a letter', an agent that never calls an MCP tool, mcps=[...] that yields no tools (for example an https:// string under akickoff or on CrewAI AMP), or a stdio MCP server that works locally but not after deploy."
---

# Connect Tools and MCP Servers to CrewAI Agents

Give an agent working tools - custom Python, prebuilt `crewai_tools`, or MCP servers - without the 0.x-era mistakes that fail silently.

Verified against crewai 1.15.22 and 1.15.23 on 2026-10-01.
Live-tested on CrewAI AMP and real LLMs on 2026-10-01.
Run `crewai version` first; if the major/minor differs from 1.15, re-verify version-sensitive rows with the `ask-docs` skill before trusting them.

---

## 1. Pick the mechanism

| You need | Use | Section |
|---|---|---|
| A quick Python function as a tool | `@tool` from `crewai.tools` | 3 |
| A tool with config, state, or a documented input schema | `BaseTool` subclass with `args_schema` | 3 |
| A prebuilt search/scrape/file tool | `crewai_tools` - but import it once to prove the name exists | 5 |
| A remote MCP server | `Agent(mcps=[MCPServerHTTP(...)])` - not an `https://` string if the crew is deployed or uses `akickoff()` | 6, 8 |
| An MCP server that ships with your code | `Agent(mcps=[MCPServerStdio(...)])` - also works on CrewAI AMP when the server is in the package | 6, 10 |
| An integration connected in your CrewAI AMP account | `mcps=["<slug>"]` or `"<slug>#<tool>"` | 6 |
| Bare MCP tool names or a manual start/stop lifecycle | `MCPServerAdapter` (needs `crewai-tools[mcp]`) | 9 |
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 120d61475172de7f

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First 2224 of 26110 bytes. © crewAIInc · MIT · https://github.com/crewAIInc/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/connect-tools-and-mcp/SKILL.md

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