# Model Context Protocol (MCP)

**Source:** https://promtable.com/glossary/model-context-protocol

> Model Context Protocol (MCP) is Anthropic's open standard for connecting AI assistants to external data sources and tools — letting any compliant client use any compliant server's capabilities.

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Model Context Protocol (MCP) is Anthropic's open standard for connecting AI assistants to external data sources and tools — letting any compliant client use any compliant server's capabilities.

MCP, introduced by Anthropic in late 2024 and broadly adopted by 2026, formalises a JSON-RPC interface between LLM clients (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Codex, Cline, custom agents) and servers that expose tools, resources, and prompt templates. The win is reusability: write one MCP server for filesystem, GitHub, Postgres, internal API, and every compliant client can use it. OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Cursor, Continue, Zed all ship MCP-compatible clients. The pattern composes with function calling — the server defines the tools, the client routes through MCP, the model emits function calls.

## When to use

- Exposing internal capabilities to multiple LLM clients.
- Avoiding vendor lock-in on tool integration.
- Distributing capabilities as reusable packages.

## Common mistakes

- Confusing MCP with function calling — MCP is the protocol, function calling is the mechanism.
- Shipping MCP servers without auth or quotas — same security concerns as any RPC endpoint.

## Related terms

- [mcp](https://promtable.com/glossary/mcp)
- [function-calling](https://promtable.com/glossary/function-calling)
- [tool-use](https://promtable.com/glossary/tool-use)
- [agent](https://promtable.com/glossary/agent)

## Sources

- [MCP specification](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/)

*Last updated: 2026-06-01*
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Original page: https://promtable.com/glossary/model-context-protocol
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