--- language: en title: "Model Context Protocol" description: "MCP is an open communication protocol between AI applications and external services, which can expose data, prompts, and tools with defined capabilities and access." canonical: "https://tropk.ai/en/resources/glossary/model-context-protocol" last_modified: "2026-10-12T16:10:45.209Z" --- # Model Context Protocol Reviewed on 2026-10-07. ## What it means Model Context Protocol, or MCP, is an open protocol that standardizes communication between AI applications and external services. The host application uses clients to connect to servers that provide resources, [prompts](/en/resources/glossary/prompt), or tools. The specification consulted, version 2026-07-28, defines messages and requirements for this communication. It is not an assistant, a commercial product, or the connected service. ## Why it matters for marketing For marketing, MCP can make a platform’s data and operations accessible to a compatible application. The practical step is to check what the integration exposes: viewing reports does not require the same level of access as changing campaigns. Having a server available does not guarantee that any assistant will find or use it. Compatibility, implemented capabilities, and permissions need to be assessed separately. ## Example in practice Suppose a team wants to check inventory using an assistant connected to its store’s [MCP server](/en/resources/glossary/mcp-server). The server would expose a lookup tool whose response would distinguish availability by SKU. If the assistant received data for the wrong variant, the team would review the parameters sent before trusting the response. The connection being established, by itself, would not validate that inventory lookup. ## How to apply or verify Ask the service integrator to identify the version, transport, client capabilities, and tools exposed by the server. Check the parameters and response using a known query, including errors and denied access. For HTTP transports with authorization, the specification defines an OAuth-based flow; check the scopes granted. Authenticating the connection does not replace checking the operation’s permission. ## Important distinctions An MCP server is an implementation that provides capabilities; a tool is a function that can be called through it. The protocol does not automatically grant access to all data or force a model to act. Optional features depend on support from both parties. Consent and security controls require implementation: the specification states that the protocol alone does not enforce them. ## Sources and references - [Specification — MCP 2026-07-28]() — Model Context Protocol - [Authorization — MCP specification 2026-07-28]() — Model Context Protocol ## Continue a leitura - [AI agent]() - [MCP server]() - [WebMCP]() ## About the author [Vinicius Pacheco]() Responsible for Tropk’s technical content, focusing on crawling, indexing, structured data, and agent access to content. --- [All pages in Markdown]()