Expose your site's actions to AI agents using WebMCP
This talk introduces WebMCP (Web Manifest Capabilities Protocol), a method for web sites to expose their functional capabilities directly to AI agents. Instead of relying on agents to interpret the UI like a human, developers can register tools using plain JavaScript, defining explicit inputs and outputs via a schema. This allows agents to perform direct tool calls (e.g., 'Download report CSV') rather than attempting button interactions, significantly improving reliability for automated agent workflows.
Key takeaways
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Problem with Current AI Agent Interaction
AI agents often fail or go off course because they misinterpret the visual interface (UI) of a website, forcing them to interact like a human user.
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WebMCP Solution: Exposing Capabilities
WebMCP allows sites to explicitly expose what they can do. Developers register tools using plain JavaScript, providing a name, description, and function that performs the action.
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Reliable Agent Interaction via Schema
By defining explicit inputs and outputs (the schema), agents can bypass guesswork. They discover capabilities and execute direct tool calls, such as calling 'Download report CSV' directly.
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Alternative Exposure Methods
If JavaScript is not used, capabilities can be exposed by annotating supported HTML forms instead.