Toolbox

MCP integration patterns

Choose single, composed or no MCP at all: 25 rules across five patterns and a working token server on the official TypeScript SDK.

What it is

Field Guide 27: 25 rules across five patterns: resources versus tools, one server per system, composed and gateway servers, code execution with MCP, and when not to use MCP. The kit is a working server built on the official TypeScript SDK v2 that exposes the design system's semantic tokens as four resources and two annotated, read-only tools with output schemas. Its smoke test negotiates protocol revision 2026-07-28 and 2025-11-25 from one server factory, and the MCP Inspector's strict schema check reports no warnings.

When to use

When you plan your first MCP server, consolidate several into one, hit context limits from too many tools, or get asked to wrap a CLI in MCP.

How to use

Open the PDF and find your pattern in the start page table
Copy ds-tokens-mcp, run npm install and npm run check
Point DS_TOKENS_DIR at your own DTCG token files
Scan the server's tools/list with the evaluation checklist's scanner
Record the pattern you chose, including when the answer is not MCP

Before you start

Prerequisites and when to skip this.

Prerequisites

Node 20 or later and npm access to the public registry
Design tokens in DTCG 2025.10 format, or the Token layer rules kit

When NOT to use this

When the agent can already do the job with a CLI and its own shell
For guidance that never changes per request: put it in an instruction file

Consider instead

You only need agents to follow component rules, not look up live data: Use the Promptable docs template

Downloads

Guide (PDF)Full kit (ZIP): PDF, HTML, Markdown, token MCP server, smoke test, captures

MCP server evaluation checklistMCP permission security reviewMCP for practitioners: which tools actually help

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