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317 changes: 317 additions & 0 deletions docs/concepts/filters.md
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---
title: Filters
author: halter73
description: MCP Server Handler Filters
uid: filters
---

# MCP Server Handler Filters

For each handler type in the MCP Server, there are corresponding `AddXXXFilter` methods in `McpServerBuilderExtensions.cs` that allow you to add filters to the handler pipeline. The filters are stored in `McpServerOptions.Filters` and applied during server configuration.

## Available Filter Methods

The following filter methods are available:

- `AddListResourceTemplatesFilter` - Filter for list resource templates handlers
- `AddListToolsFilter` - Filter for list tools handlers
- `AddCallToolFilter` - Filter for call tool handlers
- `AddListPromptsFilter` - Filter for list prompts handlers
- `AddGetPromptFilter` - Filter for get prompt handlers
- `AddListResourcesFilter` - Filter for list resources handlers
- `AddReadResourceFilter` - Filter for read resource handlers
- `AddCompleteFilter` - Filter for completion handlers
- `AddSubscribeToResourcesFilter` - Filter for resource subscription handlers
- `AddUnsubscribeFromResourcesFilter` - Filter for resource unsubscription handlers
- `AddSetLoggingLevelFilter` - Filter for logging level handlers

## Usage

Filters are functions that take a handler and return a new handler, allowing you to wrap the original handler with additional functionality:

```csharp
services.AddMcpServer()
.WithListToolsHandler(async (context, cancellationToken) =>
{
// Your base handler logic
return new ListToolsResult { Tools = GetTools() };
})
.AddListToolsFilter(next => async (context, cancellationToken) =>
{
var logger = context.Services?.GetService<ILogger<Program>>();

// Pre-processing logic
logger?.LogInformation("Before handler execution");

var result = await next(context, cancellationToken);

// Post-processing logic
logger?.LogInformation("After handler execution");
return result;
});
```

## Filter Execution Order

```csharp
services.AddMcpServer()
.WithListToolsHandler(baseHandler)
.AddListToolsFilter(filter1) // Executes first (outermost)
.AddListToolsFilter(filter2) // Executes second
.AddListToolsFilter(filter3); // Executes third (closest to handler)
```

Execution flow: `filter1 -> filter2 -> filter3 -> baseHandler -> filter3 -> filter2 -> filter1`

## Common Use Cases

### Logging
```csharp
.AddListToolsFilter(next => async (context, cancellationToken) =>
{
var logger = context.Services?.GetService<ILogger<Program>>();

logger?.LogInformation($"Processing request from {context.Meta.ProgressToken}");
var result = await next(context, cancellationToken);
logger?.LogInformation($"Returning {result.Tools?.Count ?? 0} tools");
return result;
});
```

### Error Handling
```csharp
.AddCallToolFilter(next => async (context, cancellationToken) =>
{
try
{
return await next(context, cancellationToken);
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
return new CallToolResult
{
Content = new[] { new TextContent { Type = "text", Text = $"Error: {ex.Message}" } },
IsError = true
};
}
});
```

### Performance Monitoring
```csharp
.AddListToolsFilter(next => async (context, cancellationToken) =>
{
var logger = context.Services?.GetService<ILogger<Program>>();

var stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew();
var result = await next(context, cancellationToken);
stopwatch.Stop();
logger?.LogInformation($"Handler took {stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds}ms");
return result;
});
```

### Caching
```csharp
.AddListResourcesFilter(next => async (context, cancellationToken) =>
{
var cache = context.Services!.GetRequiredService<IMemoryCache>();

var cacheKey = $"resources:{context.Params.Cursor}";
if (cache.TryGetValue(cacheKey, out var cached))
{
return (ListResourcesResult)cached;
}

var result = await next(context, cancellationToken);
cache.Set(cacheKey, result, TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5));
return result;
});
```

## Built-in Authorization Filters

When using the ASP.NET Core integration (`ModelContextProtocol.AspNetCore`), you can add authorization filters to support `[Authorize]` and `[AllowAnonymous]` attributes on MCP server tools, prompts, and resources by calling `AddAuthorizationFilters()` on your MCP server builder.

### Enabling Authorization Filters

To enable authorization support, call `AddAuthorizationFilters()` when configuring your MCP server:

```csharp
services.AddMcpServer()
.WithHttpTransport()
.AddAuthorizationFilters() // Enable authorization filter support
.WithTools<WeatherTools>();
```

**Important**: You should always call `AddAuthorizationFilters()` when using ASP.NET Core integration if you want to use authorization attributes like `[Authorize]` on your MCP server tools, prompts, or resources.

### Authorization Attributes Support

The MCP server automatically respects the following authorization attributes:

- **`[Authorize]`** - Requires authentication for access
- **`[Authorize(Roles = "RoleName")]`** - Requires specific roles
- **`[Authorize(Policy = "PolicyName")]`** - Requires specific authorization policies
- **`[AllowAnonymous]`** - Explicitly allows anonymous access (overrides `[Authorize]`)

### Tool Authorization

Tools can be decorated with authorization attributes to control access:

```csharp
[McpServerToolType]
public class WeatherTools
{
[McpServerTool, Description("Gets public weather data")]
public static string GetWeather(string location)
{
return $"Weather for {location}: Sunny, 25°C";
}

[McpServerTool, Description("Gets detailed weather forecast")]
[Authorize] // Requires authentication
public static string GetDetailedForecast(string location)
{
return $"Detailed forecast for {location}: ...";
}

[McpServerTool, Description("Manages weather alerts")]
[Authorize(Roles = "Admin")] // Requires Admin role
public static string ManageWeatherAlerts(string alertType)
{
return $"Managing alert: {alertType}";
}
}
```

### Class-Level Authorization

You can apply authorization at the class level, which affects all tools in the class:

```csharp
[McpServerToolType]
[Authorize] // All tools require authentication
public class RestrictedTools
{
[McpServerTool, Description("Restricted tool accessible to authenticated users")]
public static string RestrictedOperation()
{
return "Restricted operation completed";
}

[McpServerTool, Description("Public tool accessible to anonymous users")]
[AllowAnonymous] // Overrides class-level [Authorize]
public static string PublicOperation()
{
return "Public operation completed";
}
}
```

### How Authorization Filters Work

The authorization filters work differently for list operations versus individual operations:

#### List Operations (ListTools, ListPrompts, ListResources)
For list operations, the filters automatically remove unauthorized items from the results. Users only see tools, prompts, or resources they have permission to access.

#### Individual Operations (CallTool, GetPrompt, ReadResource)
For individual operations, the filters throw an `McpException` with "Access forbidden" message. These get turned into JSON-RPC errors if uncaught by middleware.

### Filter Execution Order and Authorization

Authorization filters are applied automatically when you call `AddAuthorizationFilters()`. These filters run at a specific point in the filter pipeline, which means:

**Filters added before authorization filters** can see:
- Unauthorized requests for operations before they are rejected by the authorization filters
- Complete listings for unauthorized primitives before they are filtered out by the authorization filters

**Filters added after authorization filters** will only see:
- Authorized requests that passed authorization checks
- Filtered listings containing only authorized primitives

This allows you to implement logging, metrics, or other cross-cutting concerns that need to see all requests, while still maintaining proper authorization:

```csharp
services.AddMcpServer()
.WithHttpTransport()
.AddListToolsFilter(next => async (context, cancellationToken) =>
{
var logger = context.Services?.GetService<ILogger<Program>>();

// This filter runs BEFORE authorization - sees all tools
logger?.LogInformation("Request for tools list - will see all tools");
var result = await next(context, cancellationToken);
logger?.LogInformation($"Returning {result.Tools?.Count ?? 0} tools after authorization");
return result;
})
.AddAuthorizationFilters() // Authorization filtering happens here
.AddListToolsFilter(next => async (context, cancellationToken) =>
{
var logger = context.Services?.GetService<ILogger<Program>>();

// This filter runs AFTER authorization - only sees authorized tools
var result = await next(context, cancellationToken);
logger?.LogInformation($"Post-auth filter sees {result.Tools?.Count ?? 0} authorized tools");
return result;
})
.WithTools<WeatherTools>();
```

### Setup Requirements

To use authorization features, you must configure authentication and authorization in your ASP.NET Core application and call `AddAuthorizationFilters()`:

```csharp
var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

builder.Services.AddAuthentication("Bearer")
.AddJwtBearer(options => { /* JWT configuration */ })
.AddMcp(options => { /* Resource metadata configuration */ });
builder.Services.AddAuthorization();

builder.Services.AddMcpServer()
.WithHttpTransport()
.AddAuthorizationFilters() // Required for authorization support
.WithTools<WeatherTools>()
.AddCallToolFilter(next => async (context, cancellationToken) =>
{
// Custom call tool logic
return await next(context, cancellationToken);
});

var app = builder.Build();

app.MapMcp();
app.Run();
```

### Custom Authorization Filters

You can also create custom authorization filters using the filter methods:

```csharp
.AddCallToolFilter(next => async (context, cancellationToken) =>
{
// Custom authorization logic
if (context.User?.Identity?.IsAuthenticated != true)
{
return new CallToolResult
{
Content = [new TextContent { Text = "Custom: Authentication required" }],
IsError = true
};
}

return await next(context, cancellationToken);
});
```

### RequestContext

Within filters, you have access to:

- `context.User` - The current user's `ClaimsPrincipal`
- `context.Services` - The request's service provider for resolving authorization services
- `context.MatchedPrimitive` - The matched tool/prompt/resource with its metadata including authorization attributes via `context.MatchedPrimitive.Metadata`
4 changes: 4 additions & 0 deletions docs/concepts/toc.yml
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -13,3 +13,7 @@ items:
items:
- name: Logging
uid: logging
- name: Server Features
items:
- name: Filters
uid: filters
4 changes: 2 additions & 2 deletions samples/AspNetCoreMcpServer/Properties/launchSettings.json
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
"applicationUrl": "http://localhost:3001",
"environmentVariables": {
"ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT": "Development",
"OTEL_SERVICE_NAME": "aspnetcore-mcp-server",
"OTEL_SERVICE_NAME": "aspnetcore-mcp-server"
}
},
"https": {
Expand All @@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
"applicationUrl": "https://localhost:7133;http://localhost:3001",
"environmentVariables": {
"ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT": "Development",
"OTEL_SERVICE_NAME": "aspnetcore-mcp-server",
"OTEL_SERVICE_NAME": "aspnetcore-mcp-server"
}
}
}
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