Tool search

Palantir MCP enables tool search by default. The server initially shows only the search_tools tool in your agent's tool list. Your agent discovers additional tools as it needs them, so fewer tool definitions load into your context, which reduces token usage.

How tool search works

The search_tools description includes capability categories and examples for the tools available in your session. From there:

1. When you prompt the agent, the agent calls search_tools with a short, specific description of the capability it needs, such as view an action type or run a SQL query.
2. search_tools ranks the session's catalog locally by tool name, category, and curated keywords. Ranking requires no extra model call or network request.
3. The search returns matching tool names, categories, full descriptions, input schemas, and other available tool metadata. Before returning, it adds the matching tools to your agent's tool list and sends a tools/list_changed notification if the list changed.
4. The agent uses the returned schema to call a matching tool.

This keeps your context small. Instead of loading dozens of tool definitions up front, the agent loads only the tools relevant to the task.

Discovered tools remain in your tool list for the rest of the session. Initializing a new session resets the visible tool list to only search_tools.

Tool search controls visibility, not permission to execute a tool. All tools permitted by your environment and configuration remain callable on the server, even before discovery or a tool-list refresh. Environment and data-access restrictions, explicitly disabled tools, input validation, and permission checks still apply.

Tool search settings

No additional configuration is needed to enable tool search. Existing configurations that pass --tool-search or set PALANTIR_MCP_TOOL_SEARCH=true remain supported. Command-line flags take precedence over the environment variable.

Disable tool search

To load the full permitted tool catalog at startup, use either option:

• Pass the --no-tool-search argument to the server.
• Set the environment variable PALANTIR_MCP_TOOL_SEARCH=false.

Explicitly disabling search_tools with --disable-tools search_tools also loads the full permitted catalog at startup. Disabling tool search does not change environment, data-access, or permission restrictions.

In the examples below, replace <your-foundry-hostname> with your Foundry hostname (for example, mycompany.palantirfoundry.com).

Claude Code

To disable tool search when you add Palantir MCP with claude mcp add, pass the --no-tool-search argument. The argument must go after the -- separator, as an argument to palantir-mcp.

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claude mcp add palantir-mcp \
    --scope project \
    -e FOUNDRY_TOKEN=<token> \
    -- npx "-y" "palantir-mcp" "--no-tool-search" "--foundry-api-url" "https://<your-foundry-hostname>"

Alternatively, set the environment variable:

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claude mcp add palantir-mcp \
    --scope project \
    -e FOUNDRY_TOKEN=<token> \
    -e PALANTIR_MCP_TOOL_SEARCH=false \
    -- npx "-y" "palantir-mcp" "--foundry-api-url" "https://<your-foundry-hostname>"

Agents

Tool search is enabled by default in a pro-code agent's Palantir MCP server. To disable it in a custom server configuration, add the --no-tool-search argument:

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export const PALANTIR_MCP_CONFIGURATION: McpStdioServerConfig = {
  type: "stdio",
  command: "palantir-mcp",
  args: ["start", "--no-tool-search", "code-workspaces"],
  env: {
    FOUNDRY_PROXY_URL: `https://${process.env.FOUNDRY_PROXY_URL!}/`,
    FOUNDRY_SERVICE_DISCOVERY_V2: process.env.FOUNDRY_SERVICE_DISCOVERY_V2!,
    FOUNDRY_EXTERNAL_HOST: "https://<your-foundry-hostname>",
    FOUNDRY_PROXY_TOKEN: process.env.FOUNDRY_PROXY_TOKEN!,
    FOUNDRY_SCOPED_TOKEN: process.env.FOUNDRY_SCOPED_TOKEN!,
    MAESTRO_REPO_RID: process.env.MAESTRO_REPO_RID!,
    NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS: process.env.NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS!,
  },
};

Alternatively, add PALANTIR_MCP_TOOL_SEARCH: "false" to the env block instead of passing the --no-tool-search argument. To avoid conflicts during repository upgrades, add custom MCP configurations in their own files, as described in the agent template guidance.