UTCP
UTCP (Universal Tool Calling Protocol) is a lightweight, secure, and scalable specification that lets AI agents discover and call tools and APIs directly using native protocols (HTTP, CLI, gRPC, MCP, etc.) without wrapper servers or additional infrastructure.
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Quick Overview
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What it does
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UTCP
UTCP (Universal Tool Calling Protocol) is a specification and set of implementations that enable AI agents and applications to discover and call external tools and APIs directly using their native protocols without introducing wrapper servers or middleman protocols. It is described as lightweight, secure, and scalable and emphasizes using existing authentication and authorization so agents can call APIs with the same security as humans. UTCP extends OpenAPI with agent-focused metadata (tags, average_response_size, multi-protocol support, direct execution instructions) while remaining backward-compatible so existing OpenAPI specs can be converted into UTCP manuals.
The project provides language implementations (Python, TypeScript, Go), protocol plugins (HTTP, CLI, MCP, SSE, text files), and a modular plugin-based architecture (manuals, tools, call templates, UTCP client, plugin system) aimed at both tool providers (API owners, SaaS vendors, enterprises) and tool consumers (AI agent developers, application builders).
UTCP (Universal Tool Calling Protocol) is an open standard for AI agents to call tools directly, providing a lightweight alternative to MCP by eliminating wrapper overhead and enabling direct connection to native APIs via a simple JSON manifest.
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Direct native tool calls
Agents call tools directly using the tool's native protocols (HTTP, CLI, gRPC, MCP, etc.), avoiding wrapper servers and extra proxy latency.
OpenAPI compatibility and conversion
UTCP extends OpenAPI with agent-focused metadata and can automatically convert existing OpenAPI specs into UTCP manuals without API changes.
Protocol plugin system
Modular plugin-based architecture supports multiple protocols via plugins (utcp-http, utcp-cli, utcp-mcp, utcp-text, etc.) and allows custom protocol extensions.
Native security
Uses existing authentication and authorization mechanisms (API keys, etc.) so agents call tools with the same security model as human clients.
Language implementations and clients
Reference implementations and tooling are available in multiple languages, with installation examples for Python and Node.js.
Discovery and manuals
Tools are exposed via a UTCP manual endpoint or generated from OpenAPI (e.g., GET /openapi.json or GET /utcp) for agent discovery.
Pricing
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Use Cases
Expose existing APIs to AI agents
API owners and SaaS providers can publish UTCP manuals or convert OpenAPI specs so AI agents can call their services directly.
Build agent toolchains
AI agent developers can discover and invoke third-party or internal tools using UTCP clients and protocol plugins.
Enterprise internal tooling
Enterprise teams can enable internal AI systems to access internal services and tools securely without adding proxy infrastructure.
Migrate from custom wrappers or other protocols
Teams can replace custom wrapper servers or migrate from protocols like MCP by adopting UTCP manuals and plugins.
Integrations
HTTP (utcp-http)
Call REST APIs, webhooks, and streaming HTTP endpoints via the HTTP protocol plugin.
CLI (utcp-cli)
Invoke command-line tools as callable tools for agents.
Server-Sent Events (SSE via utcp-http)
Support streaming data and event-driven responses.
Text files (utcp-text)
Expose file-reading capabilities and static data through a text plugin.
MCP (utcp-mcp)
Interoperate with MCP for environments that support the Model Context Protocol.
Benefits
Limitations
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Getting Started
- 1 Install language packages or clients (examples: pip install utcp utcp-http; npm install @utcp/core @utcp/http).
- 2 Expose your tool by adding a discovery endpoint (GET /utcp) or ensuring an OpenAPI endpoint (GET /openapi.json) is available for conversion.
- 3 Configure a UTCP client with manual_call_templates or convert an OpenAPI spec to a UTCP manual, then discover and call tools through the client.
Support
docs
Official documentation and API specification pages on the UTCP website.
GitHub
UTCP GitHub organization for source code, issues, and implementations.
Discord
Community Discord for real-time help and discussions.
Registry & RFC
Tool Registry for discovering tools and RFC process for contributing to the specification.
API
API Specification (Version 1.1) and language examples are provided in the docs; Quick Start shows installation and code examples for converting OpenAPI to UTCP manuals.
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