What is Model Context Protocol (MCP)?
Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard, introduced by Anthropic in 2024, for connecting AI models and agents to external tools and data sources. MCP servers expose tools and resources in a common format, so any MCP-compatible AI application can use them without custom integrations.
How it works
| Part | Role |
|---|---|
| MCP host | AI app (assistant, IDE, agent) |
| MCP client | Connects to servers |
| MCP server | Exposes tools, resources, prompts |
Example
An agent connects to a ticketing MCP server and calls "search_tickets" and "update_ticket" tools.
MCP vs API
APIs are system-specific. MCP is a standard layer that lets AI discover and call tools consistently.
Considerations
Authentication, permissions, and limiting what tools an agent can call.
