MCP tools reference
DriftGuard MCP server tools — offline-first for diff and config preview; hosted tools when DRIFTGUARD_API_KEY is set.
Setup: Connect MCP in Cursor · OSS entry: dist/mcp/server.js · Examples: examples/
Authentication
Set DRIFTGUARD_API_KEY in the MCP server env block (user or project mcp.json). Offline tools work without a key. Hosted tools return clear trial/pricing hints when the key is missing.
Offline tools (no API key)
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
compare_json | Diff two JSON strings for breaking schema changes — CI fixtures, API responses, MCP tool output |
parse_mcp_config | Preview watch candidates from URLs or mcp.json — does not create watches |
explain_drift | Add remediation hints (agentAction) to SchemaChange arrays from compare_json |
hosted_info | Explain offline vs hosted boundary, pricing, and upgrade paths |
Hosted tools (API key required)
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
register_watch | Create continuous watch on REST/OpenAPI or remote MCP URL |
check_watch | On-demand snapshot + diff for one watch |
list_watches | List watches and health |
get_watch_status | Canonical drift_status, incident, agentActions — preflight per watch |
get_agent_status | Agent binding status — preflight per agent id/slug |
list_affected_agents | Agents impacted when a watch drifts |
acknowledge_drift | Ack open incident (unblocks ack-gated policies) |
trigger_remediation | Open SchemaSync draft PR when policy allows |
list_drift_events | Recent change records from monitoring |
suggest_watches | Parse URLs/mcp.json with catalog matching; optional auto-create |
assert_coverage | CI gate — fail when suggested deps are unwatched |
When not to use MCP
- Continuous monitoring → hosted watches, not repeated
compare_json - Bulk fleet status → Preflight or REST API
- GitLab-only CI → OSS GitLab CI docs