The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a standard for building AI applications that can connect to external tools and APIs.
It has two main parts. The MCP Server is a Python service that provides the available tools. The MCP Client is a TypeScript/JavaScript client that connects AI models to this server.
To use MCP, set up the server and client by installing dependencies and configuring environment variables as per the instructions. Once configured, you can run both components to begin using the API.
Key features include a Documentation Search Tool for AI libraries, per-session conversation management, seamless tool integration with AI responses, and robust error handling.
Use cases are building AI apps that need external tools, managing chat history and context, and searching documentation for AI libraries.
MCP is designed to work with various AI models that support external tool calls. It is open-source and free to use. Prerequisites are Python 3.11+, Node.js 18+, and API keys for services like Hugging Face and Serper.