MCP server
A service that exposes resources, prompts and tools to AI applications through the Model Context Protocol.
In the Model Context Protocol, a server is a service that provides context and capabilities to AI applications, exposing any combination of resources, prompts and tools. A bank or fintech might run a server that offers read-only account data as resources and a payment-draft function as a tool. For servers reached over HTTP, the specification defines an authorisation framework based on OAuth, so the server can require tokens with appropriate scopes rather than open access.
Agent Minute explains this term on 24 October 2026.
Related terms
Model Context Protocol (MCP)An open protocol for connecting AI applications to external tools and data through servers that expose them.MCP resourceContext or data that an MCP server exposes, identified by a URI, for the user or the model to read.Tool useA model asking its host application to run a named function with structured arguments, then receiving the result.OAuth 2.0The IETF framework that lets an application obtain limited access to a service on a user's behalf, without their password.