What is MCP (Model Context Protocol)?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open-source standard designed to enhance AI tools by enabling them to access external data sources and perform actions beyond their initial training data, thus creating more context-aware and proactive AI experiences. It acts as a two-way communication bridge between AI assistants and external tools, allowing them to pull in relevant data and trigger actions such as updating records or sending messages. Developed initially by Anthropic and embraced by platforms like OpenAI and Zapier, MCP provides a structured framework similar to the HTTP protocol, allowing AI tools to interact with various data sources and applications securely and efficiently. This framework is primarily geared toward developers who need to build custom integrations, offering flexibility and control, while non-developers might prefer no-code solutions like Zapier Agents for quicker and simpler setups. MCP enhances the functionality of AI by standardizing how they discover and invoke actions in other systems, thereby bridging the gap between understanding and execution.

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