MCP Overview
Understand how f2d integrates with AI assistants via the Model Context Protocol
What is MCP?
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that lets AI assistants discover and use external tools. When an AI assistant connects to f2d via MCP, it can search for jobs on your behalf through natural conversation.
Instead of writing API calls yourself, you simply ask:
"Find me machine learning engineer jobs in Seattle"
The AI assistant automatically calls f2d's search tools and presents the results.
How It Works
- You configure your AI assistant (e.g. Claude Desktop) with f2d's MCP endpoint
- The assistant discovers f2d's available tools (
search_jobs,list_cities) - You ask questions in natural language
- The assistant calls the appropriate tool and formats the results for you
f2d uses Streamable HTTP transport — each request is independent, with no session state to manage.
Available Tools
| Tool | Description | Example Prompt |
|---|---|---|
search_jobs | Search for jobs using natural language. Supports filters for city, country, date, and result count. | "Find data scientist jobs in San Francisco" |
list_cities | List all cities with available job postings. Optionally filter by country. | "What cities have job listings?" |
MCP vs REST API
| REST API | MCP | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Applications and scripts | AI assistants and agents |
| Protocol | HTTP + JSON | JSON-RPC 2.0 over HTTP |
| Authentication | API key (x-api-key header) | OAuth 2.1 (handled automatically by MCP clients) |
| Query parameter | q | query |
| Response format | Plain JSON | JSON-RPC envelope with content[] and structuredContent |
| Tool discovery | OpenAPI spec | tools/list method |
| Setup effort | Get API key, write HTTP calls | Add endpoint URL to config, authenticate once |
When to Use Each
- Building an application or script? Use the REST API — simpler integration, direct JSON responses
- Using Claude Desktop or another AI assistant? Use MCP — one-time setup, then search through conversation
- Building an AI agent? Use MCP — standardized tool discovery and invocation protocol
Supported Clients
| Client | MCP Support | Authentication | Setup Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Desktop | Full (Streamable HTTP) | OAuth 2.1 (automatic) | Claude Desktop Guide |
| Claude Code | Full (Streamable HTTP) | OAuth 2.1 (automatic) | Coming soon |
| Cursor | Partial (API key fallback) | API key via headers | Coming soon |
Next Steps
- Get started now: Claude Desktop Setup Guide
- Manual testing: JSON-RPC Examples for curl-based testing
- Prefer HTTP? REST API Quick Start