Open protocol for AI tool integration
Model Context Protocol (MCP)
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open protocol, introduced by Anthropic in November 2024, that lets AI applications connect to tools, data and workflows through servers and clients. It is governed by maintainers under the Linux Foundation's Agentic AI Foundation and ships official SDKs for TypeScript, Python, Go, C#, Java, Ruby and other languages.
Last reviewed 28 Oct 2026 · by Anthropic
Facts at a glance
| Type | Open protocol and SDKs for connecting AI applications to tools and data |
|---|---|
| Developer | Introduced by Anthropic; maintained by MCP maintainers under the Agentic AI Foundation |
| License | Open source |
| Latest specification | Revision 2026-07-28, released 28 July 2026 source |
| SDK downloads | Close to half a billion a month across Tier 1 SDKs, the maintainers said in July 2026 source |
| Latest update covered here | TypeScript SDK 2.4.0 with the Skills extension, 23 October 2026 source |
How MCP is used
An MCP server exposes tools, resources and prompts; an MCP client inside an AI application such as Claude Code, VS Code or an agent framework discovers and calls them. Specification revisions are named by date, and extensions such as MCP Apps and Skills add optional capabilities on top of the core protocol. The timeline below lists every story on this site that names MCP.
Questions people ask
- Who maintains the Model Context Protocol?
- MCP was introduced by Anthropic and joined the Agentic AI Foundation, a Linux Foundation project, in December 2025. Lead maintainers publish releases on the MCP blog and GitHub.
- What is the latest MCP specification?
- Revision 2026-07-28, released on 28 July 2026 together with updated SDKs.