feat(client): support HTTP auth in ClientSessionGroup

Author: Rashmi

docs/client/session-groups.md

@@ -70,6 +70,33 @@ If you already hold a connected `ClientSession` (`Client.session` is one), hand
 
 `ClientSessionGroup` is built on `ClientSession`, not on `Client`. Each `connect_to_server` runs the classic `initialize` handshake. It never sends the `server/discover` probe described in **[Protocol versions](../protocol-versions.md)**. Every MCP server understands that handshake, so this costs you compatibility with nothing; it only means a group takes the older, slower path to a server that could do better.
 
+## Authentication
+
+When connecting to HTTP servers using `StreamableHttpParameters` or `SseServerParameters`, you can configure an authentication provider (such as an OAuth 2.0 `OAuthClientProvider` or custom `httpx2.Auth` handler) via the `auth=` parameter:
+
+```python
+from mcp.client.auth import OAuthClientProvider
+from mcp.client.session_group import ClientSessionGroup, StreamableHttpParameters
+
+server_auth = OAuthClientProvider(
+    server_url="https://api.example.com",
+    client_metadata=client_metadata,
+    storage=token_storage,
+    redirect_handler=redirect_handler,
+    callback_handler=callback_handler,
+)
+
+server_params = StreamableHttpParameters(
+    url="https://api.example.com/mcp",
+    auth=server_auth,
+)
+
+async with ClientSessionGroup() as group:
+    await group.connect_to_server(server_params)
+```
+
+Because `auth` is configured per `ServerParameters` instance, each server in the session group maintains independent authentication context, scopes, and token-refresh lifecycle. Custom headers can still be supplied alongside `auth` via `headers=`.
+
 ## Recap
 
 * `ClientSessionGroup` holds many server connections and merges their tools, resources, and prompts into one `dict` each.

src/mcp/client/session_group.py

@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 import anyio
 import httpx2
 import mcp_types as types
-from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
+from pydantic import BaseModel, ConfigDict, Field
 from typing_extensions import Self
 
 import mcp
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@
 class SseServerParameters(BaseModel):
     """Parameters for initializing an sse_client."""
 
+    model_config = ConfigDict(arbitrary_types_allowed=True)
+
     # The endpoint URL.
     url: str
 
@@ -44,10 +46,15 @@ class SseServerParameters(BaseModel):
     # Timeout for SSE read operations (in seconds).
     sse_read_timeout: float = 300.0
 
+    # Optional HTTPX authentication handler.
+    auth: httpx2.Auth | None = Field(default=None, description="Optional HTTPX authentication handler.", exclude=True)
+
 
 class StreamableHttpParameters(BaseModel):
     """Parameters for initializing a streamable_http_client."""
 
+    model_config = ConfigDict(arbitrary_types_allowed=True)
+
     # The endpoint URL.
     url: str
 
@@ -63,6 +70,9 @@ class StreamableHttpParameters(BaseModel):
     # Close the client session when the transport closes.
     terminate_on_close: bool = True
 
+    # Optional HTTPX authentication handler.
+    auth: httpx2.Auth | None = Field(default=None, description="Optional HTTPX authentication handler.", exclude=True)
+
 
 ServerParameters: TypeAlias = StdioServerParameters | SseServerParameters | StreamableHttpParameters
 
@@ -319,6 +329,7 @@ async def _establish_session(
                     headers=server_params.headers,
                     timeout=server_params.timeout,
                     sse_read_timeout=server_params.sse_read_timeout,
+                    auth=server_params.auth,
                 )
                 read, write = await session_stack.enter_async_context(client)
             else:
@@ -328,6 +339,7 @@ async def _establish_session(
                         server_params.timeout,
                         read=server_params.sse_read_timeout,
                     ),
+                    auth=server_params.auth,
                 )
                 await session_stack.enter_async_context(httpx_client)
 

tests/client/test_session_group.py

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import contextlib
+from typing import Any
 from unittest import mock
 
 import httpx2
@@ -372,6 +373,7 @@ async def test_client_session_group_establish_session_parameterized(
                     headers=server_params_instance.headers,
                     timeout=server_params_instance.timeout,
                     sse_read_timeout=server_params_instance.sse_read_timeout,
+                    auth=server_params_instance.auth,
                 )
             elif client_type_name == "streamablehttp":  # pragma: no branch
                 assert isinstance(server_params_instance, StreamableHttpParameters)
@@ -381,6 +383,7 @@ async def test_client_session_group_establish_session_parameterized(
                 assert call_args.kwargs["url"] == server_params_instance.url
                 assert call_args.kwargs["terminate_on_close"] == server_params_instance.terminate_on_close
                 assert isinstance(call_args.kwargs["http_client"], httpx2.AsyncClient)
+                assert call_args.kwargs["http_client"].auth is server_params_instance.auth
 
             mock_client_cm_instance.__aenter__.assert_awaited_once()
 
@@ -402,3 +405,210 @@ async def test_client_session_group_establish_session_parameterized(
             # 3. Assert returned values
             assert returned_server_info is mock_initialize_result.server_info
             assert returned_session is mock_entered_session
+
+
+class _FakeBearerAuth(httpx2.Auth):
+    """Simple test auth implementation decorating requests with a bearer token."""
+
+    def __init__(self, token: str) -> None:
+        self.token = token
+        self.call_count = 0
+
+    def auth_flow(self, request: httpx2.Request):
+        self.call_count += 1
+        request.headers["Authorization"] = f"Bearer {self.token}"
+        yield request
+
+
+@pytest.mark.anyio
+async def test_establish_session_sse_passes_auth():
+    """_establish_session should pass auth to sse_client for SseServerParameters."""
+    mock_auth = mock.Mock(spec=httpx2.Auth)
+    server_params = SseServerParameters(url="http://test.com/sse", auth=mock_auth)
+
+    with mock.patch("mcp.client.session_group.mcp.ClientSession") as mock_ClientSession_class:
+        with mock.patch("mcp.client.session_group.sse_client") as mock_sse_client:
+            mock_client_cm = mock.AsyncMock()
+            mock_read = mock.AsyncMock()
+            mock_write = mock.AsyncMock()
+            mock_client_cm.__aenter__.return_value = (mock_read, mock_write)
+            mock_client_cm.__aexit__ = mock.AsyncMock(return_value=None)
+            mock_sse_client.return_value = mock_client_cm
+
+            mock_session_cm = mock.AsyncMock()
+            mock_ClientSession_class.return_value = mock_session_cm
+            mock_session = mock.AsyncMock()
+            mock_session_cm.__aenter__.return_value = mock_session
+            mock_session_cm.__aexit__ = mock.AsyncMock(return_value=None)
+
+            mock_result = mock.AsyncMock()
+            mock_result.server_info = types.Implementation(name="test", version="1")
+            mock_session.initialize.return_value = mock_result
+
+            group = ClientSessionGroup()
+            async with contextlib.AsyncExitStack() as stack:
+                group._exit_stack = stack
+                await group._establish_session(server_params, ClientSessionParameters())
+
+            mock_sse_client.assert_called_once_with(
+                url="http://test.com/sse",
+                headers=None,
+                timeout=5.0,
+                sse_read_timeout=300.0,
+                auth=mock_auth,
+            )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.anyio
+async def test_establish_session_streamable_http_passes_auth():
+    """_establish_session should pass auth to create_mcp_http_client for StreamableHttpParameters."""
+    mock_auth = mock.Mock(spec=httpx2.Auth)
+    server_params = StreamableHttpParameters(url="http://test.com/stream", auth=mock_auth)
+
+    with mock.patch("mcp.client.session_group.mcp.ClientSession") as mock_ClientSession_class:
+        with mock.patch("mcp.client.session_group.streamable_http_client") as mock_streamable_client:
+            with mock.patch("mcp.client.session_group.create_mcp_http_client") as mock_create_client:
+                mock_httpx_client = mock.AsyncMock(spec=httpx2.AsyncClient)
+                mock_httpx_client.__aenter__ = mock.AsyncMock(return_value=mock_httpx_client)
+                mock_httpx_client.__aexit__ = mock.AsyncMock(return_value=None)
+                mock_create_client.return_value = mock_httpx_client
+
+                mock_client_cm = mock.AsyncMock()
+                mock_read = mock.AsyncMock()
+                mock_write = mock.AsyncMock()
+                mock_client_cm.__aenter__.return_value = (mock_read, mock_write)
+                mock_client_cm.__aexit__ = mock.AsyncMock(return_value=None)
+                mock_streamable_client.return_value = mock_client_cm
+
+                mock_session_cm = mock.AsyncMock()
+                mock_ClientSession_class.return_value = mock_session_cm
+                mock_session = mock.AsyncMock()
+                mock_session_cm.__aenter__.return_value = mock_session
+                mock_session_cm.__aexit__ = mock.AsyncMock(return_value=None)
+
+                mock_result = mock.AsyncMock()
+                mock_result.server_info = types.Implementation(name="test", version="1")
+                mock_session.initialize.return_value = mock_result
+
+                group = ClientSessionGroup()
+                async with contextlib.AsyncExitStack() as stack:
+                    group._exit_stack = stack
+                    await group._establish_session(server_params, ClientSessionParameters())
+
+                mock_create_client.assert_called_once()
+                call_kwargs = mock_create_client.call_args.kwargs
+                assert call_kwargs["auth"] is mock_auth
+
+
+def test_server_parameters_auth_model_config_and_serialization():
+    """Verify that auth works with Pydantic arbitrary types and is excluded on dump."""
+    fake_auth = _FakeBearerAuth(token="secret-token-123")
+    sse_params = SseServerParameters(url="http://test.com/sse", auth=fake_auth)
+    assert sse_params.auth is fake_auth
+    dumped_sse = sse_params.model_dump()
+    assert "auth" not in dumped_sse
+    json_sse = sse_params.model_dump_json()
+    assert "secret-token-123" not in json_sse
+
+    stream_params = StreamableHttpParameters(url="http://test.com/stream", auth=fake_auth)
+    assert stream_params.auth is fake_auth
+    dumped_stream = stream_params.model_dump()
+    assert "auth" not in dumped_stream
+    json_stream = stream_params.model_dump_json()
+    assert "secret-token-123" not in json_stream
+
+
+@pytest.mark.anyio
+async def test_session_group_multiple_servers_isolated_auth():
+    """Verify that multiple servers in a group receive independent auth instances."""
+    auth_a = _FakeBearerAuth(token="token-server-a")
+    auth_b = _FakeBearerAuth(token="token-server-b")
+
+    params_a = StreamableHttpParameters(url="http://server-a.com/stream", auth=auth_a)
+    params_b = StreamableHttpParameters(url="http://server-b.com/stream", auth=auth_b)
+
+    recorded_clients: list[httpx2.AsyncClient] = []
+
+    with mock.patch("mcp.client.session_group.mcp.ClientSession") as mock_session_cls:
+        with mock.patch("mcp.client.session_group.streamable_http_client") as mock_stream_client:
+            mock_client_cm = mock.AsyncMock()
+            mock_client_cm.__aenter__.return_value = (mock.AsyncMock(), mock.AsyncMock())
+            mock_client_cm.__aexit__ = mock.AsyncMock(return_value=None)
+
+            def record_stream_client(*args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> mock.AsyncMock:
+                client = kwargs.get("http_client")
+                assert isinstance(client, httpx2.AsyncClient)
+                recorded_clients.append(client)
+                return mock_client_cm
+
+            mock_stream_client.side_effect = record_stream_client
+
+            mock_session = mock.AsyncMock()
+            mock_session.initialize.return_value = mock.AsyncMock(
+                server_info=types.Implementation(name="srv", version="1")
+            )
+            mock_session.list_prompts.return_value = mock.AsyncMock(prompts=[])
+            mock_session.list_resources.return_value = mock.AsyncMock(resources=[])
+            mock_session.list_tools.return_value = mock.AsyncMock(tools=[])
+
+            mock_session_cm = mock.AsyncMock()
+            mock_session_cm.__aenter__.return_value = mock_session
+            mock_session_cm.__aexit__ = mock.AsyncMock(return_value=None)
+            mock_session_cls.return_value = mock_session_cm
+
+            group = ClientSessionGroup()
+            async with group:
+                await group.connect_to_server(params_a)
+                await group.connect_to_server(params_b)
+
+            assert len(recorded_clients) == 2
+            assert recorded_clients[0].auth is auth_a
+            assert recorded_clients[1].auth is auth_b
+            assert recorded_clients[0].auth is not recorded_clients[1].auth
+
+
+@pytest.mark.anyio
+async def test_session_group_headers_and_auth_coexistence():
+    """Verify that custom headers and auth handler coexist on created HTTP clients."""
+    custom_auth = _FakeBearerAuth(token="auth-bearer-token")
+    custom_headers = {"X-Trace-Id": "trace-999", "Authorization": "Bearer manual"}
+
+    params = StreamableHttpParameters(
+        url="http://test.com/stream",
+        headers=custom_headers,
+        auth=custom_auth,
+    )
+
+    with mock.patch("mcp.client.session_group.mcp.ClientSession") as mock_session_cls:
+        with mock.patch("mcp.client.session_group.streamable_http_client") as mock_stream_client:
+            created_client: list[httpx2.AsyncClient] = []
+            mock_client_cm = mock.AsyncMock()
+            mock_client_cm.__aenter__.return_value = (mock.AsyncMock(), mock.AsyncMock())
+            mock_client_cm.__aexit__ = mock.AsyncMock(return_value=None)
+
+            def record_client(*args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> mock.AsyncMock:
+                client = kwargs.get("http_client")
+                assert isinstance(client, httpx2.AsyncClient)
+                created_client.append(client)
+                return mock_client_cm
+
+            mock_stream_client.side_effect = record_client
+
+            mock_session = mock.AsyncMock()
+            mock_session.initialize.return_value = mock.AsyncMock(
+                server_info=types.Implementation(name="srv", version="1")
+            )
+            mock_session_cm = mock.AsyncMock()
+            mock_session_cm.__aenter__.return_value = mock_session
+            mock_session_cm.__aexit__ = mock.AsyncMock(return_value=None)
+            mock_session_cls.return_value = mock_session_cm
+
+            group = ClientSessionGroup()
+            async with contextlib.AsyncExitStack() as stack:
+                group._exit_stack = stack
+                await group._establish_session(params, ClientSessionParameters())
+
+            assert len(created_client) == 1
+            client = created_client[0]
+            assert client.auth is custom_auth
+            assert client.headers.get("X-Trace-Id") == "trace-999"