MCP
Model Context Protocol — the standard way an agent plugs into outside tools and data sources.
Not the same as a plugin
A plugin extends one program. MCP is a protocol, so a server written once works with any client that speaks it — the tool and the thing it connects to stop being a matched pair.
Where it bites
Connecting a server hands an agent real access to whatever sits behind it. The question is not whether it works but what it can reach if the agent misunderstands the task.
Covered in these lessons
Related terms
Where this comes up
Also written as mcp. Checked 2026-08-06.