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AI Agents & Agentic Workflows

What is MCP? The Complete Model Context Protocol Guide 2026

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard created by Anthropic that defines how AI models connect to external tools, data sources, and services. Think of it as USB-C for AI agents — one universal interface, endless compatible devices.

The Problem MCP Solves

Before MCP, every AI integration was bespoke:

  • Claude needs a web search tool → write custom tool schema
  • GPT-4 needs the same tool → write it again, differently
  • You switch models → rewrite all your integrations

MCP makes integrations portable. Build once, use with any MCP-compatible model.

How MCP Works

MCP uses a client-server architecture:

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                 AI Application               │
│                                              │
│  ┌──────────────┐    ┌────────────────────┐  │
│  │  MCP Client  │◄──►│   Claude / LLM     │  │
│  │  (in your    │    │   (decides when    │  │
│  │   app)       │    │    to call tools)  │  │
│  └──────┬───────┘    └────────────────────┘  │
└─────────┼────────────────────────────────────┘
          │  MCP Protocol (JSON-RPC over stdio/SSE)
          │
┌─────────▼────────────────────────────────────┐
│              MCP Server                       │
│  (exposes tools, resources, prompts)          │
│                                              │
│  Tools:      search(), read_file(), query_db()│
│  Resources:  files, databases, APIs           │
│  Prompts:    reusable prompt templates        │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Key Concepts

Tools

Functions the AI can call. Like function calling, but standardized.

{
  "name": "read_file",
  "description": "Read the contents of a file",
  "inputSchema": {
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "path": {"type": "string"}
    }
  }
}

Resources

Static or dynamic data the AI can access (files, database records, API responses). Unlike tools, resources are data — not actions.

Prompts

Reusable prompt templates the server can expose to clients. Useful for standardizing complex multi-step prompts.

Why Developers Love MCP

  • Portable: Write one MCP server, use with Claude, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and any future MCP-compatible client
  • Secure: Servers run in separate processes; you control what data they expose
  • Composable: Use multiple MCP servers simultaneously
  • Ecosystem: Hundreds of pre-built servers for common services

What’s Next