What Is MCP?
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard created by Anthropic that lets Claude connect to external data sources and tools through a universal interface. A protocol is simply an agreed-upon set of rules for how two systems communicate -- like how HTTP defines how your browser talks to websites. MCP defines how AI models talk to tools.
Instead of building custom integrations for every tool, MCP provides a single protocol that any server can implement. Think of it like USB for AI -- one standard connector that works with everything.
Why this matters: Without MCP, connecting Claude to your files, databases, or APIs would require custom code for each one. With MCP, you write a server once using the standard rules, and any MCP-compatible AI can use it automatically.
Architecture Diagram
Click on each component to learn more about its role: