@modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps JavaScript SDK for host communication, and FastMCP’s AppConfig for resources and CSP.
How it works
An MCP App has two parts:- A tool that does the work and returns data
- A
ui://resource containing the HTML that renders that data
AppConfig. When the host calls the tool, it also fetches the linked resource, renders it in a sandboxed iframe, and pushes the tool result into the app via postMessage. The app can also call tools back, enabling interactive workflows.
import json
from fastmcp import FastMCP
from fastmcp.apps import AppConfig, ResourceCSP
mcp = FastMCP("My App Server")
# The tool does the work
@mcp.tool(app=AppConfig(resource_uri="ui://my-app/view.html"))
def generate_chart(data: list[float]) -> str:
return json.dumps({"values": data})
# The resource provides the UI
@mcp.resource("ui://my-app/view.html")
def chart_view() -> str:
return "<html>...</html>"
AppConfig
AppConfig controls how a tool or resource participates in the Apps extension. Import it from fastmcp.server.apps:
from fastmcp.apps import AppConfig
resource_uri to point to the UI resource:
@mcp.tool(app=AppConfig(resource_uri="ui://my-app/view.html"))
def my_tool() -> str:
return "result"
@mcp.tool(app={"resourceUri": "ui://my-app/view.html"})
def my_tool() -> str:
return "result"
Tool visibility
Thevisibility field controls where a tool appears:
["model"]— visible to the LLM (the default behavior)["app"]— only callable from within the app UI, hidden from the LLM["model", "app"]— both
@mcp.tool(
app=AppConfig(
resource_uri="ui://my-app/view.html",
visibility=["app"],
)
)
def refresh_data() -> str:
"""Only callable from the app UI, not by the LLM."""
return fetch_latest()
AppConfig fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
resource_uri | str | URI of the UI resource. Tools only. |
visibility | list[str] | Where the tool appears: "model", "app", or both. Tools only. |
csp | ResourceCSP | Content Security Policy for the iframe. |
permissions | ResourcePermissions | Iframe sandbox permissions. |
domain | str | Stable sandbox origin for the iframe. |
prefers_border | bool | Whether the UI prefers a visible border. |
On resources,
resource_uri and visibility must not be set — the resource is the UI. Use AppConfig on resources only for csp, permissions, and other display settings.UI resources
Resources using theui:// scheme are automatically served with the MIME type text/html;profile=mcp-app. No need to set it manually.
@mcp.resource("ui://my-app/view.html")
def my_view() -> str:
return "<html>...</html>"
postMessage channel for communication.
Writing the app HTML
Your HTML app communicates with the host using the@modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps JavaScript SDK. The simplest approach is to load it from a CDN:
<script type="module">
import { App } from "https://unpkg.com/@modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps@0.4.0/app-with-deps";
const app = new App({ name: "My App", version: "1.0.0" });
// Receive tool results pushed by the host
app.ontoolresult = ({ content }) => {
const text = content?.find(c => c.type === 'text');
if (text) {
document.getElementById('output').textContent = text.text;
}
};
// Connect to the host
await app.connect();
</script>
App object provides:
app.ontoolresult— callback that receives tool results pushed by the hostapp.callServerTool({name, arguments})— call a tool on the server from within the appapp.onhostcontextchanged— callback for host context changes (e.g., safe area insets)app.getHostContext()— get current host context
If your HTML loads external scripts, styles, or makes API calls, you need to declare those domains in the CSP configuration. See Security below.
Security
Apps run in sandboxed iframes with a deny-by-default Content Security Policy. By default, only inline scripts and styles are allowed — no external network access.Content Security Policy
If your app needs to load external resources (CDN scripts, API calls, embedded iframes), declare the allowed domains withResourceCSP:
from fastmcp.apps import AppConfig, ResourceCSP
@mcp.resource(
"ui://my-app/view.html",
app=AppConfig(
csp=ResourceCSP(
resource_domains=["https://unpkg.com", "https://cdn.example.com"],
connect_domains=["https://api.example.com"],
)
),
)
def my_view() -> str:
return "<html>...</html>"
| CSP Field | Controls |
|---|---|
connect_domains | fetch, XHR, WebSocket (connect-src) |
resource_domains | Scripts, images, styles, fonts (script-src, etc.) |
frame_domains | Nested iframes (frame-src) |
base_uri_domains | Document base URI (base-uri) |
Permissions
If your app needs browser capabilities like camera or clipboard access, request them viaResourcePermissions:
from fastmcp.apps import AppConfig, ResourcePermissions
@mcp.resource(
"ui://my-app/view.html",
app=AppConfig(
permissions=ResourcePermissions(
camera={},
clipboard_write={},
)
),
)
def my_view() -> str:
return "<html>...</html>"
Example: a QR code server
This example creates a tool that generates QR codes and an app that renders them as images. It’s based on the official MCP Apps example. Requires theqrcode[pil] package.
import base64
import io
import qrcode
from mcp import types
from fastmcp import FastMCP
from fastmcp.apps import AppConfig, ResourceCSP
from fastmcp.tools import ToolResult
mcp = FastMCP("QR Code Server")
VIEW_URI = "ui://qr-server/view.html"
@mcp.tool(app=AppConfig(resource_uri=VIEW_URI))
def generate_qr(text: str = "https://gofastmcp.com") -> ToolResult:
"""Generate a QR code from text."""
qr = qrcode.QRCode(version=1, box_size=10, border=4)
qr.add_data(text)
qr.make(fit=True)
img = qr.make_image()
buffer = io.BytesIO()
img.save(buffer, format="PNG")
b64 = base64.b64encode(buffer.getvalue()).decode()
return ToolResult(
content=[types.ImageContent(type="image", data=b64, mimeType="image/png")]
)
@mcp.resource(
VIEW_URI,
app=AppConfig(csp=ResourceCSP(resource_domains=["https://unpkg.com"])),
)
def view() -> str:
"""Interactive QR code viewer."""
return """\
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta name="color-scheme" content="light dark">
<style>
body { display: flex; justify-content: center;
align-items: center; height: 340px; width: 340px;
margin: 0; background: transparent; }
img { width: 300px; height: 300px; border-radius: 8px;
box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); }
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div id="qr"></div>
<script type="module">
import { App } from
"https://unpkg.com/@modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps@0.4.0/app-with-deps";
const app = new App({ name: "QR View", version: "1.0.0" });
app.ontoolresult = ({ content }) => {
const img = content?.find(c => c.type === 'image');
if (img) {
const el = document.createElement('img');
el.src = `data:${img.mimeType};base64,${img.data}`;
el.alt = "QR Code";
document.getElementById('qr').replaceChildren(el);
}
};
await app.connect();
</script>
</body>
</html>"""
generate_qr, the QR code appears in an interactive frame inside the conversation.
Checking client support
Not all hosts support the Apps extension. You can check at runtime using the tool’s context:from fastmcp import Context
from fastmcp.apps import AppConfig, UI_EXTENSION_ID
@mcp.tool(app=AppConfig(resource_uri="ui://my-app/view.html"))
async def my_tool(ctx: Context) -> str:
if ctx.client_supports_extension(UI_EXTENSION_ID):
# Return data optimized for UI rendering
return rich_response()
else:
# Fall back to plain text
return plain_text_response()
