MCP Code Mode

Execute TypeScript code with direct access to 200+ MCP tools through progressive disclosure. Code Mode eliminates context overhead by loading tools on-demand, enabling complex multi-tool workflows in a single execution with state persistence and built-in error handling.

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1. 🎯 WHEN TO USE

Use Code Mode When

MANDATORY for ALL MCP tool calls:

• ✅ Calling ClickUp, Notion, Figma, Webflow, Chrome DevTools, or any other MCP tools
• ✅ Accessing external APIs through MCP servers
• ✅ Managing tasks in project management tools
• ✅ Interacting with design tools, databases, or services
• ✅ Browser automation and web interactions

Benefits over traditional tool calling:

• 🚀 98.7% context reduction - 1.6k tokens vs 141k for 47 tools
• ⚡ 60% faster execution - Single execution vs 15+ API round trips
• 🔗 State persistence - Data flows naturally between operations
• 🛡️ Type safety - Full TypeScript support with autocomplete
• 🎯 Progressive loading - Tools discovered on-demand, zero upfront cost

Do NOT Use Code Mode For

Use native tools instead:

• ❌ File operations (use Read, Write, Edit tools)
• ❌ Text searching (use Grep tool)
• ❌ File discovery (use Glob tool)
• ❌ Bash commands (use Bash tool)
• ✅ Semantic code search via Narsil (use narsil.narsil_neural_search() via Code Mode)
• ✅ Structural code analysis via Narsil (use narsil.narsil_find_symbols(), narsil.narsil_get_project_structure() via Code Mode)
• ❌ Conversation memory (use spec_kit_memory_memory_search() - NATIVE MCP)
• ❌ Sequential Thinking (call sequential_thinking_sequentialthinking() directly - NATIVE MCP)

See Section 4 for details on Native MCP vs Code Mode distinction.

Common Use Cases

Scenario	Code Mode Approach	Benefit
Create ClickUp task	call_tool_chain({ code: "await clickup.clickup_create_task({...})" })	Type-safe, single execution
Multi-tool workflow	Figma → ClickUp → Webflow in one execution	State persists, 5× faster
Browser automation	Chrome DevTools MCP for testing/screenshots	Sandboxed, reliable
Design-to-implementation	Fetch Figma design → Create task → Update CMS	Atomic workflow
External API access	Any MCP server (Notion, GitHub, etc.)	Progressive tool loading

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2. 🧭 SMART ROUTING

Activation Detection

TASK CONTEXT
    │
    ├─► Task involves MCP tool calls (ClickUp, Notion, Figma, etc.)
    │   └─► ACTIVATE Code Mode for efficient orchestration
    │
    ├─► Multi-tool workflow needed (chaining MCP tools)
    │   └─► ACTIVATE Code Mode
    │
    ├─► User mentions "Code Mode", "UTCP", "tool chain"
    │   └─► ACTIVATE this skill
    │
    ├─► External API integration via MCP servers
    │   └─► ACTIVATE Code Mode
    │
    └─► Single tool call or non-MCP task
        └─► Use direct MCP tool call, skip Code Mode

Resource Router

def route_code_mode_resources(task):
    # ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
    # TOOL NAMING (CRITICAL)
    # Purpose: Tool naming pattern and common mistakes
    # Key Insight: ⚠️ CRITICAL: Tool naming errors (read first)
    # ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
    if task.error_contains("tool not found") or task.error_contains("naming"):
        return load("references/naming_convention.md")  # priority: CRITICAL

    # ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
    # CONFIGURATION AND SETUP
    # Purpose: .utcp_config.json and .env setup
    # Key Insight: Setting up Code Mode, adding MCP servers
    # ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
    if task.needs_setup or task.env_vars_not_loading:
        load("references/configuration.md")  # .utcp_config.json and .env setup
        load("assets/config_template.md")  # template file
        return load("assets/env_template.md")  # env template

    # ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
    # CONFIG VALIDATION
    # Purpose: Validates .utcp_config.json structure
    # Key Insight: Before deploying configuration, troubleshooting errors
    # ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
    if task.validating_config:
        return execute("scripts/validate_config.py")  # syntax + env var checks

    # ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
    # TOOL DISCOVERY
    # Purpose: Complete list of 200+ available tools
    # Key Insight: Discovering available tools and capabilities
    # ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
    if task.needs_tool_list or "what tools" in task.query:
        return load("references/tool_catalog.md")  # 200+ available tools

    # ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
    # WORKFLOWS AND ERROR HANDLING
    # Purpose: 5 comprehensive workflow examples
    # Key Insight: Multi-tool orchestration, error handling patterns
    # ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
    if task.multi_tool_workflow or task.needs_error_handling:
        return load("references/workflows.md")  # 5 workflow examples

    # ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
    # ARCHITECTURE
    # Purpose: System architecture and token economics
    # Key Insight: Understanding how Code Mode works internally
    # ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
    if task.how_it_works or task.token_questions:
        return load("references/architecture.md")  # system internals

    # ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
    # STATIC RESOURCES (always available, not conditionally loaded)
    # ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
    # assets/config_template.md → Template .utcp_config.json file
    # assets/env_template.md → Template .env file with placeholders

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3. 🛠️ HOW IT WORKS

Critical Naming Pattern

The #1 most common error when using Code Mode is using wrong function names. All MCP tool calls MUST follow this pattern:

{manual_name}.{manual_name}_{tool_name}

Examples:

✅ Correct:

await webflow.webflow_sites_list({});
await clickup.clickup_create_task({...});
await figma.figma_get_file({...});

❌ Wrong (missing manual prefix):

await webflow.sites_list({});        // Error: Tool not found
await clickup.create_task({...});    // Error: Tool not found

See references/naming_convention.md for complete guide with troubleshooting.

Context Parameter

Many Code Mode tools require a context parameter (15-25 words) for analytics:

await webflow.webflow_sites_list({ 
  context: "Listing sites to identify collection structure for CMS update" 
});

This helps with usage tracking and debugging.

Tool Name Translation

Note: list_tools() returns names in a.b.c format (e.g., webflow.webflow.sites_list). To call the tool, use underscore format: webflow.webflow_sites_list(). The tool_info() function shows the correct calling syntax.

Basic Workflow

Step 1: Discover Tools

// Progressive discovery - search for relevant tools
search_tools({
  task_description: "clickup task management",
  limit: 10
});

// Returns: Tool names and descriptions (minimal tokens)
// Example: ["clickup.clickup_create_task", "clickup.clickup_get_task", ...]

Step 2: Call Tools via Code Mode

// Execute TypeScript with direct tool access
call_tool_chain({
  code: `
    // Note the naming pattern: {manual_name}.{manual_name}_{tool_name}
    const result = await clickup.clickup_create_task({
      name: "New Feature",
      listName: "Development Sprint",
      description: "Implement user authentication"
    });

    console.log('Task created:', result.id);
    return result;
  `
});

Step 3: Multi-Tool Orchestration

// State persists across tool calls in single execution
call_tool_chain({
  code: `
    // Step 1: Get Figma design
    const design = await figma.figma_get_file({ fileId: "abc123" });

    // Step 2: Create ClickUp task (design data available)
    const task = await clickup.clickup_create_task({
      name: \`Implement: \${design.name}\`,
      description: \`Design has \${design.document.children.length} components\`
    });

    // Step 3: Update Webflow CMS (both design and task data available)
    const cms = await webflow.webflow_collections_items_create_item_live({
      collection_id: "queue-id",
      request: {
        items: [{
          fieldData: {
            name: design.name,
            taskUrl: task.url,
            status: "In Queue"
          }
        }]
      }
    });

    return { design, task, cms };
  `,
  timeout: 60000  // Extended timeout for complex workflow
});

---

4. 🏗️ PROJECT CONFIGURATION

Two MCP Configuration Systems

IMPORTANT: Code Mode only accesses tools in .utcp_config.json. Native MCP tools are NOT accessed through Code Mode.

1. Native MCP (opencode.json) - Direct tools (call directly, NOT through Code Mode):

• Sequential Thinking: sequential_thinking_sequentialthinking()
• Spec Kit Memory: spec_kit_memory_memory_search(), spec_kit_memory_memory_save(), etc.
• Code Mode server: The Code Mode tool itself
• Note: Some AI environments have built-in extended thinking capabilities that may supersede Sequential Thinking MCP.

Code Mode MCP tools (accessed via call_tool_chain()):

• Narsil: narsil.narsil_find_symbols(), narsil.narsil_neural_search(), narsil.narsil_get_project_structure() - Semantic + structural code analysis via Rust-powered AST

2. Code Mode MCP (.utcp_config.json) - External tools accessed through Code Mode:

• MCP Config: .utcp_config.json (project root)
• Environment Variables: .env (project root)
• External tools: Webflow, Figma, Chrome DevTools, ClickUp, Notion, etc.
• These are accessed via call_tool_chain() wrapper

How to Discover Available Code Mode Tools

These discovery methods ONLY work for Code Mode tools in .utcp_config.json They do NOT show Sequential Thinking (which is in .mcp.json)

Step 1: Check Configuration

// Read .utcp_config.json to see configured Code Mode MCP servers
// Look for "manual_call_templates" array
// Each object has a "name" field (this is the manual name)
// Check "disabled" field - if true, server is not active

// NOTE: Sequential Thinking is NOT in this file
// Sequential Thinking is in .mcp.json and called directly

Step 2: Use Progressive Discovery

// Search for Code Mode tools by description
const tools = await search_tools({
  task_description: "browser automation",
  limit: 10
});

// List all available Code Mode tools
const allTools = await list_tools();

// Get info about a specific Code Mode tool
const info = await tool_info({
  tool_name: "server_name.server_name_tool_name"
});

// NOTE: These discovery tools are part of Code Mode
// They only show tools configured in .utcp_config.json
// Sequential Thinking will NOT appear in these results

Critical Naming Convention (Code Mode Tools Only)

See Section 3: Critical Naming Pattern for the complete guide.

Quick reminder: {manual_name}.{manual_name}_{tool_name} (e.g., webflow.webflow_sites_list())

Sequential Thinking Exception:

• NOT in .utcp_config.json - uses native MCP tools
• Call directly: sequential_thinking_sequentialthinking()
• Does NOT use call_tool_chain()
• Sequential Thinking MCP provides structured reasoning for complex multi-step problems.

Configuration Structure

{
  "manual_call_templates": [
    {
      "name": "manual_name",
      "call_template_type": "mcp",
      "config": {
        "mcpServers": {
          "manual_name": {
            "transport": "stdio",
            "command": "npx",
            "args": ["package-name"],
            "env": {},
            "disabled": false
          }
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

Generic Multi-Tool Workflow Pattern

call_tool_chain({
  code: `
    // Step 1: Discover what tools are available
    const availableTools = await search_tools({
      task_description: "your task here",
      limit: 10
    });

    console.log("Available tools:", availableTools);

    // Step 2: Call tools using correct naming pattern
    // Pattern: {manual_name}.{manual_name}_{tool_name}
    const result = await manual_name.manual_name_tool_name({
      // parameters here
    });

    // Step 3: Chain multiple tools if needed
    const result2 = await another_manual.another_manual_other_tool({
      data: result.output
    });

    return { result, result2 };
  `,
  timeout: 60000
});

How to Check Active Code Mode Servers

IMPORTANT: This only shows Code Mode servers in .utcp_config.json, NOT Sequential Thinking

// This code shows how to discover what Code Mode tools are configured
call_tool_chain({
  code: `
    // List all available tools from all active Code Mode MCP servers
    // NOTE: This will NOT include Sequential Thinking
    const allTools = await list_tools();

    // Group by server (manual name is prefix before first dot)
    const servers = {};
    allTools.forEach(tool => {
      const serverName = tool.split('.')[0];
      if (!servers[serverName]) servers[serverName] = [];
      servers[serverName].push(tool);
    });

    console.log("Active Code Mode servers:", Object.keys(servers));
    console.log("Tool counts:", Object.fromEntries(
      Object.entries(servers).map(([k, v]) => [k, v.length])
    ));

    console.log("NOTE: Sequential Thinking is NOT in this list");
    console.log("Sequential Thinking is a native MCP tool, not a Code Mode tool");

    return servers;
  `
});

---

5. 📋 RULES

✅ ALWAYS

• Use Code Mode for ALL MCP tool calls - Mandatory for ClickUp, Notion, Figma, Webflow, Chrome DevTools, etc.
• Follow naming pattern: {manual_name}.{manual_name}_{tool_name} (see naming_convention.md)
• Use progressive discovery: search_tools() before calling unknown tools
• Use try/catch for error handling in multi-step workflows
• Set appropriate timeouts: 30s (simple), 60s (complex), 120s+ (very complex)
• Console.log progress in complex workflows for debugging
• Structure return values consistently: { success, data, errors, timestamp }

❌ NEVER

• Skip Code Mode for MCP tools - Direct MCP calls cause context exhaustion
• Use wrong naming pattern - webflow.sites_list instead of webflow.webflow_sites_list
• Guess tool names - Use search_tools() to discover correct names
• Ignore TypeScript errors - Type safety prevents runtime errors
• Skip error handling - Unhandled errors crash entire workflow
• Use Code Mode for file operations - Use Read/Write/Edit tools instead
• Assume tool availability - Verify with list_tools() first

⚠️ ESCALATE IF

• Tool naming errors persist after consulting naming_convention.md
• Configuration fails to load - Check configuration.md
• Environment variables not found - Verify .env file exists and syntax is correct
• MCP server fails to start - Check command/args in .utcp_config.json
• Tools not discovered - Verify manual name matches configuration
• Execution timeout - Increase timeout or break into smaller operations
• Need to add new MCP server - Follow guide in configuration.md

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6. 🏆 SUCCESS CRITERIA

Code Mode implementation complete when:

• ✅ All MCP tool calls use call_tool_chain (no direct tool calls)
• ✅ Tool naming follows {manual_name}.{manual_name}_{tool_name} pattern
• ✅ Progressive discovery used (search_tools before calling)
• ✅ Error handling implemented (try/catch for critical operations)
• ✅ Console logging tracks workflow progress
• ✅ Return values structured consistently
• ✅ Timeouts set appropriately for workflow complexity
• ✅ Configuration validated (.utcp_config.json and .env correct)
• ✅ Type safety verified (no TypeScript errors)
• ✅ Multi-tool workflows execute atomically (all succeed or all fail)

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7. 🔌 INTEGRATION POINTS

Framework Integration

This skill operates within the behavioral framework defined in AGENTS.md.

Key integrations:

• Gate 2: Skill routing via skill_advisor.py
• Tool Routing: Per AGENTS.md Section 6 decision tree
• Memory: Context preserved via Spec Kit Memory MCP

Cross-Skill Collaboration

Pairs with mcp-narsil:

• Use mcp-narsil for semantic + structural code search (via Code Mode)
• Use mcp-code-mode for external tool integration (Webflow, Figma, ClickUp, etc.)
• Example: Search codebase → Create ClickUp task → Update Notion docs

Workflow:

// All Code Mode - single execution for code search + task creation
call_tool_chain({
  code: `
    // 1. Find relevant code using Narsil semantic search
    const searchResults = await narsil.narsil_neural_search({
      query: "authentication implementation",
      top_k: 5
    });

    // 2. Create task based on search results
    const task = await clickup.clickup_create_task({
      name: "Refactor authentication",
      description: \`Found in: \${searchResults.results.map(r => r.file).join(', ')}\`
    });

    return { searchResults, task };
  `
});

Triggers

Automatic activation when:

• User mentions MCP tool names (ClickUp, Notion, Figma, Webflow, etc.)
• Request involves external tool integration
• Multi-tool workflow described
• Browser automation needed (Chrome DevTools)

Outputs

What Code Mode produces:

• External tool operation results (tasks created, data fetched, etc.)
• Workflow execution logs (console.log captured)
• Error details (if failures occur)
• State snapshots (all variables returned)

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8. 📦 REFERENCES

Configuration

Document	Purpose	Key Insight
configuration.md	Setup guide	.utcp_config.json structure
env_template.md	Environment variables	API key patterns
config_template.md	Config examples	Server definitions

Tool Documentation

Document	Purpose	Key Insight
naming_convention.md	Tool naming patterns	{manual}.{manual}_{tool}
tool_catalog.md	Available tools	By server category
workflows.md	Usage patterns	Multi-tool examples

Architecture

Document	Purpose	Key Insight
architecture.md	System design	Performance benefits
README.md	Overview	Quick start

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9. 🏎️ QUICK REFERENCE

Essential Commands

// 1. Discover tools
search_tools({ task_description: "webflow site management", limit: 10 });

// 2. Get tool details
tool_info({ tool_name: "webflow.webflow_sites_list" });

// 3. List all tools
list_tools();

// 4. Call single tool
call_tool_chain({
  code: `await webflow.webflow_sites_list({})`
});

// 5. Multi-tool workflow with error handling
call_tool_chain({
  code: `
    try {
      const result1 = await tool1.tool1_action({...});
      const result2 = await tool2.tool2_action({...});
      return { success: true, result1, result2 };
    } catch (error) {
      return { success: false, error: error.message };
    }
  `,
  timeout: 60000
});

// 6. Parallel execution of independent operations
call_tool_chain({
  code: `
    const [sites, tasks, figmaFile] = await Promise.all([
      webflow.webflow_sites_list({}),
      clickup.clickup_get_tasks({ listName: "Development" }),
      figma.figma_get_file({ fileKey: "abc123" })
    ]);
    
    return { 
      siteCount: sites.length,
      taskCount: tasks.length,
      figmaName: figmaFile.name
    };
  `
});

Parallel Execution Patterns

Pattern	Use When	Example
Promise.all()	All must succeed	const [a, b] = await Promise.all([fnA(), fnB()])
Promise.allSettled()	Partial success OK	const results = await Promise.allSettled([...])
Batch processing	Many items, rate limits	processInBatches(items, 3, processor)
Parallel → Sequential	Fetch then process	Phase 1: parallel fetch, Phase 2: sequential use

See references/workflows.md Section 7 for comprehensive parallel execution examples.

Critical Naming Pattern

See Section 3: Critical Naming Pattern for the complete guide with examples.

Pattern: {manual_name}.{manual_name}_{tool_name}

Timeout Guidelines

• Simple (1-2 tools): 30s (default)
• Complex (3-5 tools): 60s
• Very complex (6+ tools): 120s+

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10. 🔗 RELATED RESOURCES

scripts/

Script	Purpose	Usage
update-code-mode.sh	Update to latest version	bash .opencode/skill/mcp-code-mode/scripts/update-code-mode.sh
validate_config.py	Validate configuration	python3 scripts/validate_config.py <config-path> --check-env <env-path>

references/

Document	Purpose	Key Insight
naming_convention.md	Tool naming pattern	CRITICAL - read first for errors
configuration.md	Setup guide	.utcp_config.json and .env
tool_catalog.md	Available tools	250+ tools across 8 servers
workflows.md	Usage patterns	5 comprehensive examples
architecture.md	System design	Token economics

assets/

Asset	Purpose
config_template.md	.utcp_config.json template
env_template.md	.env template with API key placeholders

External Resources

• Code Mode GitHub - Source code and documentation
• MCP Specification - Model Context Protocol standard

Performance Metrics

Metric	Traditional	Code Mode	Improvement
Context tokens	141k (47 tools)	1.6k (200+ tools)	98.7% reduction
Execution time	~2000ms (4 tools)	~300ms (4 tools)	60% faster
API round trips	15+	1	93% reduction

Related Skills

• mcp-narsil - Semantic + structural code search (via Code Mode)
• mcp-figma - Figma design file access (via Code Mode)

Install Guide

• MCP - Code Mode.md - Installation and configuration