Model context protocol integration with microsoft semantic kernel

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) aims to standardize connections between AI systems and data sources. This post demonstrates integrating mcp-playwright with Semantic Kernel and phi4-mini (via Ollama) for browser automation.

Setting up the Playwright MCP Server

1. Install the MCP Playwright package:
   

   npm install @playwright/mcp 

2. Add a script to package.json:
   

   { "scripts": { "server": "npx @playwright/mcp --port 8931" } } 

3. Start the server:
   

   npm run server 

   This will launch the Playwright MCP server, displaying the port and endpoints in the console.

Running phi4-mini with Ollama for Function Calling

For reliable function calling, phi4-mini:latest (as of March 27, 2025) requires a custom Modelfile.

1. Create a custom Modelfile: (See example)

2. Create the model in Ollama:
   

   ollama create phi4-mini:latest -f <path/to/Modelfile> 

Implementing the MCP Client in Semantic Kernel

1. Install the MCP client NuGet package:
   

   dotnet add package ModelContextProtocol --prerelease 

2. Connect to the Playwright MCP server and retrieve tools:
   

   var mcpClient = await McpClientFactory.CreateAsync( new McpServerConfig { Id = "playwright", Name = "Playwright", TransportType = TransportTypes.Sse, Location = "http://localhost:8931" }); var tools = await mcpClient.ListToolsAsync(); 

3. Configure Semantic Kernel with the MCP tools:
   

   var kernelBuilder = Kernel.CreateBuilder(); kernelBuilder.AddOllamaChatCompletion(modelId: "phi4-mini"); kernelBuilder.Plugins.AddFromFunctions( pluginName: "playwright", functions: tools.Select(x => x.AsKernelFunction())); var kernel = kernelBuilder.Build(); var executionSettings = new PromptExecutionSettings { FunctionChoiceBehavior = FunctionChoiceBehavior.Auto( options: new() { RetainArgumentTypes = true }), ExtensionData = new Dictionary<string, object> { { "temperature", 0 } } }; var result = await kernel.InvokePromptAsync( "open browser and navigate to https://www.google.com", new KernelArguments(executionSettings)); 

This code snippet connects to the MCP server, retrieves available tools, and integrates them into Semantic Kernel as functions. The prompt instructs the model to open a browser and navigate to Google, demonstrating the integration.

Complete sample code

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