Add support for Connectors, Add AuthorizationToken, Enable MCP approvals in User messages, Make MCP tool call ServerName nullable and remove Headers (#6881)

Extended description a.k.a. timeline of the PR:
* Add support for Connector ID

* Convert Url to string ServerAddress capable of carrying connector ids
* Add AuthorizationToken property since it is now promoted in both OpenAI and Anthropic
* Relax McpServerToolCallContent ToolName and ServerName

* Create MCP approval responses also with user chat role

* Remove HostedMcpServerTool.Headers

* Don't return empty content if user message only contains mcp approval response

* Update serverAddress documentation

* Only ServerName should be optional

* Make mcp tool call ServerName ctor arg but nullable and augment mcptool ServerAddress property summary to match the ctor argument.

Author: jozkee

src/Libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Abstractions/Contents/McpServerToolCallContent.cs

@@ -23,14 +23,14 @@ public sealed class McpServerToolCallContent : AIContent
     /// </summary>
     /// <param name="callId">The tool call ID.</param>
     /// <param name="toolName">The tool name.</param>
-    /// <param name="serverName">The MCP server name.</param>
-    /// <exception cref="ArgumentNullException"><paramref name="callId"/>, <paramref name="toolName"/>, or <paramref name="serverName"/> is <see langword="null"/>.</exception>
-    /// <exception cref="ArgumentException"><paramref name="callId"/>, <paramref name="toolName"/>, or <paramref name="serverName"/> are empty or composed entirely of whitespace.</exception>
-    public McpServerToolCallContent(string callId, string toolName, string serverName)
+    /// <param name="serverName">The MCP server name that hosts the tool.</param>
+    /// <exception cref="ArgumentNullException"><paramref name="callId"/> or <paramref name="toolName"/> is <see langword="null"/>.</exception>
+    /// <exception cref="ArgumentException"><paramref name="callId"/> or <paramref name="toolName"/> is empty or composed entirely of whitespace.</exception>
+    public McpServerToolCallContent(string callId, string toolName, string? serverName)
     {
         CallId = Throw.IfNullOrWhitespace(callId);
         ToolName = Throw.IfNullOrWhitespace(toolName);
-        ServerName = Throw.IfNullOrWhitespace(serverName);
+        ServerName = serverName;
     }
 
     /// <summary>
@@ -44,9 +44,9 @@ public McpServerToolCallContent(string callId, string toolName, string serverNam
     public string ToolName { get; }
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// Gets the name of the MCP server.
+    /// Gets the name of the MCP server that hosts the tool.
     /// </summary>
-    public string ServerName { get; }
+    public string? ServerName { get; }
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Gets or sets the arguments used for the tool call.

src/Libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Abstractions/Tools/HostedMcpServerTool.cs

@@ -18,25 +18,13 @@ public class HostedMcpServerTool : AITool
     /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="HostedMcpServerTool"/> class.
     /// </summary>
     /// <param name="serverName">The name of the remote MCP server.</param>
-    /// <param name="url">The URL of the remote MCP server.</param>
-    /// <exception cref="ArgumentNullException"><paramref name="serverName"/> or <paramref name="url"/> is <see langword="null"/>.</exception>
-    /// <exception cref="ArgumentException"><paramref name="serverName"/> is empty or composed entirely of whitespace.</exception>
-    public HostedMcpServerTool(string serverName, [StringSyntax(StringSyntaxAttribute.Uri)] string url)
-        : this(serverName, new Uri(Throw.IfNull(url)))
-    {
-    }
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="HostedMcpServerTool"/> class.
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <param name="serverName">The name of the remote MCP server.</param>
-    /// <param name="url">The URL of the remote MCP server.</param>
-    /// <exception cref="ArgumentNullException"><paramref name="serverName"/> or <paramref name="url"/> is <see langword="null"/>.</exception>
-    /// <exception cref="ArgumentException"><paramref name="serverName"/> is empty or composed entirely of whitespace.</exception>
-    public HostedMcpServerTool(string serverName, Uri url)
+    /// <param name="serverAddress">The address of the remote MCP server. This may be a URL, or in the case of a service providing built-in MCP servers with known names, it can be such a name.</param>
+    /// <exception cref="ArgumentNullException"><paramref name="serverName"/> or <paramref name="serverAddress"/> is <see langword="null"/>.</exception>
+    /// <exception cref="ArgumentException"><paramref name="serverName"/> or <paramref name="serverAddress"/> is empty or composed entirely of whitespace.</exception>
+    public HostedMcpServerTool(string serverName, string serverAddress)
     {
         ServerName = Throw.IfNullOrWhitespace(serverName);
-        Url = Throw.IfNull(url);
+        ServerAddress = Throw.IfNullOrWhitespace(serverAddress);
     }
 
     /// <inheritdoc />
@@ -48,9 +36,14 @@ public HostedMcpServerTool(string serverName, Uri url)
     public string ServerName { get; }
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// Gets the URL of the remote MCP server.
+    /// Gets the address of the remote MCP server. This may be a URL, or in the case of a service providing built-in MCP servers with known names, it can be such a name.
     /// </summary>
-    public Uri Url { get; }
+    public string ServerAddress { get; }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets or sets the OAuth authorization token that the AI service should use when calling the remote MCP server.
+    /// </summary>
+    public string? AuthorizationToken { get; set; }
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Gets or sets the description of the remote MCP server, used to provide more context to the AI service.
@@ -81,12 +74,4 @@ public HostedMcpServerTool(string serverName, Uri url)
     /// </para>
     /// </remarks>
     public HostedMcpServerToolApprovalMode? ApprovalMode { get; set; }
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Gets or sets the HTTP headers that the AI service should use when calling the remote MCP server.
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <remarks>
-    /// This property is useful for specifying the authentication header or other headers required by the MCP server.
-    /// </remarks>
-    public IDictionary<string, string>? Headers { get; set; }
 }

src/Libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.OpenAI/OpenAIResponsesChatClient.cs

@@ -534,11 +534,17 @@ private ResponseCreationOptions ToOpenAIResponseCreationOptions(ChatOptions? opt
                         break;
 
                     case HostedMcpServerTool mcpTool:
-                        McpTool responsesMcpTool = ResponseTool.CreateMcpTool(
-                            mcpTool.ServerName,
-                            mcpTool.Url,
-                            serverDescription: mcpTool.ServerDescription,
-                            headers: mcpTool.Headers);
+                        McpTool responsesMcpTool = Uri.TryCreate(mcpTool.ServerAddress, UriKind.Absolute, out Uri? url) ?
+                            ResponseTool.CreateMcpTool(
+                                mcpTool.ServerName,
+                                url,
+                                mcpTool.AuthorizationToken,
+                                mcpTool.ServerDescription) :
+                            ResponseTool.CreateMcpTool(
+                                mcpTool.ServerName,
+                                new McpToolConnectorId(mcpTool.ServerAddress),
+                                mcpTool.AuthorizationToken,
+                                mcpTool.ServerDescription);
 
                         if (mcpTool.AllowedTools is not null)
                         {
@@ -657,7 +663,57 @@ internal static IEnumerable<ResponseItem> ToOpenAIResponseItems(IEnumerable<Chat
 
             if (input.Role == ChatRole.User)
             {
-                yield return ResponseItem.CreateUserMessageItem(ToResponseContentParts(input.Contents));
+                bool handleEmptyMessage = true; // MCP approval responses (and future cases) yield an item rather than adding a part and we don't want to return an empty user message in that case.
+                List<ResponseContentPart> parts = [];
+                foreach (AIContent item in input.Contents)
+                {
+                    switch (item)
+                    {
+                        case AIContent when item.RawRepresentation is ResponseContentPart rawRep:
+                            parts.Add(rawRep);
+                            break;
+
+                        case TextContent textContent:
+                            parts.Add(ResponseContentPart.CreateInputTextPart(textContent.Text));
+                            break;
+
+                        case UriContent uriContent when uriContent.HasTopLevelMediaType("image"):
+                            parts.Add(ResponseContentPart.CreateInputImagePart(uriContent.Uri));
+                            break;
+
+                        case DataContent dataContent when dataContent.HasTopLevelMediaType("image"):
+                            parts.Add(ResponseContentPart.CreateInputImagePart(BinaryData.FromBytes(dataContent.Data), dataContent.MediaType));
+                            break;
+
+                        case DataContent dataContent when dataContent.MediaType.StartsWith("application/pdf", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase):
+                            parts.Add(ResponseContentPart.CreateInputFilePart(BinaryData.FromBytes(dataContent.Data), dataContent.MediaType, dataContent.Name ?? $"{Guid.NewGuid():N}.pdf"));
+                            break;
+
+                        case HostedFileContent fileContent:
+                            parts.Add(ResponseContentPart.CreateInputFilePart(fileContent.FileId));
+                            break;
+
+                        case ErrorContent errorContent when errorContent.ErrorCode == nameof(ResponseContentPartKind.Refusal):
+                            parts.Add(ResponseContentPart.CreateRefusalPart(errorContent.Message));
+                            break;
+
+                        case McpServerToolApprovalResponseContent mcpApprovalResponseContent:
+                            handleEmptyMessage = false;
+                            yield return ResponseItem.CreateMcpApprovalResponseItem(mcpApprovalResponseContent.Id, mcpApprovalResponseContent.Approved);
+                            break;
+                    }
+                }
+
+                if (parts.Count == 0 && handleEmptyMessage)
+                {
+                    parts.Add(ResponseContentPart.CreateInputTextPart(string.Empty));
+                }
+
+                if (parts.Count > 0)
+                {
+                    yield return ResponseItem.CreateUserMessageItem(parts);
+                }
+
                 continue;
             }
 
@@ -883,52 +939,6 @@ private static void PopulateAnnotations(ResponseContentPart source, AIContent de
         }
     }
 
-    /// <summary>Convert a list of <see cref="AIContent"/>s to a list of <see cref="ResponseContentPart"/>.</summary>
-    private static List<ResponseContentPart> ToResponseContentParts(IList<AIContent> contents)
-    {
-        List<ResponseContentPart> parts = [];
-        foreach (var content in contents)
-        {
-            switch (content)
-            {
-                case AIContent when content.RawRepresentation is ResponseContentPart rawRep:
-                    parts.Add(rawRep);
-                    break;
-
-                case TextContent textContent:
-                    parts.Add(ResponseContentPart.CreateInputTextPart(textContent.Text));
-                    break;
-
-                case UriContent uriContent when uriContent.HasTopLevelMediaType("image"):
-                    parts.Add(ResponseContentPart.CreateInputImagePart(uriContent.Uri));
-                    break;
-
-                case DataContent dataContent when dataContent.HasTopLevelMediaType("image"):
-                    parts.Add(ResponseContentPart.CreateInputImagePart(BinaryData.FromBytes(dataContent.Data), dataContent.MediaType));
-                    break;
-
-                case DataContent dataContent when dataContent.MediaType.StartsWith("application/pdf", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase):
-                    parts.Add(ResponseContentPart.CreateInputFilePart(BinaryData.FromBytes(dataContent.Data), dataContent.MediaType, dataContent.Name ?? $"{Guid.NewGuid():N}.pdf"));
-                    break;
-
-                case HostedFileContent fileContent:
-                    parts.Add(ResponseContentPart.CreateInputFilePart(fileContent.FileId));
-                    break;
-
-                case ErrorContent errorContent when errorContent.ErrorCode == nameof(ResponseContentPartKind.Refusal):
-                    parts.Add(ResponseContentPart.CreateRefusalPart(errorContent.Message));
-                    break;
-            }
-        }
-
-        if (parts.Count == 0)
-        {
-            parts.Add(ResponseContentPart.CreateInputTextPart(string.Empty));
-        }
-
-        return parts;
-    }
-
     /// <summary>Adds new <see cref="AIContent"/> for the specified <paramref name="mtci"/> into <paramref name="contents"/>.</summary>
     private static void AddMcpToolCallContent(McpToolCallItem mtci, IList<AIContent> contents)
     {

test/Libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Abstractions.Tests/Contents/McpServerToolCallContentTests.cs

@@ -12,15 +12,14 @@ public class McpServerToolCallContentTests
     [Fact]
     public void Constructor_PropsDefault()
     {
-        McpServerToolCallContent c = new("callId1", "toolName", "serverName");
+        McpServerToolCallContent c = new("callId1", "toolName", null);
 
         Assert.Null(c.RawRepresentation);
         Assert.Null(c.AdditionalProperties);
 
         Assert.Equal("callId1", c.CallId);
         Assert.Equal("toolName", c.ToolName);
-        Assert.Equal("serverName", c.ServerName);
-
+        Assert.Null(c.ServerName);
         Assert.Null(c.Arguments);
     }
 
@@ -52,12 +51,10 @@ public void Constructor_PropsRoundtrip()
     [Fact]
     public void Constructor_Throws()
     {
-        Assert.Throws<ArgumentException>("callId", () => new McpServerToolCallContent(string.Empty, "name", "serverName"));
-        Assert.Throws<ArgumentException>("toolName", () => new McpServerToolCallContent("callId1", string.Empty, "serverName"));
-        Assert.Throws<ArgumentException>("serverName", () => new McpServerToolCallContent("callId1", "name", string.Empty));
+        Assert.Throws<ArgumentException>("callId", () => new McpServerToolCallContent(string.Empty, "name", null));
+        Assert.Throws<ArgumentException>("toolName", () => new McpServerToolCallContent("callId1", string.Empty, null));
 
-        Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException>("callId", () => new McpServerToolCallContent(null!, "name", "serverName"));
-        Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException>("toolName", () => new McpServerToolCallContent("callId1", null!, "serverName"));
-        Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException>("serverName", () => new McpServerToolCallContent("callId1", "name", null!));
+        Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException>("callId", () => new McpServerToolCallContent(null!, "name", null));
+        Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException>("toolName", () => new McpServerToolCallContent("callId1", null!, null));
     }
 }

test/Libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Abstractions.Tests/Tools/HostedMcpServerToolTests.cs

@@ -17,27 +17,34 @@ public void Constructor_PropsDefault()
         Assert.Empty(tool.AdditionalProperties);
 
         Assert.Equal("serverName", tool.ServerName);
-        Assert.Equal("https://localhost/", tool.Url.ToString());
+        Assert.Equal("https://localhost/", tool.ServerAddress);
 
         Assert.Empty(tool.Description);
+        Assert.Null(tool.AuthorizationToken);
+        Assert.Null(tool.ServerDescription);
         Assert.Null(tool.AllowedTools);
         Assert.Null(tool.ApprovalMode);
     }
 
     [Fact]
     public void Constructor_Roundtrips()
     {
-        HostedMcpServerTool tool = new("serverName", "https://localhost/");
+        HostedMcpServerTool tool = new("serverName", "connector_id");
 
         Assert.Empty(tool.AdditionalProperties);
         Assert.Empty(tool.Description);
         Assert.Equal("mcp", tool.Name);
         Assert.Equal(tool.Name, tool.ToString());
 
         Assert.Equal("serverName", tool.ServerName);
-        Assert.Equal("https://localhost/", tool.Url.ToString());
+        Assert.Equal("connector_id", tool.ServerAddress);
         Assert.Empty(tool.Description);
 
+        Assert.Null(tool.AuthorizationToken);
+        string authToken = "Bearer token123";
+        tool.AuthorizationToken = authToken;
+        Assert.Equal(authToken, tool.AuthorizationToken);
+
         Assert.Null(tool.ServerDescription);
         string serverDescription = "This is a test server";
         tool.ServerDescription = serverDescription;
@@ -58,20 +65,14 @@ public void Constructor_Roundtrips()
         var customApprovalMode = new HostedMcpServerToolRequireSpecificApprovalMode(["tool1"], ["tool2"]);
         tool.ApprovalMode = customApprovalMode;
         Assert.Same(customApprovalMode, tool.ApprovalMode);
-
-        Assert.Null(tool.Headers);
-        Dictionary<string, string> headers = [];
-        tool.Headers = headers;
-        Assert.Same(headers, tool.Headers);
     }
 
     [Fact]
     public void Constructor_Throws()
     {
-        Assert.Throws<ArgumentException>(() => new HostedMcpServerTool(string.Empty, new Uri("https://localhost/")));
-        Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException>(() => new HostedMcpServerTool(null!, new Uri("https://localhost/")));
-        Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException>(() => new HostedMcpServerTool("name", (Uri)null!));
-        Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException>(() => new HostedMcpServerTool("name", (string)null!));
-        Assert.Throws<UriFormatException>(() => new HostedMcpServerTool("name", string.Empty));
+        Assert.Throws<ArgumentException>(() => new HostedMcpServerTool(string.Empty, "https://localhost/"));
+        Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException>(() => new HostedMcpServerTool(null!, "https://localhost/"));
+        Assert.Throws<ArgumentException>(() => new HostedMcpServerTool("name", string.Empty));
+        Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException>(() => new HostedMcpServerTool("name", null!));
     }
 }

test/Libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.AI.OpenAI.Tests/OpenAIResponseClientIntegrationTests.cs

@@ -338,4 +338,63 @@ public async Task GetStreamingResponseAsync_BackgroundResponses_WithFunction()
         Assert.Contains("5:43", responseText);
         Assert.Equal(1, callCount);
     }
+
+    [ConditionalFact]
+    public async Task RemoteMCP_Connector()
+    {
+        SkipIfNotEnabled();
+
+        if (TestRunnerConfiguration.Instance["RemoteMCP:ConnectorAccessToken"] is not string accessToken)
+        {
+            throw new SkipTestException(
+                "To run this test, set a value for RemoteMCP:ConnectorAccessToken. " +
+                "You can obtain one by following https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/tools-connectors-mcp?quickstart-panels=connector#authorizing-a-connector.");
+        }
+
+        await RunAsync(false, false);
+        await RunAsync(true, true);
+
+        async Task RunAsync(bool streaming, bool approval)
+        {
+            ChatOptions chatOptions = new()
+            {
+                Tools = [new HostedMcpServerTool("calendar", "connector_googlecalendar")
+                    {
+                        ApprovalMode = approval ?
+                                HostedMcpServerToolApprovalMode.AlwaysRequire :
+                                HostedMcpServerToolApprovalMode.NeverRequire,
+                        AuthorizationToken = accessToken
+                    }
+                ],
+            };
+
+            using var client = CreateChatClient()!;
+
+            List<ChatMessage> input = [new ChatMessage(ChatRole.User, "What is on my calendar for today?")];
+
+            ChatResponse response = streaming ?
+                await client.GetStreamingResponseAsync(input, chatOptions).ToChatResponseAsync() :
+                await client.GetResponseAsync(input, chatOptions);
+
+            if (approval)
+            {
+                input.AddRange(response.Messages);
+                var approvalRequest = Assert.Single(response.Messages.SelectMany(m => m.Contents).OfType<McpServerToolApprovalRequestContent>());
+                Assert.Equal("search_events", approvalRequest.ToolCall.ToolName);
+                input.Add(new ChatMessage(ChatRole.Tool, [approvalRequest.CreateResponse(true)]));
+
+                response = streaming ?
+                    await client.GetStreamingResponseAsync(input, chatOptions).ToChatResponseAsync() :
+                    await client.GetResponseAsync(input, chatOptions);
+            }
+
+            Assert.NotNull(response);
+            var toolCall = Assert.Single(response.Messages.SelectMany(m => m.Contents).OfType<McpServerToolCallContent>());
+            Assert.Equal("search_events", toolCall.ToolName);
+
+            var toolResult = Assert.Single(response.Messages.SelectMany(m => m.Contents).OfType<McpServerToolResultContent>());
+            var content = Assert.IsType<TextContent>(Assert.Single(toolResult.Output!));
+            Assert.Equal(@"{""events"": [], ""next_page_token"": null}", content.Text);
+        }
+    }
 }