Elicitation is a powerful feature that allows MCP tools to pause execution and request additional information or confirmation from the user before proceeding. This enables more interactive and controlled tool behavior.

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How It Works

When a tool calls ctx.elicit(), it pauses execution and sends a request to the user. The user can then:
  • Accept the request by providing the requested information
  • Decline the request, causing the tool to handle the declined state
  • Cancel the request, stopping the tool execution
# In an MCP server tool
result = await ctx.elicit(
    message="Confirm booking for 2 people on June 21st at 5pm?",
    schema=ConfirmBooking
)

match result:
    case AcceptedElicitation(data=data):
        # User accepted and provided data
        if data.confirm:
            return "Booking confirmed!"
    case DeclinedElicitation():
        # User declined the request
        return "Booking declined"
    case CancelledElicitation():
        # User cancelled the operation
        return "Booking cancelled"

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Setting Up Elicitation

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1. Configure Your MCP App

Your MCP app needs an elicitation callback to handle user interactions: 
from mcp_agent.app import MCPApp
from mcp_agent.elicitation.handler import console_elicitation_callback

app = MCPApp(
    name="my_agent",
    elicitation_callback=console_elicitation_callback,
)
When elicitation is triggered, users see an interactive prompt like this: 
ELICITATION RESPONSE NEEDED FROM: demo_server

Elicitation Request

Confirm booking for 2 on 2023-06-21T17:00:00?

Type / to see available commands

──────────────────────────────────────────────

Enter confirm - Confirm booking?
Type / to see available commands
Enter: true/false, yes/no, y/n, or 1/0
>

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2. Create Tools with Elicitation

In your MCP server, define tools that use elicitation: 
from mcp.server.fastmcp import FastMCP, Context
from mcp.server.elicitation import AcceptedElicitation, DeclinedElicitation, CancelledElicitation
from pydantic import BaseModel, Field

mcp = FastMCP("My Server")

@mcp.tool()
async def confirm_action(action: str, ctx: Context) -> str:
    """Perform an action with user confirmation"""
    
    class ConfirmAction(BaseModel):
        confirm: bool = Field(description="Confirm the action?")
        notes: str = Field(default="", description="Additional notes")
    
    result = await ctx.elicit(
        message=f"Are you sure you want to {action}?",
        schema=ConfirmAction
    )
    
    match result:
        case AcceptedElicitation(data=data):
            if data.confirm:
                return f"Action '{action}' completed. Notes: {data.notes or 'None'}"
            return "Action cancelled by user"
        case DeclinedElicitation():
            return "Action declined"
        case CancelledElicitation():
            return "Action cancelled"

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Schema Requirements

The elicitation schema must use only primitive types:
  • str - Text input
  • int - Integer numbers
  • float - Decimal numbers
  • bool - True/false values
Complex types like lists, dictionaries, or custom objects are not supported.

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Use Cases

Elicitation is particularly useful for:

Confirmation Dialogs

“Are you sure you want to delete this file?”

Parameter Collection

“What’s your preferred time for the meeting?”

Options Selection

“Which format would you like: PDF or Word?”

Safety Checks

“This action will modify 50 files. Proceed?”

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Complete Example

Elicitation Example

View the complete example on GitHub