mcp-audit

name	mcp-audit
description	Audit connected MCP servers for token overhead, redundancy, and security. Use when sessions feel slow or before adding new MCPs.

MCP Audit

Analyze MCP server overhead and recommend cleanup.

Trigger

Use when:

• Sessions feel slow or expensive
• Adding a new MCP server
• Context fills up quickly
• Reviewing project configuration

Key Insight

Each MCP server adds ALL its tool descriptions to every API request. A server with 20 tools adds ~2K-4K tokens per request, regardless of whether you use those tools.

Audit Steps

Step 1: List Active Servers

Check all MCP configurations:

cat .claude/settings.json 2>/dev/null | grep -A 50 "mcpServers"
cat ~/.claude/settings.json 2>/dev/null | grep -A 50 "mcpServers"

Step 2: Count Tools Per Server

For each server, estimate token overhead:

• 1-5 tools: ~200-500 tokens (low overhead)
• 6-15 tools: ~500-1500 tokens (moderate)
• 16-30 tools: ~1500-3000 tokens (high)
• 30+ tools: ~3000+ tokens (excessive — consider tool filtering)

Step 3: Check Usage

Questions to ask:

• Which servers were actually used this session?
• Which servers haven't been used in 7+ days?
• Are there servers with overlapping functionality?
• Are there servers only needed for specific tasks?

Step 4: Recommend Actions

Disable servers that:

• Haven't been used in 7+ days
• Overlap with another active server
• Are project-specific but you're in a different project

Keep servers that:

• Are used every session (filesystem, git)
• Provide unique capabilities needed for current work
• Have low tool count (<5 tools)

Output

MCP AUDIT
  Active servers: [N]
  Total tools: [N]
  Estimated overhead: ~[N]K tokens per request

  Server Analysis:
    [name] — [N] tools, ~[N] tokens
      Status: KEEP / DISABLE / REVIEW
      Reason: [why]

  Recommendations:
    Disable: [list]
    Keep: [list]
    Review: [list]

  Projected savings: ~[N]K tokens per request (~$X.XX per session)

Thresholds

• Total servers: <10 (ideal), 10-15 (monitor), >15 (reduce)
• Total tools: <80 (ideal), 80-120 (monitor), >120 (reduce)
• Per-server: <15 tools (ok), 15-30 (filter), >30 (split or disable)

Rules

• Never disable servers without user confirmation
• Estimate token savings for each recommendation
• Consider task context — a server might be unused today but critical tomorrow
• Check for disabledMcpjsonServers to avoid re-recommending already-disabled servers