Add list_all_* helpers that drain pagination on the client

docs/advanced/pagination.md

@@ -50,6 +50,26 @@ Run its `main()` and it prints `100 resources`: ten pages of ten, stitched toget
 
 This is the same loop **[The Client](../client/index.md)** chapter showed you, and it costs nothing against a server that doesn't page: `next_cursor` is `None` on the first response and the loop runs once.
 
+## Draining in one call
+
+That loop is the same one in every client that pages, so `Client` ships it. The server here is the bookshop from before; only the client changed:
+
+```python title="client.py" hl_lines="27 31"
+--8<-- "docs_src/pagination/tutorial003.py"
+```
+
+* `list_all_resources()` walks `next_cursor` for you and hands back every page stitched into one list. There is one per pageable list: `list_all_tools`, `list_all_prompts`, `list_all_resources`, `list_all_resource_templates`.
+* `iter_all_resources()` yields one resource at a time and only fetches the next page when you ask for it, so you can stop early without dragging down the whole catalog. Same four: `iter_all_tools`, `iter_all_prompts`, and so on.
+* The single-page `list_*` methods are unchanged. Use them when you want one page and the cursor; use the drains when you want everything and don't want to own the loop.
+
+`ClientSessionGroup` aggregation drains the same way, so a group fronting several servers reports the full collection instead of each server's first page. That aggregator is **[Session groups](session-groups.md)**.
+
+!!! warning
+    A drain trusts the server to advance the cursor. A server that keeps returning the same
+    `next_cursor` it was handed would page forever, so the drains stop and raise `RuntimeError`
+    the moment a cursor fails to move. A page that does not advance is a broken server, and a
+    loud failure beats a silent hang or a half-read list.
+
 ## The three rules
 
 **Cursors are opaque.** A client must never parse, build, or guess one. The only legal source of a cursor is the previous page's `next_cursor`, verbatim.

docs_src/pagination/tutorial003.py

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+from typing import Any
+
+from mcp_types import ListResourcesResult, PaginatedRequestParams, Resource
+
+from mcp import Client
+from mcp.server import Server, ServerRequestContext
+
+BOOKS = [f"book-{n}" for n in range(1, 101)]
+
+PAGE_SIZE = 10
+
+
+async def list_books(ctx: ServerRequestContext[Any], params: PaginatedRequestParams | None) -> ListResourcesResult:
+    start = 0 if params is None or params.cursor is None else int(params.cursor)
+    end = start + PAGE_SIZE
+    page = [Resource(uri=f"books://catalog/{name}", name=name) for name in BOOKS[start:end]]
+    next_cursor = str(end) if end < len(BOOKS) else None
+    return ListResourcesResult(resources=page, next_cursor=next_cursor)
+
+
+server = Server("Bookshop", on_list_resources=list_books)
+
+
+async def main() -> None:
+    async with Client(server) as client:
+        # Every page, stitched into one list.
+        resources = await client.list_all_resources()
+        print(f"{len(resources)} resources")
+
+        # Or stream them, and stop as soon as you have what you need.
+        async for resource in client.iter_all_resources():
+            print(f"first: {resource.name}")
+            break

src/mcp/client/client.py

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from collections.abc import Awaitable, Callable, Mapping
+from collections.abc import AsyncIterator, Awaitable, Callable, Mapping
 from contextlib import AsyncExitStack
 from dataclasses import KW_ONLY, dataclass, field
 from typing import Any, Literal, TypeVar
@@ -26,11 +26,15 @@
     ListToolsResult,
     LoggingLevel,
     PaginatedRequestParams,
+    Prompt,
     PromptReference,
     ReadResourceResult,
     RequestParamsMeta,
+    Resource,
+    ResourceTemplate,
     ResourceTemplateReference,
     ServerCapabilities,
+    Tool,
 )
 from mcp_types.version import HANDSHAKE_PROTOCOL_VERSIONS, MODERN_PROTOCOL_VERSIONS
 from typing_extensions import deprecated
@@ -367,7 +371,11 @@ async def list_resources(
         cursor: str | None = None,
         meta: RequestParamsMeta | None = None,
     ) -> ListResourcesResult:
-        """List available resources from the server."""
+        """List a single page of available resources from the server.
+
+        Returns one page only. The result may include a `next_cursor` if more
+        pages are available. Use `list_all_resources` to drain every page.
+        """
         return await self.session.list_resources(params=PaginatedRequestParams(cursor=cursor, _meta=meta))
 
     async def list_resource_templates(
@@ -376,7 +384,12 @@ async def list_resource_templates(
         cursor: str | None = None,
         meta: RequestParamsMeta | None = None,
     ) -> ListResourceTemplatesResult:
-        """List available resource templates from the server."""
+        """List a single page of available resource templates from the server.
+
+        Returns one page only. The result may include a `next_cursor` if more
+        pages are available. Use `list_all_resource_templates` to drain every
+        page.
+        """
         return await self.session.list_resource_templates(params=PaginatedRequestParams(cursor=cursor, _meta=meta))
 
     async def read_resource(
@@ -482,7 +495,11 @@ async def list_prompts(
         cursor: str | None = None,
         meta: RequestParamsMeta | None = None,
     ) -> ListPromptsResult:
-        """List available prompts from the server."""
+        """List a single page of available prompts from the server.
+
+        Returns one page only. The result may include a `next_cursor` if more
+        pages are available. Use `list_all_prompts` to drain every page.
+        """
         return await self.session.list_prompts(params=PaginatedRequestParams(cursor=cursor, _meta=meta))
 
     async def get_prompt(
@@ -566,9 +583,130 @@ async def complete(
         return await self.session.complete(ref=ref, argument=argument, context_arguments=context_arguments)
 
     async def list_tools(self, *, cursor: str | None = None, meta: RequestParamsMeta | None = None) -> ListToolsResult:
-        """List available tools from the server."""
+        """List a single page of available tools from the server.
+
+        Returns one page only. The result may include a `next_cursor` if more
+        pages are available. Use `list_all_tools` to drain every page.
+        """
         return await self.session.list_tools(params=PaginatedRequestParams(cursor=cursor, _meta=meta))
 
+    async def iter_all_tools(self, *, meta: RequestParamsMeta | None = None) -> AsyncIterator[Tool]:
+        """Yield every tool from the server, paging through `next_cursor`.
+
+        Useful for streaming consumers that want to process tools without
+        materializing the full list in memory.
+
+        Raises:
+            RuntimeError: The server returned a pagination cursor that did not advance.
+        """
+        cursor: str | None = None
+        while True:
+            result = await self.list_tools(cursor=cursor, meta=meta)
+            for tool in result.tools:
+                yield tool
+            if result.next_cursor is None:
+                return
+            if result.next_cursor == cursor:
+                raise RuntimeError(
+                    "Server returned a pagination cursor that did not advance; refusing to page forever."
+                )
+            cursor = result.next_cursor
+
+    async def list_all_tools(self, *, meta: RequestParamsMeta | None = None) -> list[Tool]:
+        """List every tool from the server, draining `next_cursor` across pages.
+
+        Unlike `list_tools`, which returns one page, this walks pagination
+        until the server reports no further pages and returns the combined
+        list.
+
+        Raises:
+            RuntimeError: The server returned a pagination cursor that did not advance.
+        """
+        return [tool async for tool in self.iter_all_tools(meta=meta)]
+
+    async def iter_all_prompts(self, *, meta: RequestParamsMeta | None = None) -> AsyncIterator[Prompt]:
+        """Yield every prompt from the server, paging through `next_cursor`.
+
+        Raises:
+            RuntimeError: The server returned a pagination cursor that did not advance.
+        """
+        cursor: str | None = None
+        while True:
+            result = await self.list_prompts(cursor=cursor, meta=meta)
+            for prompt in result.prompts:
+                yield prompt
+            if result.next_cursor is None:
+                return
+            if result.next_cursor == cursor:
+                raise RuntimeError(
+                    "Server returned a pagination cursor that did not advance; refusing to page forever."
+                )
+            cursor = result.next_cursor
+
+    async def list_all_prompts(self, *, meta: RequestParamsMeta | None = None) -> list[Prompt]:
+        """List every prompt from the server, draining `next_cursor` across pages.
+
+        Raises:
+            RuntimeError: The server returned a pagination cursor that did not advance.
+        """
+        return [prompt async for prompt in self.iter_all_prompts(meta=meta)]
+
+    async def iter_all_resources(self, *, meta: RequestParamsMeta | None = None) -> AsyncIterator[Resource]:
+        """Yield every resource from the server, paging through `next_cursor`.
+
+        Raises:
+            RuntimeError: The server returned a pagination cursor that did not advance.
+        """
+        cursor: str | None = None
+        while True:
+            result = await self.list_resources(cursor=cursor, meta=meta)
+            for resource in result.resources:
+                yield resource
+            if result.next_cursor is None:
+                return
+            if result.next_cursor == cursor:
+                raise RuntimeError(
+                    "Server returned a pagination cursor that did not advance; refusing to page forever."
+                )
+            cursor = result.next_cursor
+
+    async def list_all_resources(self, *, meta: RequestParamsMeta | None = None) -> list[Resource]:
+        """List every resource from the server, draining `next_cursor` across pages.
+
+        Raises:
+            RuntimeError: The server returned a pagination cursor that did not advance.
+        """
+        return [resource async for resource in self.iter_all_resources(meta=meta)]
+
+    async def iter_all_resource_templates(
+        self, *, meta: RequestParamsMeta | None = None
+    ) -> AsyncIterator[ResourceTemplate]:
+        """Yield every resource template from the server, paging through `next_cursor`.
+
+        Raises:
+            RuntimeError: The server returned a pagination cursor that did not advance.
+        """
+        cursor: str | None = None
+        while True:
+            result = await self.list_resource_templates(cursor=cursor, meta=meta)
+            for template in result.resource_templates:
+                yield template
+            if result.next_cursor is None:
+                return
+            if result.next_cursor == cursor:
+                raise RuntimeError(
+                    "Server returned a pagination cursor that did not advance; refusing to page forever."
+                )
+            cursor = result.next_cursor
+
+    async def list_all_resource_templates(self, *, meta: RequestParamsMeta | None = None) -> list[ResourceTemplate]:
+        """List every resource template from the server, draining `next_cursor` across pages.
+
+        Raises:
+            RuntimeError: The server returned a pagination cursor that did not advance.
+        """
+        return [template async for template in self.iter_all_resource_templates(meta=meta)]
+
     @deprecated("The roots capability is deprecated as of 2026-07-28 (SEP-2577).", category=MCPDeprecationWarning)
     async def send_roots_list_changed(self) -> None:
         """Send a notification that the roots list has changed."""

src/mcp/client/session_group.py

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 import contextlib
 import logging
-from collections.abc import Callable
+from collections.abc import Awaitable, Callable
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from types import TracebackType
 from typing import Any, Literal, TypeAlias, overload
@@ -67,6 +67,28 @@ class StreamableHttpParameters(BaseModel):
 ServerParameters: TypeAlias = StdioServerParameters | SseServerParameters | StreamableHttpParameters
 
 
+async def _drain_paginated(
+    fetch_page: Callable[..., Awaitable[Any]],
+    attribute: str,
+) -> list[Any]:
+    """Drain a paginated `session.list_*` call across `next_cursor` pages.
+
+    `fetch_page` is one of the ClientSession `list_*` methods that takes a
+    `params=PaginatedRequestParams(...)` keyword. `attribute` is the name of
+    the list attribute on the result (e.g. `"tools"`, `"prompts"`).
+    """
+    items: list[Any] = []
+    cursor: str | None = None
+    while True:
+        params = types.PaginatedRequestParams(cursor=cursor) if cursor is not None else None
+        result = await fetch_page(params=params)
+        items.extend(getattr(result, attribute))
+        next_cursor = getattr(result, "next_cursor", None)
+        if next_cursor is None:
+            return items
+        cursor = next_cursor
+
+
 # Use dataclass instead of Pydantic BaseModel
 # because Pydantic BaseModel cannot handle Protocol fields.
 @dataclass
@@ -383,9 +405,11 @@ async def _aggregate_components(self, server_info: types.Implementation, session
         tools_temp: dict[str, types.Tool] = {}
         tool_to_session_temp: dict[str, mcp.ClientSession] = {}
 
-        # Query the server for its prompts and aggregate to list.
+        # Query the server for its prompts and aggregate to list. Drain
+        # pagination so we don't drop later pages on servers that split
+        # results across multiple `next_cursor` responses.
         try:
-            prompts = (await session.list_prompts()).prompts
+            prompts = await _drain_paginated(session.list_prompts, "prompts")
             for prompt in prompts:
                 name = self._component_name(prompt.name, server_info)
                 prompts_temp[name] = prompt
@@ -395,7 +419,7 @@ async def _aggregate_components(self, server_info: types.Implementation, session
 
         # Query the server for its resources and aggregate to list.
         try:
-            resources = (await session.list_resources()).resources
+            resources = await _drain_paginated(session.list_resources, "resources")
             for resource in resources:
                 name = self._component_name(resource.name, server_info)
                 resources_temp[name] = resource
@@ -405,7 +429,7 @@ async def _aggregate_components(self, server_info: types.Implementation, session
 
         # Query the server for its tools and aggregate to list.
         try:
-            tools = (await session.list_tools()).tools
+            tools = await _drain_paginated(session.list_tools, "tools")
             for tool in tools:
                 name = self._component_name(tool.name, server_info)
                 tools_temp[name] = tool