Skip to main content

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pawtograder.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

​
MCP Server & AI Assistance

Pawtograder includes a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants to help instructors and TAs support students who are struggling with programming assignments.

​
Overview

The MCP server provides AI assistants with secure, authenticated access to course data, allowing them to:
  • Fetch help requests and discussion threads
  • Access student submissions and test results
  • Review build output and error messages
  • Provide context-aware assistance to course staff
All access is controlled through Supabase OAuth authentication and restricted to instructors and graders only.

​
Features

​
Authentication & Security

  • Supabase OAuth: Secure authentication using your Pawtograder account
  • Role-based access: Only instructors and graders can use the MCP server
  • Privacy protection: Never exposes sensitive user data or private profile information
  • Row-level security: All database queries respect Supabase RLS policies

​
Available Tools

The MCP server provides the following tools for AI assistants:

​
Help Request Tools

  • Fetch help requests: Retrieve active and resolved help requests from office hours queues
  • Get discussion threads: Access discussion board posts and replies
  • View chat history: Read conversation history between students and staff

​
Assignment Tools

  • Fetch submissions: Access student code submissions for specific assignments
  • Get test results: Retrieve autograder test output and results
  • View build output: Access compilation errors and build logs

​
Context Tools

  • Assignment handouts: Access assignment descriptions and requirements via the handout_url field
  • Course information: Retrieve course settings and configuration

​
AI Help Button

Course staff can access AI assistance directly from:
  • Help request chat: Click the “AI Help” button in the help request interface
  • Discussion threads: Use AI assistance when responding to student questions
The AI Help button generates an MCP context URL that can be used with any MCP-compatible client (such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, or other AI development tools).

​
Setup

​
Local Development

When running Supabase locally, the MCP server is automatically available at: 
http://127.0.0.1:54321/mcp
This URL is displayed in the output when you run npx supabase start.

​
Configuration

The MCP server requires the following database schema additions:

​
Assignment Handout URL

Assignments can include a handout_url field that points to the assignment description or requirements document. This provides AI assistants with context about what students are working on: 
ALTER TABLE assignments ADD COLUMN handout_url TEXT;
Update your assignments to include handout URLs: 
UPDATE assignments 
SET handout_url = 'https://example.com/assignments/hw1.pdf'
WHERE id = 'assignment-id';

​
Usage

​
For Course Staff

  1. Navigate to a help request or discussion thread where you want AI assistance
  2. Click the “AI Help” button in the interface
  3. Copy the generated MCP context URL
  4. Paste the URL into your MCP-compatible AI client (e.g., Claude Desktop)
  5. The AI assistant will have access to:
    • The student’s question or help request
    • Their code submission
    • Test results and error messages
    • Assignment requirements (if handout_url is configured)

​
For Developers

The MCP server is implemented as a Supabase Edge Function and follows the Model Context Protocol specification. You can extend it by:
  1. Adding new tools: Define additional MCP tools in the Edge Function
  2. Expanding data access: Add new database queries (respecting RLS policies)
  3. Customizing context: Modify what information is provided to AI assistants

​
Privacy & Data Protection

The MCP server is designed with privacy in mind:
  • No user table access: The server never queries the users table directly
  • No private profiles: The is_private_profile flag is never exposed
  • Instructor/grader only: Only authenticated course staff can access the MCP server
  • RLS enforcement: All database queries respect row-level security policies
  • Audit logging: MCP requests are logged for security and debugging

​
MCP-Compatible Clients

The MCP server works with any client that supports the Model Context Protocol:
  • Claude Desktop: Anthropic’s desktop application with MCP support
  • Cursor: AI-powered code editor with MCP integration
  • Custom clients: Build your own MCP client using the protocol specification

​
Troubleshooting

​
MCP server not accessible

  1. Verify Supabase is running: npx supabase status
  2. Check that Edge Functions are running: npx supabase functions serve
  3. Ensure you’re authenticated as an instructor or grader

​
AI assistant can’t access data

  1. Verify your account has instructor or grader role in the course
  2. Check that RLS policies allow access to the requested data
  3. Ensure the MCP context URL is correctly formatted

​
Missing assignment context

  1. Verify the assignment has a handout_url configured
  2. Check that the URL is accessible to the AI assistant
  3. Ensure the handout document is in a format the AI can read (PDF, Markdown, HTML)

​
Future Enhancements

Planned improvements to the MCP server include:
  • Expanded tool set: Additional tools for accessing course analytics and gradebook data
  • Real-time updates: Support for streaming updates to AI assistants
  • Custom prompts: Configurable system prompts for different types of assistance
  • Integration with autograder: Direct access to test case details and grading rubrics

​
title: “MCP Server for AI Assistance” description: “Configure and use the Model Context Protocol server to provide AI-powered assistance for course staff” icon: “brain-circuit”

​
MCP Server for AI Assistance

Pawtograder includes a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants to help course staff support students who are struggling with errors in their programming assignments.

​
Overview

The MCP server provides AI assistants with secure, authenticated access to:
  • Help requests and discussion threads
  • Student submissions and test results
  • Build output and error messages
  • Assignment context and requirements
This allows course staff to leverage AI tools to quickly understand student issues and provide more effective assistance.

​
Authentication

The MCP server uses Supabase OAuth authentication to ensure secure access. Only instructors and graders have access to the MCP server tools.
The MCP server never exposes sensitive user data such as the users table or private profile information. All data access is scoped to course-related information only.

​
Available Tools

The MCP server provides the following tools for AI assistants:

​
Help Request Tools

  • Fetch help requests: Retrieve active and historical help requests
  • View help request details: Access full context including chat history and student information
  • Get discussion threads: Access discussion board posts and replies

​
Submission Tools

  • Fetch submissions: Retrieve student submissions for assignments
  • View test results: Access autograder test output and results
  • Get build output: View compilation and build logs

​
Assignment Context

  • Assignment details: Access assignment descriptions and requirements
  • Handout URL: Retrieve assignment handout links for full context

​
Configuration

To enable AI assistance for your course:
  1. Ensure the MCP server is configured with Supabase OAuth credentials
  2. Add the handout_url field to assignments in the assignments table to provide assignment context
  3. Course staff will see an “AI Help” button in help request chats and discussion threads

​
Using AI Assistance

When viewing a help request or discussion thread, course staff can click the “AI Help” button to:
  1. Generate MCP context for the current conversation
  2. Use any MCP-compatible AI client to analyze the situation
  3. Get AI-powered insights and suggestions for helping the student
The AI assistant has access to all relevant context about the student’s submission, test failures, and the assignment requirements.

​
Privacy and Security

The MCP server is designed with privacy in mind:
  • Only instructors and graders can access MCP tools
  • Student personal information is protected
  • All access is logged and auditable
  • Data access is scoped to course-related information only

​
MCP-Compatible Clients

The MCP server works with any MCP-compatible AI client, including:
  • Claude Desktop
  • Custom MCP clients
  • Other AI assistants that support the Model Context Protocol
Refer to your AI client’s documentation for instructions on connecting to an MCP server.