MCP Servers, Demystified

MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. Anthropic built it. Claude uses it. It changes what AI can actually do.

The problem it solves

AI models are stuck inside a conversation window. They can read what you send, but they can't access your files, calendar, database, or tools — unless you paste that information in yourself.

MCP creates a standardised way for AI to connect to external tools and data sources.

How it works

You run an MCP server — a small program that knows how to talk to a specific tool (Notion, GitHub, a database, a filesystem). Claude connects to that server and can now call its functions.

It's similar to how a browser uses plugins, except for AI.

What you can do with it

• Let Claude read and write files on your computer
• Connect Claude to your Notion workspace
• Give Claude access to your database
• Let Claude run terminal commands

Getting started

Install one of the pre-built MCP servers from Anthropic's GitHub. The filesystem server, Notion server, and GitHub server are all ready to use.

Then open Claude Desktop, add the server to your config, and you're connected.