Tools
The Directus remote MCP server provides a set of tools that allow AI assistants to interact with your Directus instance. These tools enable various operations while respecting your existing permissions and security settings.
items tool that handles all CRUD operations, while the local MCP has separate read-items, create-item, update-item, and delete-item tools.Available Tools
The remote MCP server provides the following tools:
| Tool | Description | Use Cases |
|---|---|---|
| system-prompt | Provides context about Directus and your instance | Start of session, understanding capabilities |
| items | Complete CRUD operations on collection items | Content management, data operations |
| schema | Read collection and field schema information | Understanding data structure, exploring collections |
| collections | Manage Directus collections (database tables) | Creating/modifying collections, database structure |
| fields | Manage collection fields and their configuration | Adding/modifying fields, changing data types |
| relations | Create and manage relationships between collections | Setting up relationships, data modeling |
| files | File management and metadata operations | Managing uploads, organizing media |
| assets | Retrieve file content as base64 for AI processing | Image analysis, content processing |
| flows | Automation workflow management | Creating automations, workflow design |
| operations | Manage individual operations within flows | Building automation logic, flow operations |
| trigger-flow | Execute manual flows programmatically | Running automations, bulk operations |
| folders | Manage file organization structure | Organizing files, creating folder structures |
System Prompt Tool
The system-prompt tool provides the AI assistant with specialized knowledge about Directus and your instance configuration. It should typically be called at the beginning of each session.
This tool works like a system prompt for LLMs, but it's delivered as a tool call instead of being built into the conversation. The AI is instructed to call this tool first to load Directus-specific knowledge into the conversation context. It won't override any system prompts or instructions from your MCP client.
You can customize the system prompt or disable it entirely in Settings → AI → Model Context Protocol.
Best Practices
When working with the Directus MCP server tools:
- Reference your Directus instance: Mention
my Directus instanceormy Directus projectto help the AI understand it should use tools. - AI handles context automatically: The AI should call system prompt and schema tools as needed based on your requests.
- Use scoped permissions: Create dedicated MCP users with minimal required permissions.
- Test in development: Try operations in a development environment first.
- Review AI actions: Always check what the AI is doing before approving tool calls.
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