@blankstate/mcp

Protocol-based sensing and validation for autonomous AI agents.

The Blankstate MCP Server exposes Blankstate measurement and Programmatic Dive as MCP tools. It lets any MCP-compatible agent (Cursor, Claude Desktop, and others) sense interactions against Blankstate Protocols, validate actions before executing them, run a Stage dive (open → act → status → close), and check quota status.

Protocols are universal sensors — the same protocol measures any content modality: conversations, commands, documents, agent actions. The measurement engine determines signal, not the input type.

Features

• Seven MCP tools: bks_sense, bks_validate, bks_status, plus bks_dive_open / bks_dive_act / bks_dive_status / bks_dive_close
• Token-only boot: npx -y @blankstate/mcp with only BLANKSTATE_API_TOKEN — Dive tools work without protocols
• Optional Stage default: Atlas copies BLANKSTATE_STAGE_ID into MCP env. bks_dive_open uses it when you omit stage_id
• Protocol and Metric support: Sense against a single Protocol or a Metric that aggregates multiple Protocols with weights
• SGM 1.0 and 1.5: Full output for both engine versions (resonance, evidence, and extended analysis in v1.5)
• Three modes: block (reject action), feedback (allow + suggest), audit (log only)
• Drop-in integration: Works with any MCP-compatible agent

Quick Start

1. Get an API Token

Sign up at atlas.blankstate.ai and generate an API token. Find your Protocol ID at API Dashboard → Explorer → /protocols.

2. Add to Your Agent Configuration

Mac / Linux:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "blankstate": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@blankstate/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "BLANKSTATE_API_TOKEN": "your-token-here",
        "BLANKSTATE_STAGE_ID": "stg_xxxxxxxx", // optional — default for bks_dive_open
        "BLANKSTATE_PROTOCOLS": "proto-xxxxxxxx-...:1.0" // optional — only for bks_sense / bks_validate
      }
    }
  }
}

Windows (Cursor / Claude Desktop):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "blankstate": {
      "command": "npx.cmd",
      "args": ["-y", "@blankstate/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "BLANKSTATE_API_TOKEN": "your-token-here",
        "BLANKSTATE_STAGE_ID": "stg_xxxxxxxx", // optional — default for bks_dive_open
        "BLANKSTATE_PROTOCOLS": "proto-xxxxxxxx-...:1.0" // optional — only for bks_sense / bks_validate
      }
    }
  }
}

Important: Use the actual Protocol UUID from Atlas (e.g. proto-6d28a7b8-...:0.1), not a friendly name. Find yours at Atlas → API Dashboard → Explorer → /protocols.
Token is required. Protocol and Stage id are optional.
Stage can work without protocol UUIDs.

3. Done

Your agent now has access to seven Blankstate tools. Dive works with the token alone. If Atlas filled in BLANKSTATE_STAGE_ID, bks_dive_open can run without passing stage_id.

MCP Tools

Once connected, your agent has these tools:

bks_sense

Measure any content against a Protocol or Metric. Returns a resonance score, per-metamarker breakdown, glass-box evidence, and fidelity assessment.

Input: content (required), protocol_id?, metric_id?, language?

Protocols are universal — they measure conversations, commands, documents, and agent actions the same way. v1.5 protocols provide extended signal analysis output.

When metric_id is provided, all component protocols are evaluated and scores are aggregated by weight into a single composite score.

bks_validate

Validate a proposed agent action (before executing it) against all configured Protocols and Metrics. The action arguments are content-extracted and evaluated.

Input: tool_name (required), tool_args (required)

Returns ALLOWED, BLOCKED (with evidence and matched nuances), or FEEDBACK depending on the configured mode. In block mode a blocked action is returned as an MCP error, stopping the agent from proceeding.

bks_status

Check API connectivity, authentication, remaining ICS credits, and the full list of configured Protocols and Metrics.

Input: (none)

bks_dive_open

Open a Programmatic Dive against a published Stage (POST /api/v1/dive/open). Returns dive_id, rules, the opening observation, and envelope.

Input: stage_id?, session_id?, password?, agent?, seed?

stage_id is optional when BLANKSTATE_STAGE_ID is set in MCP env. A tool argument still wins over the env default.

agent is { id?, version? } — your audit tag, not Blankstate's model.

bks_dive_act

Submit one action. turn is an idempotency key. Returns the next observation and running totals, or a StageCard if the dive auto-closes.

Input: dive_id (required), action (required string or DiveAction), turn?

bks_dive_status

Inspect an open or closed Dive without advancing the world.

Input: dive_id (required)

bks_dive_close

Close the Dive and emit the StageCard (POST /api/v1/dive/{dive_id}/close). Idempotent: closing an already-closed dive returns the same card.

Input: dive_id (required), summary?

Stage id is not baked into the npm package. Pass it on bks_dive_open, or set BLANKSTATE_STAGE_ID (Atlas MCP snippet) as the default. Use a Stage your token is entitled to dive (stg_… from Atlas).

Installation

For most users, no installation is needed. MCP-compatible agents run the package directly via npx @blankstate/mcp.

If you want to install globally:

npm install -g @blankstate/mcp

Configuration

Environment Variables

| Variable | Description | Default | | ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------- | | BLANKSTATE_API_TOKEN | Required. Bearer token from Atlas | | | BLANKSTATE_STAGE_ID | Optional. Default Stage for bks_dive_open (Atlas MCP tab) | | | BLANKSTATE_API_URL | Optional. Do not set this unless you need a custom host (local/dev). | https://api.blankstate.ai | | BLANKSTATE_PROTOCOLS | Optional. Comma separated Protocol IDs (sense / validate) | | | BLANKSTATE_METRICS | Optional. Comma separated Metric IDs | | | BLANKSTATE_THRESHOLD | Score threshold (0.0 to 1.0) | 0.7 | | BLANKSTATE_MODE | block, feedback, or audit | block |

Config File

For advanced configuration, create ~/.blankstate/config.json:

{
  "apiToken": "your-token-here",
  "stageId": "stg_xxxxxxxx",
  "defaultThreshold": 0.7,
  "defaultMode": "block",
  "protocols": [
    {
      "id": "circuit-breaker:1.0",
      "mode": "block",
      "threshold": 0.7,
      "tools": ["exec", "write"]
    },
    {
      "id": "code-quality:1.0",
      "mode": "feedback",
      "threshold": 0.5,
      "tools": ["write"]
    }
  ]
}

Protocol Configuration Options

| Option | Type | Description | | ----------- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | | id | string | Protocol ID with version (e.g., circuit-breaker:1.0) | | mode | block | feedback | | threshold | number | Score threshold (0.0 to 1.0) for triggering the action | | tools | string[] | Tool types this Protocol applies to |

Metric Configuration Options

| Option | Type | Description | | ----------- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------ | | id | string | Metric ID from Atlas | | mode | block | feedback | | threshold | number | Score threshold (overrides Atlas default if set) | | tools | string[] | Tool types this Metric applies to |

Tool Types

| Type | Description | | ----------- | ------------------------------------ | | exec | Shell commands, terminal execution | | write | File creation, modification, patches | | browser | Web navigation, form submission | | messaging | Email, Slack, Discord, etc. | | all | All tool types (default) |

Modes

Block Mode (Default)

When a Protocol triggers above the threshold, the tool call is rejected:

[BLANKSTATE] Action Blocked

Protocol: circuit-breaker:1.0
Nuances Matched: scope_violation, destructive_pattern
Evidence: targeting home directory with recursive deletion

Message: Action blocked by Protocol circuit-breaker:1.0.
The requested action has been suspended for safety review.

Feedback Mode

Tool call executes, but the agent receives improvement suggestions:

{
  "result": { ... },
  "blankstate_feedback": [
    {
      "source": "code-quality:1.0",
      "score": 0.65,
      "suggestions": ["missing_error_handling", "no_input_validation"]
    }
  ]
}

Use feedback mode to help agents write better code or follow best practices.

Audit Mode

Tool call executes and evaluations are logged for compliance tracking:

{
  "result": { ... },
  "blankstate_audit": [
    {
      "timestamp": "2026-01-31T12:00:00Z",
      "tool": "execute_command",
      "source": "compliance-check:1.0",
      "score": 0.3,
      "action": "allowed"
    }
  ]
}

Available Protocols

Browse available Protocols and their capabilities at doc.blankstate.ai/protocol-versions.

Circuit Breaker (circuit-breaker:1.0)

Designed for autonomous agent safety. Detects scope violations, destructive patterns, credential exposure, and risky communication patterns.

Custom Protocols

Create your own Protocols in Atlas and reference by ID:

{
  "protocols": [
    { "id": "my-org/custom-policy:1.0", "mode": "block" }
  ]
}

Metrics

Metrics aggregate multiple Protocols into a single weighted score. Metrics are defined in Atlas and referenced by ID:

{
  "metrics": [
    {
      "id": "agent-safety-score",
      "mode": "block",
      "threshold": 0.7
    }
  ]
}

The protocol weights and composition are managed in Atlas. The threshold here is optional and overrides the Atlas default if you need different behavior for MCP.

Use Metrics when you want to combine multiple Protocols with weights, or when you need a pre configured safety suite.

Programmatic Usage

You can also use the MCP server programmatically:

import { BlankstateMCPServer, loadConfig } from '@blankstate/mcp';

const config = loadConfig();
const server = new BlankstateMCPServer(config);

await server.start();

Or use the tool wrapper directly:

import { createToolWrapper, loadConfig } from '@blankstate/mcp';

const config = loadConfig();
const wrapper = createToolWrapper(config);

// Before executing a tool
const result = await wrapper.wrapToolCall('execute_command', {
  command: 'rm -rf ~/',
});

if (result.blocked) {
  console.error('Blocked:', result.result?.message);
} else {
  // Proceed with execution
}

Integration Examples

MCP Compatible Agents

Any agent that supports the Model Context Protocol can use Blankstate. Add to your agent's MCP configuration file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "blankstate": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@blankstate/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "BLANKSTATE_API_TOKEN": "your-token",
        "BLANKSTATE_STAGE_ID": "stg_xxxxxxxx",
        "BLANKSTATE_PROTOCOLS": "circuit-breaker:1.0"
      }
    }
  }
}

The exact config file location depends on your agent. Common locations:

• ~/.config/<agent>/config.json
• ~/<agent>/settings.json

Direct API Integration

For agents without MCP support, you can call the Blankstate API directly. See the API documentation for details.

ICS Billing

Blankstate uses ICS (Interaction Computed Signal) billing:

• ICS consumed only on detection: no charge for tool calls that pass validation
• Usage tracked per API token in the Atlas dashboard
• Credits managed in Atlas: individual accounts receive monthly free credits

This means you can monitor thousands of tool calls and only pay when something is caught. Pricing and credit allocation are configured in your Atlas account.

Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      YOUR MACHINE                                │
│                                                                  │
│  ┌────────────────┐         ┌──────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │   Agent        │  MCP    │   @blankstate/mcp            │    │
│  │   (Any MCP     │ ──────> │                              │    │
│  │   compatible   │         │  Intercepts tool calls       │    │
│  │   agent)       │         │  Calls configured Protocols  │    │
│  └────────────────┘         │  Applies mode decisions      │    │
│                             └──────────────┬───────────────┘    │
│                                            │                     │
└────────────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────┘
                                             │
                                             │ HTTPS + Bearer Token
                                             ▼
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    BLANKSTATE CLOUD                              │
│                                                                  │
│   Protocol evaluation (pure sensors)                             │
│   Returns score, nuances, evidence                               │
│                                                                  │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Contributing

git clone https://github.com/blankstate-ai/blankstate-node.git
cd blankstate-node
npm install
npm run build

Troubleshooting

Issue in Cursor / Claude Desktop (Windows)

On Windows, npx is npx.cmd and requires an explicit extension when spawned directly. Use "command": "npx.cmd" instead of "command": "npx" in your MCP config.

"Missing API token"

Set BLANKSTATE_API_TOKEN in the env block of your MCP config, or in ~/.blankstate/config.json.

"stage_id" is required unless BLANKSTATE_STAGE_ID is set

bks_dive_open needs a Stage. Pass stage_id on the tool call, or set BLANKSTATE_STAGE_ID in MCP env (Atlas copies this on the Stage page).

"No protocol or metric configured" (on bks_sense / bks_validate)

The server boots with a token alone. bks_sense and bks_validate still need a protocol or metric at call time. Set BLANKSTATE_PROTOCOLS or BLANKSTATE_METRICS in the env block:

"BLANKSTATE_PROTOCOLS": "proto-xxxxxxxx-...:1.0"

Both can be set at the same time. Protocols are evaluated directly; Metrics aggregate multiple protocols. Dive tools do not need this.

Protocol ID format

Use the UUID-based ID from Atlas (e.g. proto-6d....:0.2), not a friendly name. Find your Protocol ID at Atlas → API Dashboard → Explorer → /protocols.

"API request failed: 401"

Token is invalid or expired. Generate a new one at atlas.blankstate.ai.

"API request failed: 404"

Protocol not found. Verify the ID and version exist in your Atlas account.

Links

• Blankstate
• Atlas Dashboard
• API Reference
• GitHub Issues

License

MIT License. See LICENSE for details.