Explore with MCP Inspector
Click through tools, resources, and prompts visually.
Explore with MCP Inspector is a free MCP Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 3 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the MCP Academy learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.
A Window Into Your Server
Editing config and restarting is slow for testing. The MCP Inspector gives you a visual tool to poke at your server directly. 🔍
What the Inspector Is
The Inspector is an official web app that acts as a client. It connects to your server and lets you browse and call everything it exposes.
Launch It with npx
You don’t install anything permanently. Run it on demand with npx, and it opens a local web UI in your browser.
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector python server.pyOr Use the mcp CLI
If you use the Python SDK, the mcp dev command launches the very same Inspector wired to your server in one step.
mcp dev server.pyConnect Over stdio
The Inspector spawns your script just like a host would, talking over stdio. So you test the exact path a real client uses.
See the Tools Tab
Open the Tools tab to list every tool your server advertises, complete with its name, description, and expected arguments.
Call a Tool by Hand
Pick a tool, fill in its fields in the form, and hit run. You see the exact result the server returns, with no model in the loop.
Browse Resources
The Resources tab shows everything your server can serve. Click one to read its contents and confirm the URI resolves correctly.
Preview Prompts
Under Prompts you can fill in arguments and preview the exact messages your template produces before any user ever triggers it.
Read the Message Log
A built-in log pane shows raw JSON-RPC traffic in both directions. It is the fastest way to see what your server truly sent.
Reconnect After Edits
Changed your code? Hit reconnect in the Inspector to restart the server and reload its tools, far faster than restarting a full host.
Quick Check
Why is the MCP Inspector handy when developing a server?
Recap
You used the Inspector to list tools, call them by hand, browse resources and prompts, and watch the wire. Now let’s tackle servers that won’t start. ✅
Frequently asked questions
Is the “Explore with MCP Inspector” lesson free?
Yes — the full text of “Explore with MCP Inspector” is free to read here on the web, and the MCP Academy course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the MCP Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.
What will I learn in “Explore with MCP Inspector”?
Click through tools, resources, and prompts visually. You practise MCP Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.
Do I need any experience to start MCP Academy?
No prior experience is required. MCP Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 3 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.
How long does the “Explore with MCP Inspector” lesson take?
Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.
Can I write and run code in this MCP Academy lesson?
Yes. Every MCP Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.
All lessons in this course
- How stdio Transport Works
- Wire It into Claude Desktop
- Explore with MCP Inspector
- Debug a Server That Won't Start