MCP server monitors
Monitor remote MCP servers over Streamable HTTP — initialize handshake, protocol version, tools/list — and get alerted on protocol errors, version mismatches, missing tools and tool drift.
An MCP server monitor checks a remote Model Context Protocol server the way an AI client would connect to it. Each check:
- Sends
initializeto the server's HTTPS endpoint over Streamable HTTP. - Negotiates a protocol version.
- Calls
tools/listand compares the result with what you expect.
It never calls a tool, so checks can't trigger actions or spend credits on your server. MCP server monitors are available on every plan, Free included.
Only Streamable HTTP servers are supported. The older HTTP+SSE transport and local (stdio) servers can't be monitored.
Create an MCP server monitor#
- Click New monitor and choose MCP server as the type.
- Enter the MCP server URL: the Streamable HTTP endpoint, usually ending in
/mcp. It must start withhttps://. - Add headers if the server needs authentication (see below).
- Optionally list Expected tools and choose how tool changes are handled.
- Choose the check interval and locations, then save.
The first successful check records the tool list as the baseline.
Settings#
| Field (dashboard) | Config key | What it does | Default / limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCP server URL | url | The server's Streamable HTTP endpoint | Required, https:// only, up to 2048 characters |
| Headers | headers | Sent with every request, for example Authorization | Up to 30 headers, each value up to 8 KB |
| Protocol version | protocol_version | The version SutramX offers in initialize | 2025-11-25 (default), 2025-06-18, 2025-03-26 or 2024-11-05 |
| Require exactly this version | strict_protocol_version | Fail if the server negotiates any other version | Off |
| Expected tools | expected_tools | Tool names that must be in tools/list (comma- or newline-separated, case-sensitive) | Optional, up to 100 names of up to 128 characters |
| When the tool list changes | drift_mode | alert_on_change (Alert on change) or off (Don't alert) | alert_on_change |
| Compare | drift_scope | schemas (Tool names and input schemas) or names (Tool names only) | schemas |
| A change marks the monitor | drift_severity | degraded or down | degraded |
| Timeout | timeout | How long each check may take. Set in seconds in the dashboard; milliseconds in the API and config files | 1000–60000 ms (1–60 s), default 15000 ms; never longer than the interval minus 3 seconds |
| Verify TLS certificates | verify_tls | Reject invalid certificates | On |
The check interval follows your plan's fastest interval, like any other monitor. See Plans & limits.
Authentication#
Add whatever header your server expects, most often:
Authorization: Bearer <token>For servers that use OAuth, SutramX can't complete the interactive sign-in. Issue a token for monitoring (ideally with read-only scope) and add it as a bearer header. A server that answers 401 is reported as needing a bearer token.
What fails a check#
| Error type | When it happens | Monitor becomes |
|---|---|---|
mcp_protocol_error | The response isn't valid JSON-RPC 2.0, the ids don't match, the initialize result is missing protocolVersion, capabilities or serverInfo.name, the tools list is malformed, or the session is lost | Down |
mcp_version_mismatch | The server rejects the offered version, negotiates a version SutramX doesn't support, or (with Require exactly this version) a different version | Down |
mcp_missing_tools | The server has no tools capability, or a tool in Expected tools is missing | Down |
mcp_tools_changed | The tool list (or, with schemas, a tool's input schema) differs from the baseline | Degraded by default, or Down with drift_severity: down |
HTTP errors are reported like other monitors: 401 and 403 as client errors, 404 or 405 on initialize as "not a Streamable HTTP MCP endpoint", 429 as rate limited, 5xx as server errors. Redirects are never followed.
Like every monitor, a failure must be confirmed before an incident opens, and the incident's Why this alert panel shows what each region saw.
Tool drift and the baseline#
The monitor page's MCP server card shows the server's name and version, its capabilities and the current tool list. When the tools differ from the baseline, the card shows the drift.
If the change is expected (you shipped it), click Accept current tools and confirm with Accept tools. The current list becomes the new baseline and the monitor stops alerting for that change.
Set When the tool list changes to Don't alert if you only care about availability and expected tools.
Related
Last updated . Something unclear or missing on this page? Tell us at support@sutramx.com.