Which client?
Web
The problem
If you just want to try a remote MCP server in Inspector, the docs leave you with one extra job: finding or setting up a server first. The HTTP example uses https://api.example.com/mcp, and the default Web examples run locally. The updated docs from #1803 use placeholder remote URLs too.
It would be helpful to have one example you can actually connect to, list its tools, and make a call without setting up a server or getting an API key. That gives someone learning Inspector a concrete starting point before trying their own server.
Solution you have in mind (optional)
Could we add a short walkthrough next to the HTTP example? Just connect to a public server, run tools/list, then make one simple tool call and look at the result. Inspector already supports all of this; the change would only be in the docs.
I work on Parallel, and our Search MCP is one option: https://search.parallel.ai/mcp is free to try without an API key. The walkthrough could use Streamable HTTP with the default legacy protocol era, list web_search and web_fetch, then call web_search with:
{"objective":"Find the official Model Context Protocol documentation","search_queries":["Model Context Protocol official documentation"]}This would be something the reader chooses to try, not a default connection or part of the test suite. We should mention that queries go to Parallel, results can change, and the service has free-tier limits and can be unavailable. It is a useful comparison point, not a guarantee that a failed call means Inspector is broken.
Would a small example like this fit the configuration guide?
Alternatives or workarounds you have tried
The local samples are useful for controlled testing, but they do not show a remote connection. This suggestion came from reading the guides, not from a recurring bug or user reports.
I checked #1803 and the current client docs. I also checked the public endpoint directly: the handshake, tool listing, and search above worked without a key. I have not run the walkthrough through Inspector yet.
Already built it locally?
No. This is a documentation-only suggestion; I have not built a local change.
Before you submit
Which client?
Web
The problem
If you just want to try a remote MCP server in Inspector, the docs leave you with one extra job: finding or setting up a server first. The HTTP example uses
https://api.example.com/mcp, and the default Web examples run locally. The updated docs from #1803 use placeholder remote URLs too.It would be helpful to have one example you can actually connect to, list its tools, and make a call without setting up a server or getting an API key. That gives someone learning Inspector a concrete starting point before trying their own server.
Solution you have in mind (optional)
Could we add a short walkthrough next to the HTTP example? Just connect to a public server, run
tools/list, then make one simple tool call and look at the result. Inspector already supports all of this; the change would only be in the docs.I work on Parallel, and our Search MCP is one option:
https://search.parallel.ai/mcpis free to try without an API key. The walkthrough could use Streamable HTTP with the default legacy protocol era, listweb_searchandweb_fetch, then callweb_searchwith:{"objective":"Find the official Model Context Protocol documentation","search_queries":["Model Context Protocol official documentation"]}This would be something the reader chooses to try, not a default connection or part of the test suite. We should mention that queries go to Parallel, results can change, and the service has free-tier limits and can be unavailable. It is a useful comparison point, not a guarantee that a failed call means Inspector is broken.
Would a small example like this fit the configuration guide?
Alternatives or workarounds you have tried
The local samples are useful for controlled testing, but they do not show a remote connection. This suggestion came from reading the guides, not from a recurring bug or user reports.
I checked #1803 and the current client docs. I also checked the public endpoint directly: the handshake, tool listing, and search above worked without a key. I have not run the walkthrough through Inspector yet.
Already built it locally?
No. This is a documentation-only suggestion; I have not built a local change.
Before you submit