ToolSets Overview
ToolSets are named, curated collections of AI tools that serve as the unit of deployment for MCP servers. When you deploy an MCP server, you deploy a ToolSet's tools. Think of a ToolSet as a "package" of related tools that an AI agent will have access to.
What Are ToolSets?
A ToolSet groups one or more tools into a single, manageable unit. Instead of deploying tools individually, you assemble the tools an AI agent needs into a ToolSet and then deploy that ToolSet as an MCP server. This approach gives you fine-grained control over which tools an agent can access, while keeping deployment simple.
ToolSets are flexible -- you can create a ToolSet for a specific domain (e.g., "Sales Data Tools"), a specific team (e.g., "Finance Team Toolkit"), or a specific use case (e.g., "Customer Support Agent"). You can also mix Nexla-generated tools with external tools brought in through the MCP Gateway.
Key Properties
Every ToolSet has the following properties:
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | A human-readable name that identifies the ToolSet. |
| Description | An optional summary of the ToolSet's purpose and the tools it contains. |
| Tags | Optional labels for organizing and filtering ToolSets. |
| Status | Either active or paused. Controls whether the ToolSet's tools are available for use. |
| Manifest | An internal snapshot of the tools and their versions included in the ToolSet. |
| MCP Server Key | A readable URL identifier used when deploying the ToolSet as an MCP server. |
ToolSet Manifest
The manifest is an internal snapshot that tracks exactly which tools and which versions of those tools are included in the ToolSet. Each entry in the manifest records the tool ID, a version selector, and the resolved semantic version.
When you add or remove tools from a ToolSet, the manifest is automatically updated. This ensures consistent, reproducible deployments -- every MCP server deployed from a ToolSet uses the exact same set of tool versions recorded in the manifest.
You do not need to manage the manifest directly. Nexla updates it automatically whenever you modify the ToolSet's tool list. The manifest exists to guarantee that deployments are deterministic and auditable.
Relationship to MCP Servers
Deploying a ToolSet creates an MCP Server (referred to as an "export" in the Nexla Platform). The MCP Server exposes all of the ToolSet's tools to AI agents via the Model Context Protocol.
A single ToolSet can have multiple exports, allowing you to create separate MCP server instances for different purposes:
- Environment isolation -- Deploy to
dev,stage, andprodenvironments independently. - Authentication methods -- Create exports with different auth configurations (service key, OAuth).
- Access control -- Provide different teams or agents with their own server endpoints.
Changes to the ToolSet's tools automatically cascade to its exports. When you add or remove a tool from a ToolSet, all active MCP server exports reflect the updated tool list.
ToolSet Lifecycle
ToolSets support two statuses that control their availability:
- Active -- The ToolSet is fully operational. Its tools are available for use, and MCP server exports accept new connections.
- Paused -- The ToolSet is temporarily disabled. Pausing a ToolSet does not disconnect existing MCP server connections, but it prevents new connections from being established.
You can toggle between active and paused at any time. This is useful for maintenance windows, incident response, or temporarily disabling access to a set of tools without deleting the ToolSet.
Next Steps
- Create & Manage ToolSets -- Learn how to create, configure, and manage ToolSets in the Nexla Platform.
- MCP Servers -- Learn how to deploy ToolSets as MCP servers and manage server instances.
- ToolSets API -- Programmatically manage ToolSets using the REST API.