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Resources & Prompts: Use Cases

💡 New to Resources & Prompts? Read the User Guide first for fundamentals.

Overview

Resources and Prompts supercharge how AI agents interact with your MCP server. This guide shows real-world examples across different industries and use cases.

Common Use Cases

1. API Documentation as a Resource

Scenario: Your API has complex authentication flows that aren’t obvious from the OpenAPI spec. Solution: Create a resource with step-by-step auth instructions.
Impact: AI agents will correctly implement OAuth flows instead of guessing.

2. Business Rules as Resources

Scenario: Your API has business logic (e.g., “orders over $1000 require manager approval”). Solution: Create a “business-rules” resource documenting these constraints.
Impact: AI agents will validate requests before calling your API, reducing errors.

3. Response Formatting Prompts

Scenario: You want AI agents to always format responses in a specific way. Solution: Create a “format-response” prompt template.
Impact: Consistent, professional output every time.

4. Multi-Step Workflow Prompts

Scenario: Creating a user requires 3 API calls in a specific order. Solution: Create a workflow prompt that lists the steps.
Impact: AI agents will never skip steps or call endpoints out of order.

5. Error Handling Prompts

Scenario: Your API returns cryptic error codes that need translation. Solution: Create an “explain-error” prompt.
Impact: Users get helpful error messages instead of “Error 4012”.

6. Configuration Schemas as Resources

Scenario: Your API accepts complex configuration objects. Solution: Provide a JSON schema as a resource.
Impact: AI agents will only suggest valid configurations.

Industry-Specific Examples

E-Commerce APIs

Resources:
  • product-categories - Valid category IDs and hierarchy
  • shipping-rules - Shipping zones, rates, and restrictions
  • tax-rates - Tax calculation rules by region
  • inventory-status-codes - What each status means
Prompts:
  • create-order-workflow - Step-by-step order creation
  • process-refund - Refund handling with validation
  • generate-invoice - Consistent invoice formatting

Payment APIs

Resources:
  • supported-currencies - Valid currency codes and conversion rates
  • fee-structure - Transaction fees by payment method
  • compliance-rules - PCI DSS and regional compliance requirements
  • error-codes - Payment error codes and recovery actions
Prompts:
  • format-receipt - Standardized payment receipt
  • dispute-workflow - Chargeback handling steps
  • reconciliation-report - Daily settlement summary format

CRM APIs

Resources:
  • lead-stages - Valid pipeline stages and transitions
  • contact-fields - Custom field definitions
  • automation-triggers - Available automation events
  • permission-matrix - Role-based access rules
Prompts:
  • qualify-lead - Lead qualification questionnaire
  • meeting-summary - Standardized call notes format
  • follow-up-email - Template for follow-up communications

Analytics APIs

Resources:
  • metric-definitions - What each metric means
  • dimension-options - Valid grouping dimensions
  • date-range-limits - Maximum query ranges
  • aggregation-rules - How data is rolled up
Prompts:
  • weekly-report - Standard weekly metrics summary
  • anomaly-alert - Consistent anomaly notification format
  • comparison-analysis - Period-over-period comparison template

Project Management APIs

Resources:
  • project-templates - Available project templates
  • status-transitions - Valid status change rules
  • priority-definitions - What each priority level means
  • permission-levels - Who can do what
Prompts:
  • standup-summary - Daily standup report format
  • sprint-review - Sprint completion summary
  • risk-assessment - Standardized risk evaluation template

Advanced Patterns

Combining Resources and Prompts

Pattern: Reference resources within prompts for maximum effectiveness.

Dynamic Context Resources

Pattern: Include environment-specific information.

Validation Prompts

Pattern: Pre-validate before expensive operations.

Getting Started Checklist

  1. Start small — Add 1-2 resources and 1-2 prompts
  2. Focus on pain points — What questions do users ask most?
  3. Test with real scenarios — Have Claude use your resources and prompts
  4. Iterate based on usage — Check logs to see what’s being accessed
  5. Document patterns — Share successful templates with your team