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Build Custom ToolsQuick Start: Your First Tool

Quick Start: Your First Custom Tool

Build a simple custom tool in under 5 minutes. This tutorial will help you understand the basics of creating servers with Arcade.

Prerequisites

Install the Arcade SDK

Terminal
pip install arcade-ai

Create your tool file

Create a new file called my_tools.py:

Python
from arcade.sdk import tool
 
@tool
def greet_user(name: str) -> str:
    """
    Greet a user by name.
 
    Args:
        name: The name of the person to greet
 
    Returns:
        A friendly greeting message
    """
    return f"Hello, {name}! Welcome to Arcade."
 
 
@tool
def add_numbers(a: float, b: float) -> float:
    """
    Add two numbers together.
 
    Args:
        a: The first number
        b: The second number
 
    Returns:
        The sum of a and b
    """
    return a + b

Test your tools locally

Terminal
arcade dev my_tools.py

This starts a local server. You can test it with:

Terminal
arcade chat

Try asking: “Greet someone named Alice” or “Add 5 and 3”

Connect to your IDE (optional)

Add your local server to your client configuration:

JSON
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "my-tools": {
      "command": "arcade",
      "args": ["dev", "my_tools.py"]
    }
  }
}

What’s Next?

You’ve built your first custom ! Here’s where to go next:

See the full tutorial: Build an MCP Server for a more comprehensive guide.

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Build Custom ToolsMCP Server Basics