Support resource subscriptions per MCP specification

## Motivation and Context

The MCP specification defines `resources/subscribe`, `resources/unsubscribe`,
and `notifications/resources/updated` for clients to monitor resource changes:
https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-03-26/server/resources#subscriptions

The Ruby SDK had stub (no-op) handlers but provided no way for server developers to
customize subscription behavior or send update notifications.

Following the Python SDK approach, the SDK does not track subscription state internally.
Server developers register handler blocks and manage their own subscription state,
allowing flexibility for different subscription semantics
(per-session tracking, persistence, debouncing, etc.).

Three methods are added:

- `Server#resources_subscribe_handler`: registers a handler for
  `resources/subscribe` requests
- `Server#resources_unsubscribe_handler`: registers a handler for
  `resources/unsubscribe` requests
- `ServerSession#notify_resources_updated`: sends a
  `notifications/resources/updated` notification to the subscribing client

`ServerContext#notify_resources_updated` is also added so that tool handlers
can send the notification scoped to the originating session.

## How Has This Been Tested?

All tests pass (`rake test`), RuboCop is clean. New tests cover custom handler registration
for `resources/subscribe` and `resources/unsubscribe`, session-scoped `notify_resources_updated` notifications,
error handling, and `ServerContext` delegation.

## Breaking Changes

None.

Author: koic

README.md

@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ It implements the Model Context Protocol specification, handling model context r
 - `resources/list` - Lists all registered resources and their schemas
 - `resources/read` - Retrieves a specific resource by name
 - `resources/templates/list` - Lists all registered resource templates and their schemas
+- `resources/subscribe` - Subscribes to updates for a specific resource
+- `resources/unsubscribe` - Unsubscribes from updates for a specific resource
 - `completion/complete` - Returns autocompletion suggestions for prompt arguments and resource URIs
 - `roots/list` - Requests filesystem roots from the client (server-to-client)
 - `sampling/createMessage` - Requests LLM completion from the client (server-to-client)
@@ -958,6 +960,44 @@ end
 - Raises `RuntimeError` if client does not support `roots` capability
 - Raises `StandardError` if client returns an error response
 
+### Resource Subscriptions
+
+Resource subscriptions allow clients to monitor specific resources for changes.
+When a subscribed resource is updated, the server sends a notification to the client.
+
+The SDK does not track subscription state internally.
+Server developers register handlers and manage their own subscription state.
+Three methods are provided:
+
+- `Server#resources_subscribe_handler` - registers a handler for `resources/subscribe` requests
+- `Server#resources_unsubscribe_handler` - registers a handler for `resources/unsubscribe` requests
+- `ServerContext#notify_resources_updated` - sends a `notifications/resources/updated` notification to the subscribing client
+
+```ruby
+subscribed_uris = Set.new
+
+server = MCP::Server.new(
+  name: "my_server",
+  resources: [my_resource],
+  capabilities: { resources: { subscribe: true } },
+)
+
+server.resources_subscribe_handler do |params|
+  subscribed_uris.add(params[:uri].to_s)
+end
+
+server.resources_unsubscribe_handler do |params|
+  subscribed_uris.delete(params[:uri].to_s)
+end
+
+server.define_tool(name: "update_resource") do |server_context:, **args|
+  if subscribed_uris.include?("test://my-resource")
+    server_context.notify_resources_updated(uri: "test://my-resource")
+  end
+  MCP::Tool::Response.new([MCP::Content::Text.new("Resource updated").to_h])
+end
+```
+
 ### Sampling
 
 The Model Context Protocol allows servers to request LLM completions from clients through the `sampling/createMessage` method.
@@ -1503,10 +1543,6 @@ end
 - Raises `MCP::Server::MethodAlreadyDefinedError` if trying to override an existing method
 - Supports the same exception reporting and instrumentation as standard methods
 
-### Unsupported Features (to be implemented in future versions)
-
-- Resource subscriptions
-
 ## Building an MCP Client
 
 The `MCP::Client` class provides an interface for interacting with MCP servers.

conformance/server.rb

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 require "rackup"
 require "json"
+require "set"
 require "uri"
 require_relative "../lib/mcp"
 
@@ -539,6 +540,7 @@ def configure_handlers(server)
       server.server_context = server
 
       configure_resources_read_handler(server)
+      configure_subscription_handlers(server)
       configure_completion_handler(server)
     end
 
@@ -609,6 +611,18 @@ def configure_completion_handler(server)
       end
     end
 
+    def configure_subscription_handlers(server)
+      subscribed_uris = Set.new
+
+      server.resources_subscribe_handler do |params|
+        subscribed_uris.add(params[:uri].to_s)
+      end
+
+      server.resources_unsubscribe_handler do |params|
+        subscribed_uris.delete(params[:uri].to_s)
+      end
+    end
+
     def build_rack_app(transport)
       mcp_app = proc do |env|
         request = Rack::Request.new(env)

lib/mcp/server.rb

@@ -117,6 +117,8 @@ def initialize(
         Methods::RESOURCES_LIST => method(:list_resources),
         Methods::RESOURCES_READ => method(:read_resource_no_content),
         Methods::RESOURCES_TEMPLATES_LIST => method(:list_resource_templates),
+        Methods::RESOURCES_SUBSCRIBE => ->(_) { {} },
+        Methods::RESOURCES_UNSUBSCRIBE => ->(_) { {} },
         Methods::TOOLS_LIST => method(:list_tools),
         Methods::TOOLS_CALL => method(:call_tool),
         Methods::PROMPTS_LIST => method(:list_prompts),
@@ -128,10 +130,6 @@ def initialize(
         Methods::NOTIFICATIONS_ROOTS_LIST_CHANGED => ->(_) {},
         Methods::COMPLETION_COMPLETE => ->(_) { DEFAULT_COMPLETION_RESULT },
         Methods::LOGGING_SET_LEVEL => method(:configure_logging_level),
-
-        # No op handlers for currently unsupported methods
-        Methods::RESOURCES_SUBSCRIBE => ->(_) { {} },
-        Methods::RESOURCES_UNSUBSCRIBE => ->(_) { {} },
       }
       @transport = transport
     end
@@ -258,6 +256,24 @@ def completion_handler(&block)
       @handlers[Methods::COMPLETION_COMPLETE] = block
     end
 
+    # Sets a custom handler for `resources/subscribe` requests.
+    # The block receives the parsed request params. The return value is
+    # ignored; the response is always an empty result `{}` per the MCP specification.
+    #
+    # @yield [params] The request params containing `:uri`.
+    def resources_subscribe_handler(&block)
+      @handlers[Methods::RESOURCES_SUBSCRIBE] = block
+    end
+
+    # Sets a custom handler for `resources/unsubscribe` requests.
+    # The block receives the parsed request params. The return value is
+    # ignored; the response is always an empty result `{}` per the MCP specification.
+    #
+    # @yield [params] The request params containing `:uri`.
+    def resources_unsubscribe_handler(&block)
+      @handlers[Methods::RESOURCES_UNSUBSCRIBE] = block
+    end
+
     def build_sampling_params(
       capabilities,
       messages:,
@@ -391,6 +407,9 @@ def handle_request(request, method, session: nil, related_request_id: nil)
             init(params, session: session)
           when Methods::RESOURCES_READ
             { contents: @handlers[Methods::RESOURCES_READ].call(params) }
+          when Methods::RESOURCES_SUBSCRIBE, Methods::RESOURCES_UNSUBSCRIBE
+            @handlers[method].call(params)
+            {}
           when Methods::TOOLS_CALL
             call_tool(params, session: session, related_request_id: related_request_id)
           when Methods::COMPLETION_COMPLETE

lib/mcp/server_context.rb

@@ -30,6 +30,15 @@ def notify_log_message(data:, level:, logger: nil)
       @notification_target.notify_log_message(data: data, level: level, logger: logger, related_request_id: @related_request_id)
     end
 
+    # Sends a resource updated notification scoped to the originating session.
+    #
+    # @param uri [String] The URI of the updated resource.
+    def notify_resources_updated(uri:)
+      return unless @notification_target
+
+      @notification_target.notify_resources_updated(uri: uri)
+    end
+
     # Delegates to the session so the request is scoped to the originating client.
     def list_roots
       if @notification_target.respond_to?(:list_roots)

lib/mcp/server_session.rb

@@ -85,6 +85,13 @@ def notify_elicitation_complete(elicitation_id:)
       @server.report_exception(e, notification: "elicitation_complete")
     end
 
+    # Sends a resource updated notification to this session only.
+    def notify_resources_updated(uri:)
+      send_to_transport(Methods::NOTIFICATIONS_RESOURCES_UPDATED, { "uri" => uri })
+    rescue => e
+      @server.report_exception(e, notification: "resources_updated")
+    end
+
     # Sends a progress notification to this session only.
     def notify_progress(progress_token:, progress:, total: nil, message: nil, related_request_id: nil)
       params = {

test/mcp/server_context_test.rb

@@ -192,6 +192,23 @@ def context.custom_method
       assert_nothing_raised { server_context.notify_log_message(data: "test", level: "info") }
     end
 
+    test "ServerContext#notify_resources_updated delegates to notification_target" do
+      notification_target = mock
+      notification_target.expects(:notify_resources_updated).with(uri: "test://resource-1").once
+
+      progress = Progress.new(notification_target: notification_target, progress_token: nil)
+      server_context = ServerContext.new(nil, progress: progress, notification_target: notification_target)
+
+      server_context.notify_resources_updated(uri: "test://resource-1")
+    end
+
+    test "ServerContext#notify_resources_updated is a no-op when notification_target is nil" do
+      progress = Progress.new(notification_target: nil, progress_token: nil)
+      server_context = ServerContext.new(nil, progress: progress, notification_target: nil)
+
+      assert_nothing_raised { server_context.notify_resources_updated(uri: "test://resource-1") }
+    end
+
     # Tool without server_context parameter
     class SimpleToolWithoutContext < Tool
       tool_name "simple_without_context"

test/mcp/server_test.rb

@@ -2233,6 +2233,72 @@ class Example < Tool
       )
     end
 
+    test "#handle resources/subscribe with custom handler calls the handler" do
+      server = Server.new(
+        name: "test_server",
+        capabilities: { resources: { subscribe: true } },
+      )
+
+      received_params = nil
+      server.resources_subscribe_handler do |params|
+        received_params = params
+        {}
+      end
+
+      server.handle({ jsonrpc: "2.0", method: "initialize", id: 1 })
+      server.handle({ jsonrpc: "2.0", method: "notifications/initialized" })
+
+      response = server.handle({
+        jsonrpc: "2.0",
+        id: 2,
+        method: "resources/subscribe",
+        params: { uri: "https://example.com/resource" },
+      })
+
+      assert_equal(
+        {
+          jsonrpc: "2.0",
+          id: 2,
+          result: {},
+        },
+        response,
+      )
+      assert_equal "https://example.com/resource", received_params[:uri]
+    end
+
+    test "#handle resources/unsubscribe with custom handler calls the handler" do
+      server = Server.new(
+        name: "test_server",
+        capabilities: { resources: { subscribe: true } },
+      )
+
+      received_params = nil
+      server.resources_unsubscribe_handler do |params|
+        received_params = params
+        {}
+      end
+
+      server.handle({ jsonrpc: "2.0", method: "initialize", id: 1 })
+      server.handle({ jsonrpc: "2.0", method: "notifications/initialized" })
+
+      response = server.handle({
+        jsonrpc: "2.0",
+        id: 2,
+        method: "resources/unsubscribe",
+        params: { uri: "https://example.com/resource" },
+      })
+
+      assert_equal(
+        {
+          jsonrpc: "2.0",
+          id: 2,
+          result: {},
+        },
+        response,
+      )
+      assert_equal "https://example.com/resource", received_params[:uri]
+    end
+
     test "tools/call with no args" do
       server = Server.new(tools: [@tool_with_no_args])