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dianed-square merged 4 commits into from
Nov 13, 2025
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docs: mcp sampling support #5708

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2cefc4e
mcp sampling support
dianed-square Nov 12, 2025
96d795d
clarify goose's AI
dianed-square Nov 12, 2025
b034d2e
Apply suggestion from @angiejones
dianed-square Nov 13, 2025
d5672df
use friendly description
dianed-square Nov 13, 2025
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20 changes: 16 additions & 4 deletions documentation/docs/guides/interactive-chat/index.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import VideoCarousel from '@site/src/components/VideoCarousel';

<h1 className={styles.pageTitle}>Rich Interactive Chat with MCP-UI</h1>
<p className={styles.pageDescription}>
Goose Desktop supports extensions that transform text-only responses into graphical, interactive experiences. Instead of reading through lists and descriptions, you can click, explore, and interact with UI components directly in your conversations.
goose Desktop supports extensions that transform text-only responses into graphical, interactive experiences. Instead of reading through lists and descriptions, you can click, explore, and interact with UI components directly in your conversations.
</p>

<div className="video-container margin-bottom--lg">
Expand All @@ -29,12 +29,12 @@ import VideoCarousel from '@site/src/components/VideoCarousel';
<div className={styles.cardGrid}>
<Card
title="MCP-UI Extensions"
description="Goose transforms text-based responses into engaging graphical and interactive user experiences."
description="goose transforms text-based responses into engaging graphical and interactive user experiences."
link="/docs/guides/interactive-chat/mcp-ui"
/>
<Card
title="Auto Visualiser Extension"
description="Generate interactive data visualizations automatically in Goose."
description="Generate interactive data visualizations automatically in goose."
link="/docs/mcp/autovisualiser-mcp"
/>
</div>
Expand All @@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ import VideoCarousel from '@site/src/components/VideoCarousel';
<div className={styles.cardGrid}>
<Card
title="MCP UI: Bringing the Browser into the Agent"
description="MCP-UI servers return content that Goose Desktop renders as rich, embeddable UI."
description="MCP-UI servers return content that goose Desktop renders as rich, embeddable UI."
link="/blog/2025/08/11/mcp-ui-post-browser-world"
/>
<Card
Expand All @@ -63,6 +63,11 @@ import VideoCarousel from '@site/src/components/VideoCarousel';
description="Making an MCP server MCP-UI compatible requires just a few lines of code"
link="/blog/2025/09/08/turn-any-mcp-server-mcp-ui-compatible"
/>
<Card
title="Designing AI for Users, Not Just LLMs"
description="Building intent-based AI experiences with MCP-UI."
link="/blog/2025/10/14/designing-ai-for-humans"
/>
</div>
</div>

Expand All @@ -72,6 +77,13 @@ import VideoCarousel from '@site/src/components/VideoCarousel';
<VideoCarousel
id="more-videos"
videos={[
{
type: 'iframe',
src: 'https://youtube.com/embed/Kxj-vFBO_9U',
title: 'Building A MCP-UI Server',
description: 'Learn how to build your own MCP-UI server from scratch',
duration: ''
},
{
type: 'iframe',
src: 'https://youtube.com/embed/GS-kmreZDgU',
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80 changes: 80 additions & 0 deletions documentation/docs/guides/mcp-sampling.md
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@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
---
sidebar_position: 54
title: MCP Sampling Extensions
sidebar_label: MCP Sampling
description: Transforms MCP servers into intelligent agents that can think, analyze, and make decisions using goose's AI
---

import Tabs from '@theme/Tabs';
import TabItem from '@theme/TabItem';

MCP Sampling can transform extensions from simple data providers into intelligent agents. Instead of just returning raw information for goose to interpret, extensions can leverage goose's AI capabilities to provide expert-level guidance, perform contextual analysis, and create entirely new interaction patterns.

This feature is automatically enabled in goose, no configuration required! Any MCP server extension that supports sampling will automatically have access to the LLM that goose is using. This means:
- goose users can get more targeted responses tailored to the extension's specific capabilities
- developers can add sampling support to their MCP servers to provide enhanced capabilities in goose

:::info
[MCP Sampling](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/draft/client/sampling) is a feature in the Model Context Protocol.
:::

## How MCP Sampling Works

MCP Sampling enables extensions to ask goose's AI for help with their tasks. When an extension needs to analyze data, make intelligent decisions, or understand natural language, it can send a "sampling" request to ask for AI assistance. goose processes the request using its AI capabilities and returns the response to the extension.

This feature allows extensions to provide more specialized contextual responses or novel interaction patterns. The following example shows how a database extension could provide expert-level diagnostics by combining its domain knowledge with goose's AI analysis:

<Tabs>
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@blackgirlbytes blackgirlbytes Nov 12, 2025

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i like the without and with example..thats good

<TabItem value="without" label="Without Sampling">
1. You ask goose: "What's wrong with my database performance?"

2. goose calls the database tool

3. The database tool returns raw metrics to goose:
```
Query times: 2.3s, 1.8s, 5.2s, 0.3s, 8.1s
Table sizes: users (1M rows), orders (5M rows)
Indexes: 3 on users, 1 on orders
```

4. goose responds to you with general recommendations:
```
Your database seems slow. Some queries are taking over 5 seconds. You might need more indexes.
```

</TabItem>
<TabItem value="with" label="With Sampling">
1. You ask goose: "What's wrong with my database performance?"

2. goose calls the database tool

3. The database tool gets raw metrics:
```
Query times: 2.3s, 1.8s, 5.2s, 0.3s, 8.1s
Table sizes: users (1M rows), orders (5M rows)
Indexes: 3 on users, 1 on orders
```

Then, the tool:
- Uses its domain expertise (query patterns, table relationships, database type) to ask goose's AI: "Given these metrics and knowing the JOIN patterns in this PostgreSQL database, what's the issue?"
- Returns an AI-enhanced response to goose

4. goose responds to you with targeted recommendations:
```
Your orders table is missing an index on customer_id which is causing the 5-8 second delays in your JOIN queries. The slow queries all involve customer lookups. Run: `CREATE INDEX idx_orders_customer ON orders(customer_id);`
```

</TabItem>
</Tabs>

### Use Cases

MCP Sampling enables powerful capabilities like:
- **Smart documentation tools** that explain code in context
- **Intelligent search** that filters and ranks results
- **Database analyzers** that provide specific optimization recommendations
- **Multi-perspective analysis** where extensions generate and synthesize multiple AI viewpoints

## For Extension Developers

Want to add MCP Sampling to your own extensions? See our [Building Custom Extensions](/docs/tutorials/custom-extensions) tutorial to learn more about how MCP servers can leverage goose's AI capabilities.
69 changes: 56 additions & 13 deletions documentation/docs/tutorials/custom-extensions.md
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@@ -1,22 +1,22 @@
---
title: Building Custom Extensions
description: Create your own custom MCP Server to use as a Goose extension
description: Create your own custom MCP Server to use as a goose extension
---

import { PanelLeft } from 'lucide-react';

# Building Custom Extensions with Goose
# Building Custom Extensions with goose


Goose allows you to extend its functionality by creating your own custom extensions, which are built as MCP servers. These extensions are compatible with Goose because it adheres to the [Model Context Protocol (MCP)][mcp-docs]. MCP is an open protocol that standardizes how applications provide context to LLMs. It enables a consistent way to connect LLMs to various data sources and tools, making it ideal for extending functionality in a structured and interoperable way. 
goose allows you to extend its functionality by creating your own custom extensions, which are built as MCP servers. These extensions are compatible with goose because it adheres to the [Model Context Protocol (MCP)][mcp-docs]. MCP is an open protocol that standardizes how applications provide context to LLMs. It enables a consistent way to connect LLMs to various data sources and tools, making it ideal for extending functionality in a structured and interoperable way. 

In this guide, we build an MCP server using the [Python SDK for MCP][mcp-python]. We’ll demonstrate how to create an MCP server that reads Wikipedia articles and converts them to Markdown, integrate it as an extension in Goose. You can follow a similar process to develop your own custom extensions for Goose.
In this guide, we build an MCP server using the [Python SDK for MCP][mcp-python]. We’ll demonstrate how to create an MCP server that reads Wikipedia articles and converts them to Markdown, integrate it as an extension in goose. You can follow a similar process to develop your own custom extensions for goose.

You can checkout other examples in this [MCP servers repository][mcp-servers]. MCP SDKs are also available in [Typescript][mcp-typescript] and [Kotlin][mcp-kotlin].

:::info

Goose currently supports Tools and Resources for [MCP Server features](https://spec.modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2024-11-05/server/).
goose currently supports Tools and Resources for [MCP Server features](https://spec.modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2024-11-05/server/).
We will be adding support for MCP Prompts soon.

:::
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -243,9 +243,9 @@ build-backend = "hatchling.build"

---

## Step 5: Integrate with Goose
## Step 5: Integrate with goose

To add your MCP server as an extension in Goose:
To add your MCP server as an extension in goose:

1. Click the <PanelLeft className="inline" size={16} /> button in the top-left to open the sidebar
2. Click `Extensions` in the sidebar
Expand All @@ -269,21 +269,64 @@ uvx mcp-wiki

---

## Step 6: Use Your Extension in Goose
## Step 6: Use Your Extension in goose

Once integrated, you can start using your extension in Goose. Open the Goose chat interface and call your tool as needed.
Once integrated, you can start using your extension in goose. Open the goose chat interface and call your tool as needed.

You can verify that Goose has picked up the tools from your custom extension by asking it "what tools do you have?"
You can verify that goose has picked up the tools from your custom extension by asking it "what tools do you have?"

![Goose Chat - Ask about tools](../assets/guides/custom-extension-tools.png)
![goose Chat - Ask about tools](../assets/guides/custom-extension-tools.png)

Then, you can try asking questions that require using the extension you added.

![Goose Chat - Use custom extension](../assets/guides/custom-extension-chat.png)
![goose Chat - Use custom extension](../assets/guides/custom-extension-chat.png)

🎉 **Congratulations!** You’ve successfully built and integrated a custom MCP server with Goose.
🎉 **Congratulations!** You’ve successfully built and integrated a custom MCP server with goose.

---

## Advanced Features for MCP Extensions

goose supports advanced MCP features that can enhance your extensions.

### MCP Sampling: AI-Powered Tools

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@blackgirlbytes blackgirlbytes Nov 12, 2025

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good addition to have mcp ui and mcp sampling here

**[MCP Sampling](/docs/guides/mcp-sampling)** allows your MCP servers to request AI completions from goose's LLM, transforming simple tools into intelligent agents.

**Key Benefits:**
- Your MCP server doesn't need its own OpenAI/Anthropic API key
- Tools can analyze data, provide explanations, and make intelligent decisions
- Enhanced user experience with smarter, more contextual responses
- Secure by design: requests are isolated and attributed automatically

**Getting Started:**
- Use the `sampling/createMessage` method in your MCP server to request AI assistance
- [goose's implementation](https://github.com/block/goose/blob/main/crates/goose/src/agents/mcp_client.rs) currently supports text and image content types
- goose automatically advertises sampling capability to all MCP servers

**Use Cases:** Document summarization, smart search filtering, code analysis, data insights

**Learn More:** See the [MCP Specification](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/draft/client/sampling) for technical details.

### MCP-UI: Interactive Extensions

**[MCP-UI Extensions](/docs/guides/interactive-chat/mcp-ui)** enable rich, interactive user interfaces instead of text-only responses, transforming static MCP servers into dynamic, engaging experiences.

**Key Benefits:**
- Your MCP server can return interactive UI components alongside or instead of text
- Components render securely in isolated environments within goose Desktop
- Real-time user interactions trigger callbacks to your MCP server
- Standardized protocol ensures consistent behavior across different clients

**Getting Started:**
- Use MCP-UI SDKs in multiple programming languages to create `UIResource` objects in your MCP server
- Return UI components from tools or resources using the standardized specification
- goose Desktop automatically renders MCP-UI components when detected
- Components support multiple rendering approaches for flexible styling

**Use Cases:** Interactive forms, seat selection maps, data visualization dashboards, booking interfaces, configuration wizards

**Learn More:** See the [MCP-UI Specification](https://mcpui.dev/guide/introduction) for technical details and implementation examples.

[mcp-docs]: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/
[mcp-python]: https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/python-sdk
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