Cline Connectors tab tool count: Sume read-only vs write session

Cline's desktop-v0.0.41 release moved connectors into Customize, matching the Skills, Plugins and MCP tabs, and connector details now show how many tools the connector adds to new sessions (release notes, read 2026-10-04). For Sume, that count is not fixed. Signed in with OAuth read-only, you see only the read tools. With the Write toggle on, or with an API key, you see the full set.

Why the number changes

Sume's hosted endpoint at https://mcp.sume.com/mcp filters its tool list by credential. OAuth always includes mcp:read, and mcp:write is opt-in on the consent screen, with the Write toggle off by default. An API key gets the whole tool set. A connector count taken under one credential will not match a count taken under another (MCP tools and gates).

Use the count as a quick check

Before you hand a session to an automation, open the connector details. If the count is the small read-only number, the session cannot spend. If it is the larger number, a write tool is reachable, and every paid call still needs idempotency_key and should carry max_spend_usd.

Call mcp_health in the session for the exact answer. It reports which credential the call came in on, so you do not have to infer it from a UI number.

Keep tool lists small by design

A longer tool list costs context in every new session. Start with read-only, add write only for the tasks that need it, and prefer a short-lived write session over a permanent one. The scope refusal on a missing grant is a tool error named insufficient_scope with the required_scope, so the model can tell you what to approve rather than failing silently.