
UTCP
UTCP (Universal Tool Calling Protocol) is an open standard protocol that enables AI agents to directly call any native API endpoint across different communication protocols without requiring middleware or wrapper servers.
https://github.com/universal-tool-calling-protocol?ref=producthunt

Product Information
Updated:Sep 1, 2025
What is UTCP
The Universal Tool Calling Protocol (UTCP) is a modern, flexible and scalable standard developed as an alternative to MCP (Model Context Protocol) for defining and interacting with tools across various communication protocols. It represents a paradigm shift in how AI agents interact with external tools and services by eliminating the need for wrapper servers and allowing direct communication with tools through their native endpoints. UTCP is built on simple, well-defined Pydantic models and follows core principles that ensure tools can be called without modifications while maintaining existing security guarantees.
Key Features of UTCP
UTCP (Universal Tool Calling Protocol) is an open standard protocol that enables AI agents to directly call existing tools and APIs without requiring middleware or wrapper servers. It supports multiple communication protocols (HTTP, WebSocket, gRPC, CLI), provides built-in authentication, and maintains existing security infrastructure while reducing latency through direct tool calls. The protocol uses simple JSON manifests to define tool interfaces and can be implemented across different programming languages including Python, TypeScript, and Go.
Direct Tool Access: Allows AI agents to call tools and APIs directly through their native endpoints without requiring wrapper servers or additional middleware
Multi-Protocol Support: Built-in support for various communication protocols including HTTP, WebSocket, gRPC, CLI, and Server-Sent Events
Simple Configuration: Uses straightforward JSON manifests to define tool interfaces and supports variable substitution via environment variables or .env files
Security Integration: Maintains existing authentication and security infrastructure while providing built-in support for various authentication methods
Use Cases of UTCP
AI Agent Integration: Enable AI agents to directly interact with existing tools and services while maintaining security and reducing latency
API Management: Simplify the management and integration of multiple APIs across different protocols without requiring additional infrastructure
Legacy System Integration: Connect modern AI systems with existing tools and services without modifying the underlying infrastructure
Cross-Platform Tool Calling: Standardize tool calling across different platforms and programming languages using a consistent protocol
Pros
Eliminates wrapper tax and reduces latency through direct tool calls
No changes required to existing tools or infrastructure
Maintains existing security guarantees and authentication methods
Cons
Limited to tools with well-defined APIs
Relatively new protocol with developing ecosystem
May require additional configuration for complex integration scenarios
How to Use UTCP
Install UTCP packages: Install the core UTCP library and required protocol plugins using pip: 'pip install utcp utcp-http utcp-cli'
Create configuration file: Create a .utcp_config.json file to define your tool providers and configuration settings like authentication, manual call templates, etc.
Initialize UTCP client: Create a UTCP client instance in your code using UtcpClient.create() and pass your configuration
Register tool providers: Register tool providers/manuals that define the tools you want to use, either via config file or programmatically using client.register_manual_provider()
Discover available tools: Query available tools from registered providers using the client's discovery capabilities
Call tools: Call tools using client.call_tool() by specifying the tool name and required arguments. Tools are called directly via their native endpoints
Handle responses: Process the tool responses returned by the calls, which maintain the original response format from the native endpoints
Optional: Add custom plugins: Extend functionality by adding custom protocol plugins for additional communication protocols beyond HTTP/CLI if needed
UTCP FAQs
UTCP (Universal Tool Calling Protocol) is an open standard that lets AI agents call any API directly without extra middleware. It describes how to call existing tools rather than proxying those calls through a new server, allowing agents to speak directly to the tool's native endpoint (HTTP, gRPC, WebSocket, CLI, etc.).
UTCP Video
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