What is an MCP server?

An MCP server is a program that exposes tools and data over the Model Context Protocol, an open standard from Anthropic, so AI assistants like Claude can discover and call them. One server can serve many clients at once — the Claude app, Claude Code, and custom agents all reuse the same connector.

What's the difference between MCP and an API?

An API is specific to one service; MCP standardizes how an AI model discovers and calls tools across any service. As Claude Code creator Boris Cherny puts it, to the model it's all just tokens — but builders on the Claude podcast caution that MCP servers can pollute the model's context, so they start with local tools and publish an MCP server only when multiple clients need the same set.

How do I connect an MCP server to Claude?

In the Claude apps, add the server's URL under Settings > Connectors. In Claude Code, run `claude mcp add` with the server command or URL. Once connected, the server's tools are automatically discovered and available to the model in every conversation.

MCP Explained: What Builders Say on Podcasts

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