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2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion docs/concepts/elicitation/elicitation.md
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---
title: Elicitation
author: mikekistler
description: Learn about the telemetry collected by the HttpRepl.
description: Enable interactive AI experiences by requesting user input during tool execution.
uid: elicitation
---

Expand Down
88 changes: 88 additions & 0 deletions docs/concepts/logging/logging.md
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---
title: Logging
author: mikekistler
description: How to use the logging feature in the MCP C# SDK.
uid: logging
---

MCP servers may expose log messages to clients through the [Logging utility].

[Logging utility]: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-06-18/server/utilities/logging

This document describes how to implement logging in MCP servers and how clients can consume log messages.

### Logging Levels

MCP uses the logging levels defined in [RFC 5424](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc5424).

The MCP C# SDK uses the standard .NET [ILogger] and [ILoggerProvider] abstractions, which support a slightly
different set of logging levels. Here's the levels and how they map to standard .NET logging levels.

| Level | .NET | Description | Example Use Case |
|-----------|------|-----------------------------------|------------------------------|
| debug | ✓ | Detailed debugging information | Function entry/exit points |
| info | ✓ | General informational messages | Operation progress updates |
| notice | | Normal but significant events | Configuration changes |
| warning | ✓ | Warning conditions | Deprecated feature usage |
| error | ✓ | Error conditions | Operation failures |
| critical | ✓ | Critical conditions | System component failures |
| alert | | Action must be taken immediately | Data corruption detected |
| emergency | | System is unusable | |

**Note:** .NET's [ILogger] also supports a `Trace` level (more verbose than Debug) log level.
As there is no equivalent level in the MCP logging levels, Trace level logs messages are silently
dropped when sending messages to the client.

[ILogger]: https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/api/microsoft.extensions.logging.ilogger
[ILoggerProvider]: https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/api/microsoft.extensions.logging.iloggerprovider

### Server configuration and logging

MCP servers that implement the Logging utility must declare this in the capabilities sent in the
[Initialization] phase at the beginning of the MCP session.

[Initialization]: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-06-18/basic/lifecycle#initialization

Servers built with the C# SDK always declare the logging capability. The C# SDK provides an extension method
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What about stateless http servers? It's difficult to support logging in a meaningful way with these.

[WithSetLoggingLevelHandler] on [IMcpServerBuilder] to allow the server to perform any special logic it wants to perform
when a client sets the logging level. However, the SDK already takes care of setting the [LoggingLevel]
in the [IMcpServer], so most servers will not need to implement this.

[IMcpServer]: https://modelcontextprotocol.github.io/csharp-sdk/api/ModelContextProtocol.Server.IMcpServer.html
[IMcpServerBuilder]: https://modelcontextprotocol.github.io/csharp-sdk/api/Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.IMcpServerBuilder.html
[WithSetLoggingLevelHandler]: https://modelcontextprotocol.github.io/csharp-sdk/api/Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.McpServerBuilderExtensions.html#Microsoft_Extensions_DependencyInjection_McpServerBuilderExtensions_WithSetLoggingLevelHandler_Microsoft_Extensions_DependencyInjection_IMcpServerBuilder_System_Func_ModelContextProtocol_Server_RequestContext_ModelContextProtocol_Protocol_SetLevelRequestParams__System_Threading_CancellationToken_System_Threading_Tasks_ValueTask_ModelContextProtocol_Protocol_EmptyResult___
[LoggingLevel]: https://modelcontextprotocol.github.io/csharp-sdk/api/ModelContextProtocol.Server.IMcpServer.html#ModelContextProtocol_Server_IMcpServer_LoggingLevel

MCP Servers using the MCP C# SDK can obtain an [ILoggerProvider] from the IMcpServer [AsClientLoggerProvider] extension method,
and from that can create an [ILogger] instance for logging messages that should be sent to the MCP client.

[!code-csharp[](samples/server/Tools/LoggingTools.cs?name=snippet_LoggingConfiguration)]
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image


[ILoggerProvider]: https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/api/microsoft.extensions.logging.iloggerprovider
[AsClientLoggerProvider]: https://modelcontextprotocol.github.io/csharp-sdk/api/ModelContextProtocol.Server.McpServerExtensions.html#ModelContextProtocol_Server_McpServerExtensions_AsClientLoggerProvider_ModelContextProtocol_Server_IMcpServer_
[ILogger]: https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/api/microsoft.extensions.logging.ilogger

### Client support for logging

Clients that wish to receive log messages from the server must first check if logging is supported.
This is done by checking the [Logging] property of the [ServerCapabilities] field of [IMcpClient].

[IMcpClient]: https://modelcontextprotocol.github.io/csharp-sdk/api/ModelContextProtocol.Client.IMcpClient.html
[ServerCapabilities]: https://modelcontextprotocol.github.io/csharp-sdk/api/ModelContextProtocol.Client.IMcpClient.html#ModelContextProtocol_Client_IMcpClient_ServerCapabilities
[Logging]: https://modelcontextprotocol.github.io/csharp-sdk/api/ModelContextProtocol.Protocol.ServerCapabilities.html#ModelContextProtocol_Protocol_ServerCapabilities_Logging

[!code-csharp[](samples/client/Program.cs?name=snippet_LoggingCapabilities)]

If the server supports logging, the client can set the level of log messages it wishes to receive with
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The spec has been, and still is I think, a little unclear on whether this is a requirement or not. There may be servers using other SDKs, which don't start sending logging message until a log level has been set. So I would say it's good practice to always call if the server supports logging and the client wants to receive messages.

the [SetLoggingLevel] method on [IMcpClient]. The `loggingLevel` specified here is an MCP logging level.
See the [Logging Levels](#logging-levels) section above for the mapping between MCP and .NET logging levels.

[SetLoggingLevel]: https://modelcontextprotocol.github.io/csharp-sdk/api/ModelContextProtocol.Client.McpClientExtensions.html#ModelContextProtocol_Client_McpClientExtensions_SetLoggingLevel_ModelContextProtocol_Client_IMcpClient_Microsoft_Extensions_Logging_LogLevel_System_Threading_CancellationToken_

[!code-csharp[](samples/client/Program.cs?name=snippet_LoggingLevel)]

Lastly, the client must configure a notification handler for [NotificationMethods.LoggingMessageNotification] notifications.

[NotificationMethods.LoggingMessageNotification]: https://modelcontextprotocol.github.io/csharp-sdk/api/ModelContextProtocol.Protocol.NotificationMethods.html#ModelContextProtocol_Protocol_NotificationMethods_LoggingMessageNotification

[!code-csharp[](samples/client/Program.cs?name=snippet_LoggingHandler)]
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Likewise, this snippet is not loading in the render.

14 changes: 14 additions & 0 deletions docs/concepts/logging/samples/client/LoggingClient.csproj
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<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

<PropertyGroup>
<OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
<TargetFramework>net9.0</TargetFramework>
<ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
<Nullable>enable</Nullable>
</PropertyGroup>

<ItemGroup>
<PackageReference Include="ModelContextProtocol.Core" Version="0.3.0-preview.3" />
</ItemGroup>

</Project>
67 changes: 67 additions & 0 deletions docs/concepts/logging/samples/client/Program.cs
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using ModelContextProtocol.Protocol;
using ModelContextProtocol.Client;
using System.Text.Json;

var endpoint = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("ENDPOINT") ?? "http://localhost:3001";

var clientTransport = new SseClientTransport(new()
{
Endpoint = new Uri(endpoint),
TransportMode = HttpTransportMode.StreamableHttp,
});

await using var mcpClient = await McpClientFactory.CreateAsync(clientTransport);

// <snippet_LoggingCapabilities>
// Verify that the server supports logging
if (mcpClient.ServerCapabilities.Logging is null)
{
Console.WriteLine("Server does not support logging.");
return;
}
// </snippet_LoggingCapabilities>

// Get the first argument if it was specified
var firstArgument = args.Length > 0 ? args[0] : null;

if (firstArgument is not null)
{
// Set the logging level to the value from the first argument
if (Enum.TryParse<LoggingLevel>(firstArgument, true, out var loggingLevel))
{
// <snippet_LoggingLevel>
await mcpClient.SetLoggingLevel(loggingLevel);
// </snippet_LoggingLevel>
}
else
{
Console.WriteLine($"Invalid logging level: {firstArgument}");
// Print a list of valid logging levels
Console.WriteLine("Valid logging levels are:");
foreach (var level in Enum.GetValues<LoggingLevel>())
{
Console.WriteLine($" - {level}");
}
}
}

// </snippet_LoggingHandler>
mcpClient.RegisterNotificationHandler(NotificationMethods.LoggingMessageNotification,
(notification, ct) =>
{
if (JsonSerializer.Deserialize<LoggingMessageNotificationParams>(notification.Params) is { } ln)
{
Console.WriteLine($"[{ln.Level}] {ln.Logger} {ln.Data}");
}
else
{
Console.WriteLine($"Received unexpected logging notification: {notification.Params}");
}

return default;
});
// </snippet_LoggingHandler>

// Now call the "logging_tool" tool
await mcpClient.CallToolAsync("logging_tool");

13 changes: 13 additions & 0 deletions docs/concepts/logging/samples/server/Logging.csproj
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<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web">

<PropertyGroup>
<TargetFramework>net9.0</TargetFramework>
<Nullable>enable</Nullable>
<ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
</PropertyGroup>

<ItemGroup>
<PackageReference Include="ModelContextProtocol.AspNetCore" Version="0.3.0-preview.3" />
</ItemGroup>

</Project>
40 changes: 40 additions & 0 deletions docs/concepts/logging/samples/server/Logging.http
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@HostAddress = http://localhost:3001

POST {{HostAddress}}/
Accept: application/json, text/event-stream
Content-Type: application/json

{
"jsonrpc": "2.0",
"id": 1,
"method": "initialize",
"params": {
"clientInfo": {
"name": "RestClient",
"version": "0.1.0"
},
"capabilities": {},
"protocolVersion": "2025-06-18"
}
}

###

@SessionId = JCo3W4Q7KA_evyWoFE5qwA

###

POST {{HostAddress}}/
Accept: application/json, text/event-stream
Content-Type: application/json
MCP-Protocol-Version: 2025-06-18
Mcp-Session-Id: {{SessionId}}

{
"jsonrpc": "2.0",
"id": 2,
"method": "tools/call",
"params": {
"name": "logging_tool"
}
}
20 changes: 20 additions & 0 deletions docs/concepts/logging/samples/server/Program.cs
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using Logging.Tools;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

// Add services to the container.

builder.Services.AddMcpServer()
.WithHttpTransport(options =>
options.IdleTimeout = Timeout.InfiniteTimeSpan // Never timeout
)
.WithTools<LoggingTools>();
// .WithSetLoggingLevelHandler(async (ctx, ct) => new EmptyResult());

var app = builder.Build();

app.UseHttpsRedirection();

app.MapMcp();

app.Run();
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{
"$schema": "https://json.schemastore.org/launchsettings.json",
"profiles": {
"http": {
"commandName": "Project",
"dotnetRunMessages": true,
"launchBrowser": false,
"applicationUrl": "http://localhost:3001",
"environmentVariables": {
"ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT": "Development"
}
},
"https": {
"commandName": "Project",
"dotnetRunMessages": true,
"launchBrowser": false,
"applicationUrl": "https://localhost:7207;http://localhost:3001",
"environmentVariables": {
"ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT": "Development"
}
}
}
}
45 changes: 45 additions & 0 deletions docs/concepts/logging/samples/server/Tools/LoggingTools.cs
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using System.ComponentModel;
using ModelContextProtocol.Protocol;
using ModelContextProtocol.Server;

namespace Logging.Tools;

[McpServerToolType]
public class LoggingTools
{
[McpServerTool, Description("Demonstrates a tool that produces log messages")]
public static async Task<string> LoggingTool(
RequestContext<CallToolRequestParams> context,
int duration = 10,
int steps = 10)
{
var progressToken = context.Params?.ProgressToken;
var stepDuration = duration / steps;

// <sinppet_LoggingConfiguration >
ILoggerProvider loggerProvider = context.Server.AsClientLoggerProvider();
ILogger logger = loggerProvider.CreateLogger("LoggingTools");
// </snippet_LoggingConfiguration>

for (int i = 1; i <= steps; i++)
{
await Task.Delay(stepDuration * 1000);

try
{
logger.LogCritical("A critial log message");
logger.LogError("An error log message");
logger.LogWarning("A warning log message");
logger.LogInformation("An informational log message");
logger.LogDebug("A debug log message");
logger.LogTrace("A trace log message");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
logger.LogError(ex, "An error occurred while logging messages");
}
}

return $"Long running tool completed. Duration: {duration} seconds. Steps: {steps}.";
}
}
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{
"Logging": {
"LogLevel": {
"Default": "Information",
"Microsoft.AspNetCore": "Warning"
}
}
}
9 changes: 9 additions & 0 deletions docs/concepts/logging/samples/server/appsettings.json
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{
"Logging": {
"LogLevel": {
"Default": "Information",
"Microsoft.AspNetCore": "Warning"
}
},
"AllowedHosts": "*"
}
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