What MCP is

Build-along · ~8 min at your own keyboard

MCP servers are pre-built connections — Gmail, Chrome, your CRM — that hand Claude tools it didn't have. The mental model that demystifies everything: it's just AI plus tools it's allowed to use. No magic, only plumbing.

The long version: What MCP is ↗

Do this

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Checkpoints

▸You should now see 3 servers listed that match tools you use.
▸You should now see the tools each one exposes written down.
▸You should now see one pick with the exact task it would handle.

The three ways this goes wrong

The directory lists hundreds of servers and nothing fits. — Search by the tool you use, such as Gmail or Sheets, not by category.
You pick a server for the wrong reason. — Ask: which task would this remove from my week? If none, skip it.
You cannot tell what a server can do. — Open its README and read the tools list before choosing.

Share what happened

Paste your three candidates with the real task each would handle, and your pick.

Strip API keys, passwords, and tokens before you paste. Swap them for [KEY].

🔒 Don't paste confidential, personal-health, or payment info.