MCP

MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. It is an open way for agents to connect to external capabilities such as documentation sources, databases, internal tools, issue trackers, or custom systems.

Quick Take

Use MCP when the agent needs structured, repeatable access to a system. Do not use it just because it sounds advanced.

Why It Matters

Without MCP, you often paste context into prompts or rely on generic web browsing. With MCP, the agent can get structured access to the exact system it needs.

That usually means:

less prompt stuffing
more reliable context retrieval
better tool discoverability
workflows that are easier to share across teams

When To Use It

MCP is a good fit when the agent needs repeatable access to:

official documentation
internal knowledge systems
tickets and project data
controlled tools that should not be re-described in every prompt

The Basic Pieces

Piece	What it does
Tools	functions the agent can call
Resources	data the agent can read as context
Prompts	reusable prompt templates from the server
Servers	the processes exposing those capabilities

Common Coding MCP Servers

Server type	Why people add it
GitHub	issues, PRs, code search, repo actions
Browser automation	screenshots and UI verification
Filesystem	carefully scoped file access
Database	read-only inspection and debugging
Web search	current docs and release changes

Safety Basics

Only connect servers you trust.
Assume external content can contain prompt injection.
Give the agent access to the smallest useful surface area.
Prefer read-only integrations unless write access is clearly justified.

The Practical Rule

If you keep pasting the same docs or instructions into prompts, that is a sign the information probably wants to live in a context file, a skill, or an MCP server instead.

Starter `.mcp.json`

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "${GITHUB_TOKEN}"
      }
    },
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@playwright/mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Cost And Noise Rule

Every server adds more capability, but also more surface area and usually more context overhead. Keep only the servers that help with the task at hand.

MCP