{
  "connector": {
    "id": "con_what_is_mcp",
    "name": "Model Context Protocol (MCP)",
    "category": "concept",
    "description": "MCP is an open protocol that lets an AI assistant like Claude connect to external data sources and tools through a standardized server interface, rather than each integration being bespoke. An MCP server exposes a set of tools (and sometimes resources/prompts) over a defined transport (e.g. stdio or HTTP), and any MCP-compatible client — Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Claude cloud products — can connect to it using the same protocol.",
    "real_or_pattern": "real",
    "source_note": "General, well-established description of MCP; no specific version number or release date asserted.",
    "created_at": "2026-07-02 08:28:08",
    "cite_as": "https://subagentconnectors.com/api/connectors/con_what_is_mcp"
  }
}