The Zero-Install Alternative to MCP: Just-in-Time API Integration

Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers are undoubtedly transforming how AI agents interact with the world in 2025. They provide a standardized way to connect LLMs to data. However, they come with significant friction: installation requirements, server maintenance, and often, a lack of output control.

One of the biggest limiting factors of current MCP implementations is context bloat. If an MCP server isn't properly optimized, a simple request can result in disaster. We've all seen it: you ask for a simple flight search, and the tool dumps 200,000 tokens of raw JSON into the context window, confusing the model and burning your budget.

But there is a lightweight alternative already built into most advanced chatbots (like Claude): Code Execution.

By leveraging the ability to write and run code (specifically shell commands like curl), we can perform instant API calls with precise filtering—no installation required.

To make this work, you need to activate code exception in your AI chatbot (e.g. Claude or GPT).

The Strategy: "Trim First, Ask Later"

Instead of relying on a pre-installed MCP server to decide what data you see, you can instruct the agent to fetch raw API data and—crucially—trim the response immediately.

This method turns the agent into a "Universal API Client." It doesn't need to know the API schema beforehand; it just needs the documentation URL (or a curl example), the API key, and a strict character limit.