Toolset Profiles¶

KiCad MCP has 300+ tools. To reduce context token usage in AI agents, use toolset profiles to expose only the tools needed for each task.

integrations/common/toolsets.json is generated from the router profile source of truth (src/kicad_mcp/tools/router.py) by scripts/build_toolsets.py; each toolset resolves to a router profile (and operating mode). Do not edit it by hand — run pnpm run toolsets:build. CI enforces it never drifts (pnpm run toolsets:check) and that every listed tool is really registered.

Available Toolsets¶

Profile	Router profile / mode	Tools	Use Case
`readonly`	`agent_full` / readonly	183	Inspection, ERC/DRC, quality gates
`schematic`	`schematic`	173	Schematic design, library, export
`pcb_layout`	`pcb_only`	112	PCB layout and routing
`manufacturing`	`manufacturing`	110	Gerber export, DFM, BOM, release
`simulation`	`simulation`	154	SPICE simulation
`high_speed`	`high_speed`	268	High-speed design review
`full_write`	`agent_full` / experimental	328	Full unrestricted access (dangerous)

Counts are derived; refresh this table from toolsets.json when profiles change.

Using Toolsets¶

Codex CLI¶

[mcp_servers.kicad]
enabled_tools = ["kicad_get_project_info", "project_quality_gate", "run_erc", "run_drc"]

Gemini CLI¶

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kicad": {
      "includeTools": ["kicad_get_project_info", "project_quality_gate"]
    }
  }
}

OpenCode¶

{
  "agent": {
    "pcb-review": {
      "tools": { "kicad_*": true }
    }
  }
}

VS Code¶

{
  "sandbox": {
    "filesystem": { "allowWrite": ["${workspaceFolder}"] }
  }
}

Why Use Toolsets?¶

Reduces context token usage by MCP server tool registration
Prevents accidental destructive operations
Keeps agent focused on the task at hand
Improves discovery latency (fewer tools to list)

References¶

integrations/common/toolsets.json — machine-readable toolset definitions
integrations/common/profiles.md — deployment profiles