Model Context Protocol (MCP)
Also known as · MCP
An open standard for connecting AI models to tools and data sources.
The Model Context Protocol is an open standard that defines how an AI application connects to external tools and data — files, databases, APIs, business systems. Rather than every app building custom integrations for every service, MCP provides a common interface: tools expose themselves through an MCP 'server,' and any MCP-compatible model can use them.
The analogy often used is a universal port: MCP is to AI tool-use what a standard plug is to electronics. It makes agents more capable and more portable, because the same tool integration works across different models and apps.
MCP has become a backbone for serious agent systems, letting a model securely reach private data and take real actions through well-defined, permissioned connections.