feat: add optional tools allowlist via MCP_TOOLS_INCLUDED

When MCP_TOOLS_INCLUDED is set to a comma-separated list of tool names,
only those tools are exposed (tools/list and calls); unset or empty
exposes every generated tool. Unknown names are ignored with a startup
warning and the active selection is logged at startup.

.env.example

@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ MCP_HOST=0.0.0.0
 MCP_PORT=8000
 #MCP_SERVER_NAME=My API
 
+# Comma-separated allowlist of tool names to expose. Unset or empty exposes
+# every generated tool; unknown names are ignored with a startup warning.
+#MCP_TOOLS_INCLUDED=getPetById,findPetsByStatus
+
 # Timeout in seconds for fetching the spec and calling the API (default: 30).
 #HTTP_TIMEOUT=30
 

README.md

@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ OPENAPI_SPEC_URL=https://petstore3.swagger.io/api/v3/openapi.json uv run xmcp
 | `MCP_HOST` | no | `0.0.0.0` | Listen host for the HTTP transport |
 | `MCP_PORT` | no | `8000` | Listen port for the HTTP transport |
 | `MCP_SERVER_NAME` | no | spec `info.title` | Name advertised by the MCP server |
+| `MCP_TOOLS_INCLUDED` | no | – (all tools) | Comma-separated allowlist of tool names to expose |
 | `HTTP_TIMEOUT` | no | `30` | Timeout in seconds for spec fetch and API calls |
 | `LOG_LEVEL` | no | `INFO` | Python log level |
 
@@ -116,6 +117,20 @@ API request, except credential headers such as `Authorization` and `Cookie`.
 MCP clients that support custom transport headers should send the key on every
 request (at least on `tools/call`).
 
+### Tool allowlist
+
+By default every operation in the OpenAPI document is exposed as an MCP tool.
+Set `MCP_TOOLS_INCLUDED` to a comma-separated list of tool names to expose
+only those:
+
+```sh
+MCP_TOOLS_INCLUDED=getPetById,findPetsByStatus
+```
+
+Unset or empty exposes all tools. Names that do not match a generated tool are
+ignored with a startup warning, and the active selection is reported at startup
+(`Tools allowlist active: exposing N of M tool(s): ...`).
+
 ### Serving a local spec file
 
 ```sh

src/xmcp/config.py

@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ class Config:
     api_auth_header: str
     api_auth_scheme: str
     mcp_api_key_header: str | None
+    tools_included: frozenset[str] | None
     transport: str
     host: str
     port: int
@@ -101,6 +102,15 @@ class Config:
         key_header = "X-API-Key" if raw_key_header is None else raw_key_header.strip()
         key_header = key_header or None
 
+        # Comma-separated allowlist of tool names; unset or empty exposes all.
+        raw_included = _get("MCP_TOOLS_INCLUDED")
+        included: frozenset[str] | None = None
+        if raw_included is not None:
+            names = frozenset(
+                name.strip() for name in raw_included.split(",") if name.strip()
+            )
+            included = names or None
+
         return cls(
             spec_url=spec_url,
             spec_token=_get("OPENAPI_SPEC_TOKEN"),
@@ -109,6 +119,7 @@ class Config:
             api_auth_header=_get("API_AUTH_HEADER") or "Authorization",
             api_auth_scheme=auth_scheme,
             mcp_api_key_header=key_header,
+            tools_included=included,
             transport=transport,
             host=_get("MCP_HOST") or "0.0.0.0",
             port=_get_int("MCP_PORT", 8000, minimum=1, maximum=65535),

src/xmcp/server.py

@@ -54,9 +54,29 @@ def build_server(config: Config) -> FastMCP:
     return server
 
 
-async def _log_available_tools(server: FastMCP) -> None:
+async def _prepare_tools(server: FastMCP, included: frozenset[str] | None) -> None:
-    """Log the tools generated from the OpenAPI document (DEBUG level)."""
+    """Apply the optional tools allowlist and log the exposed tools."""
     tools = await server.list_tools()
+
+    if included is not None:
+        known = {tool.name for tool in tools}
+        unknown = sorted(included - known)
+        if unknown:
+            logger.warning(
+                "MCP_TOOLS_INCLUDED lists unknown tool(s): %s",
+                ", ".join(unknown),
+            )
+        exposed = included & known
+        server.enable(names=set(exposed), only=True, components={"tool"})
+        tools = await server.list_tools()
+        logger.info(
+            "Tools allowlist active: exposing %d of %d tool(s)%s",
+            len(exposed),
+            len(known),
+            f": {', '.join(sorted(exposed))}" if exposed else "",
+        )
+
+    if logger.isEnabledFor(logging.DEBUG):
         unique: dict[str, object] = {}
         for tool in tools:
             unique.setdefault(tool.name, tool)
@@ -85,8 +105,8 @@ def main() -> None:
     except SpecError as exc:
         raise SystemExit(f"Failed to load the OpenAPI document: {exc}") from exc
 
-    if logger.isEnabledFor(logging.DEBUG):
+    if config.tools_included is not None or logger.isEnabledFor(logging.DEBUG):
-        asyncio.run(_log_available_tools(server))
+        asyncio.run(_prepare_tools(server, config.tools_included))
 
     # Logs go to stderr so the stdio transport's stdout stays protocol-clean.
     if config.transport == "http":