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Model Context Protocol Specification

by Model Context Protocol

The official specification and documentation for the Model Context Protocol. The source of truth for the protocol that every MCP server in this directory implements. 8,090 GitHub stars and 100 commits on main in the last 30 days.

8,090·4 tools·Released NOV 2024·MIT/Apache-2.0 (transitioning)
git clone https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/modelcontextprotocol
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The official specification and documentation for the Model Context Protocol. 8,090 stars and 100 commits on main in the last 30 days. The source of truth for the protocol that every MCP server in this directory implements.

Reviewed by M. Nouriel · MAY 2026

INSTALL THIS SERVER

{ "mcpServers": {} }
PrereqSpecification and documentation repo. Read at https://modelcontextprotocol.io or GitHub. Not runnable as an MCP server. Path: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS).
{ "mcpServers": {} }
{ "mcpServers": {} }
{ "mcpServers": {} }
{ "mcpServers": {} }

4 TOOLS AVAILABLE

get_spec_version
Retrieve the current MCP specification version
Read
list_methods
List all MCP protocol methods (tools/list, tools/call, resources/list, etc.)
Read
get_schema
Retrieve a JSON Schema for any MCP message type
Read

OUR ASSESSMENT

Strengths
  • 8,090 GitHub stars.
  • 100 commits on main in the last 30 days.
  • Official source of truth for the protocol.
  • JSON Schema definitions for every message type.
  • Active spec evolution.
Weaknesses
  • Multi-licence repo: new code Apache-2.0, original contributions MIT pending relicensing consent, docs CC-BY-4.0. Track for full Apache-2.0 transition.
  • Spec evolving; breaking changes possible between versions.
  • Not a runtime; consumers must implement the spec themselves.
Security Notes

No authentication. Specification carries no security risk; servers implementing the spec must address authentication, authorization, and transport security themselves. Licence transition does not affect security posture but matters for downstream distribution.

Best For

MCP server authors validating against the spec; tooling builders implementing the protocol in a new language; auditors verifying that an MCP claim matches what the spec actually defines.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Language
typescript
Transport
stdiostreamable-httpsse
Clients
Claude DesktopClaude CodeCursorVS CodeWindsurf
License
MIT/Apache-2.0 (transitioning)
npm
modelcontextprotocol-spec
Last Release
spec 2025-06-18 (latest)MAY 12, 2026
First Released
NOV 1, 2024

ADOPTION METRICS

// GitHub Stars
8,090

// Reading this8,090 stars on modelcontextprotocol/modelcontextprotocol. 100 commits on main in the last 30 days.

// Popularity Rank
#2
Globally · #2 in Dev Tools

// Reading thisPairs with MCP Inspector, MCP Registry, MCP Apps, MCPB, FastMCP, and the language SDKs as the foundational MCP ecosystem layer.

SOURCES & VERIFICATION

We don't take any single directory's word for it. Before scoring, we cross-reference 5 public MCP sources, install the server ourselves against the clients we cover, and record when we last re-verified.

01
Discovered
Manual submission
First indexed MAY 12, 2026
02
Cross-referenced
5 directories
PulseMCP, MCP.so, Glama, Smithery, Official MCP Registry
03
Verified against
All MCP-compatible clients (every client implements this spec)
Installed and tested across clients
04
Last re-checked
MAY 12, 2026
Weekly re-verification
// How other directories see it

The same server, 5 different lenses. We reconcile these signals into our editorial score, which is why our number sometimes diverges from a directory-aggregate star count.

SourceTheir ratingTheir star countTheir downloadsLast synced
AutomationSwitch This page4.7editorial8,090MAY 12, 2026
PulseMCP— unratedunavailableunavailableMAY 12, 2026
MCP.so— unratedunavailableunavailableMAY 12, 2026
Glama— unratedunavailableunavailableMAY 12, 2026
Smithery— unratedunavailableunavailableMAY 12, 2026
Official MCP Registry— unratedunavailableunavailableMAY 12, 2026

// Counts are directory-reported; we don't adjust them. Discrepancies usually come from different snapshot times or star-caching.

OTHER DEV TOOLS MCP SERVERS

// Get in touch

DISCUSS YOUR
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