Model Context Protocol
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that enables AI models to interact with external data and tools securely.
Instead of relying solely on pasted context, Claude Code can connect to MCP Servers that bridge to:
- Data Sources: Databases, CMS, log files
- Tools: API clients, calculators, sandboxes
- Services: GitHub, Slack, monitoring systems
The Architecture
- Host (Claude Code): The CLI that orchestrates the conversation
- Client: Internal component that speaks MCP protocol
- Server: A lightweight process exposing resources and tools
This decoupling means you can swap tools without updating the core CLI.