Available MCP Tools

The PubNub Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server provides three types of primitives that AI assistants can use:

• Tools, which are functions that perform actions or retrieve data
• Resources, which are data sources that can be read by the AI assistant
• Prompts, which are pre-built prompt templates for common use cases

Tools

The MCP server exposes 11 tools organized into three categories.

Category	Tools
Documentation access	get_sdk_documentation get_chat_sdk_documentation how_to get_best_practices
App & Keyset management	manage_apps manage_keysets
Real-time communication	send_pubnub_message subscribe_and_receive_pubnub_messages get_pubnub_messages get_pubnub_presence manage_app_context

Documentation access

These tools retrieve SDK documentation to help you understand and implement PubNub features.

get_sdk_documentation

Retrieves SDK documentation for a specific programming language and feature.

* required

Parameter	Description
language * Type: String Default: n/a	Programming language to retrieve documentation for. Supported languages: asyncio, c-core, c-sharp, dart, freertos, go, java, javascript, kotlin, mbed, objective-c, php, posix-c, posix-cpp, python, ruby, rust, swift, unity, unreal, windows-c, windows-cpp.
feature * Type: String Default: n/a	SDK feature to retrieve documentation for. Supported features: access-manager, access-manager-v2, channel-groups, configuration, encryption, files, message-actions, misc, mobile-push, objects, presence, publish-and-subscribe, storage-and-playback.

Supported features

Not all features are available for all languages. The tool returns an error if you request an unsupported combination.

Sample prompt

Get the JS SDK docs for publish and subscribe.

get_chat_sdk_documentation

Retrieves Chat SDK documentation for a specific programming language and feature.

* required

Parameter	Description
language * Type: String Default: n/a	Chat SDK language to retrieve documentation for. Supported languages: javascript, kotlin, swift, unity, unreal.
feature * Type: String Default: n/a	Chat SDK feature to retrieve documentation for. Supported features: channels-create, channels-delete, channels-details, channels-invite, channels-join, channels-leave, channels-list, channels-membership, channels-typing-indicator, channels-updates, messages-delete, messages-details, messages-drafts, messages-files, messages-forward, messages-history, messages-reactions, messages-read-receipts, messages-send-receive, messages-threads, messages-unread, users-create, users-delete, users-details, users-list, users-mentions, users-presence, users-updates, and more.

Sample prompt

Get the Swift Chat SDK docs for sending and receiving messages.

how_to

Retrieves PubNub conceptual guides with detailed instructions for implementing specific features and use cases.

* required

Parameter	Description
slug * Type: String Default: n/a	Guide identifier. Available guides include topics like Unity/Unreal game development, Chat SDK features, Admin Portal configuration, IoT solutions, presence, push notifications, moderation, and more.

When to use

Use this tool for overviews, integration instructions, best practices, and troubleshooting tips. For detailed API reference and SDK code samples, also use get_sdk_documentation or get_chat_sdk_documentation.

Sample prompt

Show me how to add real-time chat to my Unity game.

get_best_practices

Retrieves the comprehensive PubNub best practices guide covering architecture, security, channel modeling, and optimization.

The guide covers:

• Architecture and project setup (environments, payload sizes)
• Security (Access Manager tokens, least privilege, PII hygiene)
• Channel and data modeling (naming conventions, message schemas)
• Publish/Subscribe patterns
• History usage
• Client reliability (reconnect, idempotency, ordering)
• Functions and edge logic
• Presence and state
• App Context
• Mobile specifics (push notifications, caching)
• Web specifics (tab lifecycle, Service Workers)
• Observability and operations
• Performance and cost optimization

Sample prompt

What are the best practices for building PubNub applications?

App & Keyset management

These tools manage your PubNub applications and keysets.

manage_apps

Manages PubNub apps with operations: list, create, and update.

* required

Parameter	Description
operation * Type: String Default: n/a	Operation to perform: list, create, or update.
data Type: Object Default: n/a	Operation-specific data. Required for create and update operations.

Data object by operation

• list: No data required.

• create

  Field	Type	Required	Description
  name	String	Yes	Name of the app to create.

• update

  Field	Type	Required	Description
  id	String	Yes	App ID to update.
  name	String	Yes	New name for the app.

Sample prompts

List all my PubNub apps.

Create a new PubNub app called MyRealtimeApp.

Rename app 12345 to ProductionApp.

manage_keysets

Manages PubNub keysets with operations: get, list, create, and update. New keysets are created with Message Persistence, App Context, Files, and Presence enabled by default.

* required

Parameter	Description
operation * Type: String Default: n/a	Operation to perform: get, list, create, or update.
data Type: Object Default: n/a	Operation-specific data. Required for get, create, and update. Optional for list.

Data object by operation

• get

Field	Type	Required	Description
id	String	Yes	Keyset ID to retrieve.

• list

Field	Type	Required	Description
appId	String	No	App ID to list keysets for. If not provided, lists keysets for the entire account.

• create

Field	Type	Required	Description
name	String	Yes	Name of the keyset.
appId	String	No	App ID to create keyset in. If not provided, a new app is created.
type	String	Yes	Keyset type: testing for testing/development or production for live environments.
config	Object	Yes	Keyset feature configuration. Refer to the Config object section below.

• update

Field	Type	Required	Description
id	String	Yes	Keyset ID to update.
config	Object	Yes	Config to update. Same structure as for create.

Config object

The config object contains four optional sub-objects for configuring keyset features:

• messagePersistence - Message storage configuration:

Field	Type	Required	Description
enabled	Boolean	Yes	Enable or disable message persistence.
retention	Number	Conditional	Days to retain messages (1, 7, 30, 90, 180, 365, or 0 for unlimited). Required when enabled=true.
includePresenceEvents	Boolean	No	Store presence event messages in history.
deleteFromHistory	Boolean	No	Allow API calls to delete specific messages from history.

• appContext - User and channel metadata configuration:

Field	Type	Required	Description
enabled	Boolean	Yes	Enable or disable App Context (Objects).
region	String	Conditional	Storage region. Required when enabled=true. Cannot be changed once set. Values: aws-iad-1, aws-pdx-1, aws-fra-1, aws-bom-1, aws-hnd-1.
userMetadataEvents	Boolean	No	Trigger events when user metadata changes.
channelMetadataEvents	Boolean	No	Trigger events when channel metadata changes.
membershipEvents	Boolean	No	Trigger events when memberships are added, updated, or removed.
disallowGetAllChannelMetadata	Boolean	No	Disallow the "Get All Channel Metadata" call.
disallowGetAllUserMetadata	Boolean	No	Disallow the "Get All User Metadata" call.
referentialIntegrity	Boolean	No	Require user/channel to exist before creating memberships.

• files - File sharing configuration:

Field	Type	Required	Description
enabled	Boolean	Yes	Enable or disable file sharing.
region	String	Conditional	Storage region. Required when enabled=true. Cannot be changed once set. Values: us-east-1, us-west-1, eu-central-1, ap-south-1, ap-northeast-1.
retention	Number	Conditional	Days to retain files (1, 7, 30, or 0 for unlimited). Required when enabled=true.

• presence - Real-time subscriber tracking configuration:

Field	Type	Required	Description
enabled	Boolean	Yes	Enable or disable presence.
announceMax	Number	No	Max occupants before switching to occupancy counts (0-100).
interval	Number	No	Seconds between occupancy announcements (min 10).
deltas	Boolean	No	Include joined/left UUIDs in interval events.
generateLeaveOnDisconnect	Boolean	No	Trigger leave events on connection close.
streamFiltering	Boolean	No	Filter presence events at client level.
activeNoticeChannel	String	No	Channel for active/inactive notifications.
debounce	Number	No	Seconds to wait before allowing joins after leaves.

Immutable settings

The region settings in appContext and files cannot be changed after the keyset is created. Always confirm these values with the user before creating a keyset.

Sample prompts

Get details for keyset abc123.

List all keysets for app 12345.

Create a production keyset with Message Persistence (30 days retention), Presence, and App Context in US East.

Enable Presence with interval events on keyset 67890.

Real-time communication

These tools interact with PubNub's real-time messaging infrastructure for publishing, subscribing, and managing presence and App Context data.

Optional keys with fixed mode

When PUBNUB_PUBLISH_KEY and PUBNUB_SUBSCRIBE_KEY environment variables are configured, the publishKey and subscribeKey parameters are not required for these tools. The server automatically uses the configured keys. Refer to PubNub keys configuration for details.

send_pubnub_message

Sends a message or signal to a PubNub channel. Returns a publish timetoken confirming successful delivery.

* required

Parameter	Description
channel * Type: String Default: n/a	Channel to publish to.
message * Type: String or Object Default: n/a	Message payload (string or JSON object).
type Type: String Default: message	Type of message: message (regular) or signal (lightweight).
publishKey * Type: String Default: n/a	Publish key from your keyset.
subscribeKey * Type: String Default: n/a	Subscribe key from your keyset.

Signals

Signals are limited to 64 bytes and are not stored in message history. Use them for lightweight, ephemeral data like typing indicators.

Sample prompt

Send "Hello, World!" to the chat-room channel.

subscribe_and_receive_pubnub_messages

Subscribes to a channel and waits for messages. Returns an array of received messages with their content and metadata.

* required

Parameter	Description
channel * Type: String Default: n/a	Channel to subscribe to.
messageCount Type: Number Default: 1	Number of messages to wait for before returning.
timeout Type: Number Default: 10	Maximum wait time in seconds. Maximum value is 30.
publishKey * Type: String Default: n/a	Publish key from your keyset.
subscribeKey * Type: String Default: n/a	Subscribe key from your keyset.

Sample prompt

Subscribe to the notifications channel and wait for 3 messages.

get_pubnub_messages

Retrieves historical messages from channels using Message Persistence. Returns historical messages with content, timetokens, and metadata.

* required

Parameter	Description
channels * Type: Array Default: n/a	List of channel names to fetch history from.
start Type: String Default: n/a	Start timetoken (exclusive) for pagination.
end Type: String Default: n/a	End timetoken (inclusive) for pagination.
count Type: Number Default: 100	Number of messages to return per channel.
publishKey * Type: String Default: n/a	Publish key from your keyset.
subscribeKey * Type: String Default: n/a	Subscribe key from your keyset.

Sample prompt

Get the last 50 messages from the chat-room channel.

get_pubnub_presence

Retrieves real-time Presence information. Returns presence data including occupancy counts and user UUIDs.

* required

Parameter	Description
channels Type: Array Default: []	Channels to query presence for (HereNow).
channelGroups Type: Array Default: []	Channel groups to query presence for.
uuid Type: String Default: n/a	UUID to query channel subscriptions for (WhereNow).
publishKey * Type: String Default: n/a	Publish key from your keyset.
subscribeKey * Type: String Default: n/a	Subscribe key from your keyset.

Sample prompt

How many users are in the lobby channel?

manage_app_context

Performs CRUD operations on App Context objects.

* required

Parameter	Description
type * Type: String Default: n/a	Object type: user, channel, or membership.
operation * Type: String Default: n/a	Operation: get, set, remove, or getAll.
id * Type: String Default: n/a	Identifier: UUID for user and membership operations, channel ID (for example, team.red) for channel metadata and channel member operations.
publishKey * Type: String Default: n/a	Publish key from your keyset.
subscribeKey * Type: String Default: n/a	Subscribe key from your keyset.
data Type: Object Default: n/a	Data for set/remove operations. Refer to the data object tables for more details.
options Type: Object Default: n/a	Additional options like filters, pagination, and includes.

User data object (for type: "user")

For details, refer to User metadata.

Field	Type	Description
name	String	User's display name.
email	String	User's email address.
externalId	String	External system identifier.
profileUrl	String	URL to profile picture.
type	String	User type.
status	String	User status.
custom	Object	Custom key-value pairs (scalar values only).

Channel data object (for type: "channel")

For details, refer to Channel metadata.

Field	Type	Description
name	String	Channel display name.
description	String	Channel description.
type	String	Channel type.
status	String	Channel status.
custom	Object	Custom key-value pairs (scalar values only).

Membership data object (for type: "membership")

For details, refer to Membership metadata.

For setting memberships, provide:

{
  "channels": ["channel-1", "channel-2"]
}

Or with custom data:

{
  "channels": [
    { "id": "channel-1", "custom": { "role": "admin" } }
  ]
}

Sample prompts

Create a user profile for UUID user-123 with name John Doe.

Add user-123 to the general-chat channel.

List all members of the team-red channel.

Resources

Resources provide read-only access to documentation through URI-based lookups.

pubnub_sdk_docs

Access PubNub SDK documentation.

Property	Value
URI format	pubnub-docs://sdk/{language}/{feature}
Supported languages	22 programming languages
Supported features	13 feature categories

Sample URI

pubnub-docs://sdk/javascript/publish-and-subscribe

pubnub_chat_sdk_docs

Access PubNub Chat SDK documentation.

Property	Value
URI format	pubnub-docs://chat-sdk/{language}/{feature}
Supported languages	JavaScript, Kotlin, Swift, Unity, Unreal
Supported features	40+ feature categories

Sample URI

pubnub-docs://chat-sdk/swift/messages-send-receive

Prompt templates

The MCP server includes pre-built prompt templates for common use cases which you can use as a starting point for your own prompts.

Healthcare and HIPAA compliance

Build secure, compliant chat applications using PubNub's Pub/Sub messaging, Presence, and App Context features.

hipaa-chat-short

Quick prompt to create a HIPAA-compliant chat application.

Generated prompt

Act as a senior software engineer and use PubNub MCP server to create a chat application for healthcare that is HIPAA compliant.

hipaa-chat-long

Detailed prompt for HIPAA-compliant chat with specific feature requirements.

Generated prompt

Act as a senior software engineer and use PubNub MCP server to create a chat application for healthcare that is HIPAA compliant, with Pub/Sub messaging for real-time chat, Presence for patient/doctor availability, and App Context for roles.

React development

react-app-short

Scaffold a basic React application with PubNub.

Generated prompt

Act as a frontend developer and use PubNub MCP server to scaffold a React app with Pub/Sub messaging and Presence.

react-app-long

Comprehensive React application with real-time features like Pub/Sub messaging, Presence, and App Context.

Generated prompt

Act as a frontend developer and use PubNub MCP server to scaffold a React app with Pub/Sub messaging for real-time updates, Presence to show when users are online or typing, and App Context to handle user metadata. Include sample React components for subscribing to a channel, publishing messages, and displaying presence indicators for active participants.

Gaming applications

Build multiplayer game lobbies using PubNub's Unity or Unreal SDKs.

gamelobby-short

Build a multiplayer game lobby with basic features.

Generated prompt

Act as a game developer and use PubNub MCP server to build a multiplayer lobby with chat and Presence indicators.

gamelobby-long

Advanced multiplayer lobby with team management.

Generated prompt

As a game developer, use PubNub MCP server to build a multiplayer game lobby that supports real-time chat using Pub/Sub, Presence for tracking when players come online or leave, and App Context for managing team assignments (e.g., red vs. blue team).

OEM and multi-tenant solutions

These prompts help with programmatic account management for OEM and multi-tenant use cases.

oem-client-management

Create apps and configure keysets for OEM (building resources used by someone else) client deployments.

Generated prompt

[OEM (building resources used by someone else)] As a developer, use PubNub MCP to create a new app, configure and assign keysets to clients.

multi-tenant-onboarding-short

Implement automated tenant onboarding for SaaS applications.

Generated prompt

[OEM] Act as a senior developer and use PubNub MCP server to implement automated tenant onboarding for a multi-tenant chat application in SaaS or healthcare industries.

multi-tenant-onboarding-long

Enterprise-grade multi-tenant onboarding with data isolation and error handling.

Generated prompt

Act as a senior developer and use PubNub MCP (which leverages Admin API for Keysets and Usage & Monitoring) to implement a multi-tenant chat application with automated tenant onboarding. The tenant Application will use: pubsub, History, App-Context, Presence For every new tenant or end-customer the application should: Create a new App (if required by your OEM model). Create and configure a new Keyset to ensure data isolation Make sure publish and subscribe keys are properly retrieved and propagated to the tenant's application as configuration variables The implementation should be fully automated, idempotent, and include error handling, and retries.