Ably with Vercel AI SDK

How to integrate Ably MCP with Vercel AI SDK v6

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Introduction Also integrate Ably with TL;DR What is Vercel AI SDK What is the Ably MCP server Supported Tools & Triggers Creating MCP Server - Stand-alone vs Composio SDK Step-by-step Guide Complete Code Conclusion How to build Ably MCP Agent with another framework Explore Other Toolkits FAQ

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Introduction

This guide walks you through connecting Ably to Vercel AI SDK v6 using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Ably agent that can list all active channels and their details, get message history from 'support-chat' channel, show presence history for 'live-event' channel through natural language commands.

This guide will help you understand how to give your Vercel AI SDK agent real control over a Ably account through Composio's Ably MCP server.

Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

Also integrate Ably with

OpenAI Agents SDK Claude Agent SDK Claude Code Claude Cowork Codex OpenClaw Hermes CLI Google ADK LangChain Mastra AI LlamaIndex CrewAI

TL;DR

Here's what you'll learn:

How to set up and configure a Vercel AI SDK agent with Ably integration
Using Composio's Tool Router to dynamically load and access Ably tools
Creating an MCP client connection using HTTP transport
Building an interactive CLI chat interface with conversation history management
Handling tool calls and results within the Vercel AI SDK framework

What is Vercel AI SDK?

The Vercel AI SDK is a TypeScript library for building AI-powered applications. It provides tools for creating agents that can use external services and maintain conversation state.

Key features include:

streamText: Core function for streaming responses with real-time tool support
MCP Client: Built-in support for Model Context Protocol via @ai-sdk/mcp
Step Counting: Control multi-step tool execution with stopWhen: stepCountIs()
OpenAI Provider: Native integration with OpenAI models

What is the Ably MCP server, and what's possible with it?

The Ably MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Ably account. It provides structured and secure access to your real-time messaging infrastructure, so your agent can manage channels, monitor presence, analyze usage, and handle messaging workflows for your applications.

Channel management and creation: Seamlessly create, initialize, or retrieve real-time messaging channels so your agent can orchestrate chat, data sync, and collaboration features on demand.
Presence tracking and analytics: Ask your agent to query current presence states or review historical presence data across multiple channels, gaining insights into user activity and engagement patterns.
Message history and audit: Retrieve detailed message histories from any channel, enabling your agent to audit communication, recover missed messages, or analyze message flows for debugging and compliance.
Push notification subscription management: Let your agent list, manage, or unsubscribe devices from push notification channels, ensuring targeted and controlled delivery of real-time alerts to clients.
Application statistics and monitoring: Have your agent fetch in-depth usage metrics—like message counts, channel activity, and API request stats—so you can monitor health, optimize performance, and manage resources with confidence.

Supported Tools & Triggers

Tools

Query Batch PresenceThis tool enables querying the presence states of multiple channels in a single API request.

Query Batch Presence HistoryThis tool enables querying presence history for multiple channels in a single API request.

Delete Channel SubscriptionThis tool allows you to unsubscribe devices or clients from push notifications for specific channels.

Get Channel DetailsThis tool retrieves metadata and details for a specific channel in Ably.

Get Channel HistoryThis tool retrieves the message history for a specified Ably channel.

Get Channel PresenceTool to obtain the set of members currently present for a channel.

Get Message VersionsTool to retrieve all historical versions of a specific message from an Ably channel.

Get Channel Presence HistoryThis tool retrieves the history of presence messages for a specified channel in Ably.

Get Push Device RegistrationTool to get the full details of a device registration for push notifications.

Get Ably Service TimeThis tool retrieves the current server time from Ably's service in milliseconds since the epoch.

Get Application StatsThis tool retrieves your application's usage statistics from Ably.

List ChannelsTool to enumerate all active channels in the Ably application.

List Push ChannelsTool to list all channels with at least one subscribed device.

List Push Channel SubscriptionsThis tool retrieves a list of all push notification channel subscriptions.

List Registered Push DevicesTool to list all devices registered for receiving push notifications in your Ably application.

Patch Push Device RegistrationTool to partially update specific attributes of an existing device registration in Ably's push notification system.

Batch Publish MessagesTool to batch publish messages to multiple channels in parallel.

Publish Message to ChannelThis tool will allow users to publish a message to a specified Ably channel using a POST request.

Publish Push NotificationTool to publish a push notification directly to device(s) via Ably's Push Notifications API.

Batch Publish Push NotificationsTool to batch publish push notifications directly to specific recipients.

Request Access TokenRequest an access token for Ably authentication.

Unregister All Push DevicesTool to unregister matching devices for push notifications.

Unregister Push DeviceTool to unregister a single device from push notifications in Ably.

Update Push Device RegistrationTool to update (upsert) a device registration for push notifications in Ably.

What is the Composio tool router, and how does it fit here?

What is Composio SDK?

Composio's Composio SDK helps agents find the right tools for a task at runtime. You can plug in multiple toolkits (like Gmail, HubSpot, and GitHub), and the agent will identify the relevant app and action to complete multi-step workflows. This can reduce token usage and improve the reliability of tool calls. Read more here: Getting started with Composio SDK

The tool router generates a secure MCP URL that your agents can access to perform actions.

How the Composio SDK works

The Composio SDK follows a three-phase workflow:

Discovery: Searches for tools matching your task and returns relevant toolkits with their details.
Authentication: Checks for active connections. If missing, creates an auth config and returns a connection URL via Auth Link.
Execution: Executes the action using the authenticated connection.

Step-by-step Guide

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

Node.js and npm installed
A Composio account with API key
An OpenAI API key

Getting API Keys for OpenAI and Composio

OpenAI API Key

Go to the OpenAI dashboard and create an API key. You'll need credits to use the models, or you can connect to another model provider.
Keep the API key safe.

Composio API Key

Log in to the Composio dashboard.
Navigate to your API settings and generate a new API key.
Store this key securely as you'll need it for authentication.

Install required dependencies

bash

npm install @ai-sdk/openai @ai-sdk/mcp @composio/core ai dotenv

First, install the necessary packages for your project.

What you're installing:

@ai-sdk/openai: Vercel AI SDK's OpenAI provider
@ai-sdk/mcp: MCP client for Vercel AI SDK
@composio/core: Composio SDK for tool integration
ai: Core Vercel AI SDK
dotenv: Environment variable management

Set up environment variables

bash

OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key_here
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_composio_api_key_here
COMPOSIO_USER_ID=your_user_id_here

Create a .env file in your project root.

What's needed:

OPENAI_API_KEY: Your OpenAI API key for GPT model access
COMPOSIO_API_KEY: Your Composio API key for tool access
COMPOSIO_USER_ID: A unique identifier for the user session

Import required modules and validate environment

typescript

import "dotenv/config";
import { openai } from "@ai-sdk/openai";
import { Composio } from "@composio/core";
import * as readline from "readline";
import { streamText, type ModelMessage, stepCountIs } from "ai";
import { createMCPClient } from "@ai-sdk/mcp";

const composioAPIKey = process.env.COMPOSIO_API_KEY;
const composioUserID = process.env.COMPOSIO_USER_ID;

if (!process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY) throw new Error("OPENAI_API_KEY is not set");
if (!composioAPIKey) throw new Error("COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set");
if (!composioUserID) throw new Error("COMPOSIO_USER_ID is not set");

const composio = new Composio({
  apiKey: composioAPIKey,
});

What's happening:

We're importing all necessary libraries including Vercel AI SDK's OpenAI provider and Composio
The dotenv/config import automatically loads environment variables
The MCP client import enables connection to Composio's tool server

Create Tool Router session and initialize MCP client

typescript

async function main() {
  // Create a tool router session for the user
  const session = await composio.create(composioUserID!, {
    toolkits: ["ably"],
  });

  const mcpUrl = session.mcp.url;

What's happening:

We're creating a Tool Router session that gives your agent access to Ably tools
The create method takes the user ID and specifies which toolkits should be available
The returned mcp object contains the URL and authentication headers needed to connect to the MCP server
This session provides access to all Ably-related tools through the MCP protocol

Connect to MCP server and retrieve tools

typescript

const mcpClient = await createMCPClient({
  transport: {
    type: "http",
    url: mcpUrl,
    headers: session.mcp.headers, // Authentication headers for the Composio MCP server
  },
});

const tools = await mcpClient.tools();

What's happening:

We're creating an MCP client that connects to our Composio Tool Router session via HTTP
The mcp.url provides the endpoint, and mcp.headers contains authentication credentials
The type: "http" is important - Composio requires HTTP transport
tools() retrieves all available Ably tools that the agent can use

Initialize conversation and CLI interface

typescript

let messages: ModelMessage[] = [];

console.log("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end the conversation.\n");
console.log(
  "Ask any questions related to ably, like summarize my last 5 emails, send an email, etc... :)))\n",
);

const rl = readline.createInterface({
  input: process.stdin,
  output: process.stdout,
  prompt: "> ",
});

rl.prompt();

What's happening:

We initialize an empty messages array to maintain conversation history
A readline interface is created to accept user input from the command line
Instructions are displayed to guide the user on how to interact with the agent

Handle user input and stream responses with real-time tool feedback

typescript

rl.on("line", async (userInput: string) => {
  const trimmedInput = userInput.trim();

  if (["exit", "quit", "bye"].includes(trimmedInput.toLowerCase())) {
    console.log("\nGoodbye!");
    rl.close();
    process.exit(0);
  }

  if (!trimmedInput) {
    rl.prompt();
    return;
  }

  messages.push({ role: "user", content: trimmedInput });
  console.log("\nAgent is thinking...\n");

  try {
    const stream = streamText({
      model: openai("gpt-5"),
      messages,
      tools,
      toolChoice: "auto",
      stopWhen: stepCountIs(10),
      onStepFinish: (step) => {
        for (const toolCall of step.toolCalls) {
          console.log(`[Using tool: ${toolCall.toolName}]`);
          }
          if (step.toolCalls.length > 0) {
            console.log(""); // Add space after tool calls
          }
        },
      });

      for await (const chunk of stream.textStream) {
        process.stdout.write(chunk);
      }

      console.log("\n\n---\n");

      // Get final result for message history
      const response = await stream.response;
      if (response?.messages?.length) {
        messages.push(...response.messages);
      }
    } catch (error) {
      console.error("\nAn error occurred while talking to the agent:");
      console.error(error);
      console.log(
        "\nYou can try again or restart the app if it keeps happening.\n",
      );
    } finally {
      rl.prompt();
    }
  });

  rl.on("close", async () => {
    await mcpClient.close();
    console.log("\n👋 Session ended.");
    process.exit(0);
  });
}

main().catch((err) => {
  console.error("Fatal error:", err);
  process.exit(1);
});

What's happening:

We use streamText instead of generateText to stream responses in real-time
toolChoice: "auto" allows the model to decide when to use Ably tools
stopWhen: stepCountIs(10) allows up to 10 steps for complex multi-tool operations
onStepFinish callback displays which tools are being used in real-time
We iterate through the text stream to create a typewriter effect as the agent responds
The complete response is added to conversation history to maintain context
Errors are caught and displayed with helpful retry suggestions

Complete Code

Here's the complete code to get you started with Ably and Vercel AI SDK:

typescript

import "dotenv/config";
import { openai } from "@ai-sdk/openai";
import { Composio } from "@composio/core";
import * as readline from "readline";
import { streamText, type ModelMessage, stepCountIs } from "ai";
import { createMCPClient } from "@ai-sdk/mcp";

const composioAPIKey = process.env.COMPOSIO_API_KEY;
const composioUserID = process.env.COMPOSIO_USER_ID;

if (!process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY) throw new Error("OPENAI_API_KEY is not set");
if (!composioAPIKey) throw new Error("COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set");
if (!composioUserID) throw new Error("COMPOSIO_USER_ID is not set");

const composio = new Composio({
  apiKey: composioAPIKey,
});

async function main() {
  // Create a tool router session for the user
  const session = await composio.create(composioUserID!, {
    toolkits: ["ably"],
  });

  const mcpUrl = session.mcp.url;

  const mcpClient = await createMCPClient({
    transport: {
      type: "http",
      url: mcpUrl,
      headers: session.mcp.headers, // Authentication headers for the Composio MCP server
    },
  });

  const tools = await mcpClient.tools();

  let messages: ModelMessage[] = [];

  console.log("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end the conversation.\n");
  console.log(
    "Ask any questions related to ably, like summarize my last 5 emails, send an email, etc... :)))\n",
  );

  const rl = readline.createInterface({
    input: process.stdin,
    output: process.stdout,
    prompt: "> ",
  });

  rl.prompt();

  rl.on("line", async (userInput: string) => {
    const trimmedInput = userInput.trim();

    if (["exit", "quit", "bye"].includes(trimmedInput.toLowerCase())) {
      console.log("\nGoodbye!");
      rl.close();
      process.exit(0);
    }

    if (!trimmedInput) {
      rl.prompt();
      return;
    }

    messages.push({ role: "user", content: trimmedInput });
    console.log("\nAgent is thinking...\n");

    try {
      const stream = streamText({
        model: openai("gpt-5"),
        messages,
        tools,
        toolChoice: "auto",
        stopWhen: stepCountIs(10),
        onStepFinish: (step) => {
          for (const toolCall of step.toolCalls) {
            console.log(`[Using tool: ${toolCall.toolName}]`);
          }
          if (step.toolCalls.length > 0) {
            console.log(""); // Add space after tool calls
          }
        },
      });

      for await (const chunk of stream.textStream) {
        process.stdout.write(chunk);
      }

      console.log("\n\n---\n");

      // Get final result for message history
      const response = await stream.response;
      if (response?.messages?.length) {
        messages.push(...response.messages);
      }
    } catch (error) {
      console.error("\nAn error occurred while talking to the agent:");
      console.error(error);
      console.log(
        "\nYou can try again or restart the app if it keeps happening.\n",
      );
    } finally {
      rl.prompt();
    }
  });

  rl.on("close", async () => {
    await mcpClient.close();
    console.log("\n👋 Session ended.");
    process.exit(0);
  });
}

main().catch((err) => {
  console.error("Fatal error:", err);
  process.exit(1);
});

Conclusion

You've successfully built a Ably agent using the Vercel AI SDK with streaming capabilities! This implementation provides a powerful foundation for building AI applications with natural language interfaces and real-time feedback.

Key features of this implementation:

Real-time streaming responses for a better user experience with typewriter effect
Live tool execution feedback showing which tools are being used as the agent works
Dynamic tool loading through Composio's Tool Router with secure authentication
Multi-step tool execution with configurable step limits (up to 10 steps)
Comprehensive error handling for robust agent execution
Conversation history maintenance for context-aware responses

You can extend this further by adding custom error handling, implementing specific business logic, or integrating additional Composio toolkits to create multi-app workflows.

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TOOLKIT MARKETPLACE

FAQ

What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Ably MCP?

With a standalone Ably MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Ably tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Ably and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint.

Can I use Tool Router MCP with Vercel AI SDK v6?

Yes, you can. Vercel AI SDK v6 fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right Ably tools.

Can I manage the permissions and scopes for Ably while using Tool Router?

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Ably scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do.

How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router?

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Ably data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

Used by agents from

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We handle tool reliability, observability, and security so you never have to second-guess an agent action.

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Harsha GaddipatiCo-founder, Slashy

Karan skipped his own birthday party to fix our critical issue. It was 10 pm and he diverted his Waymo to help us instead. This really sets the bar, shows you the commitment you need to have when users rely on your software.

Abhi AryaCo-founder, Opennote

A lot of students tell us that the moment their connected tools start talking to each other inside Opennote feels almost magical. The agent just knows them, and it has immensely helped in keeping new users on the platform.

Nirman DaveCEO, Zams

We chose Composio over Pipedream because it delivered depth where it mattered. It supported niche tools and tricky edge cases that other platforms simply ignored. Giving us confidence to scale without compromising.

Ryan YuFounder, Extra Thursday

As a solo builder, shipping fast is life or death. The only way I can outcompete incumbents is by outmanoeuvring them. Getting bogged down in the complexities of managing agent auth would have been a death sentence for Extra Thursday.

Tomisin JenrolaFounder & CEO, SwarmZero

Before partnering with Composio, adding tool integrations was a slow, resource-intensive process. Each integration could take weeks or months of engineering time, and maintaining them meant constantly keeping up with API changes.

Jerome LeclancheCo-Founder, Ingram Technologies

With hands-on help from their founder, we integrated Gmail and Google Drive in just 30 minutes. This level of personal support and commitment is exactly what startups should strive for.

Harsha GaddipatiCo-founder, Slashy

Abhi AryaCo-founder, Opennote

Nirman DaveCEO, Zams

Ryan YuFounder, Extra Thursday

Tomisin JenrolaFounder & CEO, SwarmZero

Jerome LeclancheCo-Founder, Ingram Technologies

With hands-on help from their founder, we integrated Gmail and Google Drive in just 30 minutes. This level of personal support and commitment is exactly what startups should strive for.

Harsha GaddipatiCo-founder, Slashy

Abhi AryaCo-founder, Opennote

Nirman DaveCEO, Zams

Ryan YuFounder, Extra Thursday

Tomisin JenrolaFounder & CEO, SwarmZero

Jerome LeclancheCo-Founder, Ingram Technologies

With hands-on help from their founder, we integrated Gmail and Google Drive in just 30 minutes. This level of personal support and commitment is exactly what startups should strive for.

How to integrate Ably MCP with Vercel AI SDK v6

Table of Contents

Connect Ably without Auth hassles

Introduction

Also integrate Ably with

TL;DR

What is Vercel AI SDK?

What is the Ably MCP server, and what's possible with it?

Supported Tools & Triggers

What is the Composio tool router, and how does it fit here?

What is Composio SDK?

How the Composio SDK works

Step-by-step Guide

Prerequisites

Getting API Keys for OpenAI and Composio

Install required dependencies

Set up environment variables

Import required modules and validate environment

Create Tool Router session and initialize MCP client

Connect to MCP server and retrieve tools

Initialize conversation and CLI interface

Handle user input and stream responses with real-time tool feedback

Complete Code

Conclusion

How to build Ably MCP Agent with another framework

OpenAI Agents SDK

Claude Agent SDK

Claude Code

Claude Cowork

Codex

OpenClaw

Hermes

CLI

Google ADK

LangChain

Mastra AI

LlamaIndex

CrewAI

Explore Other Toolkits

Supabase

Codeinterpreter

GitHub

FAQ

What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Ably MCP?

Can I use Tool Router MCP with Vercel AI SDK v6?

Can I manage the permissions and scopes for Ably while using Tool Router?

How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router?

Used by agents from

Never worry about agent reliability