MCP Servers

MCP — Model Context Protocol — is the standard Claude Code uses to talk to external tools. Need the agent to query your Postgres? Hit your Linear tickets? Read your Notion? Each capability is an MCP server you add to the agent's toolbelt.

MCP servers are processes (local or remote) that expose tools the agent can call. The protocol is open and language-agnostic — you can write your own in an afternoon. The community has hundreds already published.

The mental model: built-in tools give the agent a terminal. MCP servers extend that terminal to your whole stack.