refactor: reverse visibility for list_tools/_list_tools methods

src/fastmcp/server/providers/__init__.py

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ Example:
         def __init__(self, db_url: str):
             self.db = Database(db_url)
 
-        async def list_tools(self) -> list[Tool]:
+        async def _list_tools(self) -> list[Tool]:
             rows = await self.db.fetch("SELECT * FROM tools")
             return [self._make_tool(row) for row in rows]
 

src/fastmcp/server/providers/aggregate.py

@@ -123,10 +123,10 @@ class AggregateProvider(Provider):
     # Tools
     # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    async def list_tools(self) -> Sequence[Tool]:
+    async def _list_tools(self) -> Sequence[Tool]:
         """List all tools from all providers (with transforms applied)."""
         results = await gather(
-            *[p._list_tools() for p in self._providers],
+            *[p.list_tools() for p in self._providers],
             return_exceptions=True,
         )
         return self._collect_list_results(results, "list_tools")

src/fastmcp/server/providers/base.py

@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ class Provider:
     # Internal transform chain building
     # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    async def _list_tools(self) -> Sequence[Tool]:
+    async def list_tools(self) -> Sequence[Tool]:
         """List tools with all transforms applied.
 
         Builds a middleware chain: base → transforms (in order).
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ class Provider:
         """
 
         async def base() -> Sequence[Tool]:
-            return await self.list_tools()
+            return await self._list_tools()
 
         chain = base
         for transform in self.transforms:
@@ -237,10 +237,10 @@ class Provider:
         return await chain(name, version=version)
 
     # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    # Public list/get methods (override these to provide components)
+    # Private list/get methods (override these to provide components)
     # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    async def list_tools(self) -> Sequence[Tool]:
+    async def _list_tools(self) -> Sequence[Tool]:
         """Return all available tools.
 
         Override to provide tools dynamically. Returns ALL versions of all tools.
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ class Provider:
         Returns:
             The Tool if found, or None to continue searching other providers.
         """
-        tools = await self.list_tools()
+        tools = await self._list_tools()
         matching = [t for t in tools if t.name == name]
         if version:
             matching = [t for t in matching if version.matches(t.version)]
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ class Provider:
         """
         # Fetch all component types in parallel
         results = await gather(
-            self.list_tools(),
+            self._list_tools(),
             self.list_resources(),
             self.list_resource_templates(),
             self.list_prompts(),

src/fastmcp/server/providers/fastmcp_provider.py

@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ class FastMCPProvider(Provider):
     # Tool methods
     # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    async def list_tools(self) -> Sequence[Tool]:
+    async def _list_tools(self) -> Sequence[Tool]:
         """List all tools from the mounted server as FastMCPProviderTools.
 
         Runs the mounted server's middleware so filtering/transformation applies.

src/fastmcp/server/providers/filesystem.py

@@ -174,10 +174,10 @@ class FileSystemProvider(LocalProvider):
 
     # Override provider methods to support reload mode
 
-    async def list_tools(self) -> Sequence[Tool]:
+    async def _list_tools(self) -> Sequence[Tool]:
         """Return all tools, reloading if in reload mode."""
         await self._ensure_loaded()
-        return await super().list_tools()
+        return await super()._list_tools()
 
     async def get_tool(
         self, name: str, version: VersionSpec | None = None

src/fastmcp/server/providers/local_provider.py

@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ class LocalProvider(Provider):
     # Provider interface implementation
     # =========================================================================
 
-    async def list_tools(self) -> Sequence[Tool]:
+    async def _list_tools(self) -> Sequence[Tool]:
         """Return all visible tools."""
         return [
             v

src/fastmcp/server/providers/openapi/provider.py

@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ class OpenAPIProvider(Provider):
     # Provider interface
     # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    async def list_tools(self) -> Sequence[Tool]:
+    async def _list_tools(self) -> Sequence[Tool]:
         """Return all tools created from the OpenAPI spec."""
         return list(self._tools.values())
 

src/fastmcp/server/providers/proxy.py

@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ class ProxyProvider(Provider):
     # Tool methods
     # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    async def list_tools(self) -> Sequence[Tool]:
+    async def _list_tools(self) -> Sequence[Tool]:
         """List all tools from the remote server."""
         try:
             client = await self._get_client()

src/fastmcp/server/server.py

@@ -867,14 +867,14 @@ class FastMCP(Provider, Generic[LifespanResultT]):
     # Provider interface overrides (aggregate from sub-providers)
     # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    async def list_tools(self) -> Sequence[Tool]:
+    async def _list_tools(self) -> Sequence[Tool]:
         """Aggregate tools from all sub-providers.
 
-        This is the Provider interface implementation. The inherited _list_tools()
+        This is the Provider interface implementation. The inherited list_tools()
         applies server-level transforms over this method.
         """
         results = await gather(
-            *[p._list_tools() for p in self._providers],
+            *[p.list_tools() for p in self._providers],
             return_exceptions=True,
         )
         return self._collect_list_results(results, "list_tools")
@@ -1106,7 +1106,7 @@ class FastMCP(Provider, Generic[LifespanResultT]):
                 )
 
             # Query through full transform chain (provider transforms + server transforms + visibility)
-            tools = await self._list_tools()
+            tools = await self.list_tools()
 
             # Get auth context (skip_auth=True for STDIO which has no auth concept)
             skip_auth, token = _get_auth_context()

tests/server/providers/test_base_provider.py

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class SimpleProvider(Provider):
         super().__init__()
         self._tools = tools or []
 
-    async def list_tools(self) -> list[Tool]:
+    async def _list_tools(self) -> list[Tool]:
         return self._tools
 
 

tests/server/providers/test_local_provider.py

@@ -621,12 +621,12 @@ class TestProviderToolTransformations:
         def my_tool(x: int) -> int:
             return x
 
-        # Add layer to provider (layers are applied by server, not list_tools)
+        # Add layer to provider (layers are applied by server, not _list_tools)
         layer = ToolTransform({"my_tool": ToolTransformConfig(name="renamed")})
         provider.add_transform(layer)
 
-        # Provider's list_tools returns raw tools (transforms applied when queried via chain)
-        original_tools = await provider.list_tools()
+        # Provider's _list_tools returns raw tools (transforms applied when queried via list_tools)
+        original_tools = await provider._list_tools()
         assert original_tools[0].name == "my_tool"
 
         # Transform modifies them when applied via call_next

tests/server/test_providers.py

@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ class SimpleToolProvider(Provider):
         self.list_tools_call_count = 0
         self.get_tool_call_count = 0
 
-    async def list_tools(self) -> list[Tool]:
+    async def _list_tools(self) -> list[Tool]:
         self.list_tools_call_count += 1
         return self._tools
 
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class ListOnlyProvider(Provider):
         self._tools = tools
         self.list_tools_call_count = 0
 
-    async def list_tools(self) -> list[Tool]:
+    async def _list_tools(self) -> list[Tool]:
         self.list_tools_call_count += 1
         return self._tools