A curated list of awesome articles, tutorials, and resources for learning and working with the Model Context Protocol (MCP). MCP is a standardized layer that allows AI agents and Large Language Models (LLMs) to interact with external tools and APIs in a unified way.
- Introduction to MCP: Foundation and Concepts
- Setting Up Your MCP Environment
- Building Your First MCP Servers (Hands-On Tutorials)
- Hands-On MCP Projects and Integrations
- Advanced Topics: Security and Performance
- Learning Roadmap
- Contributing
- License
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The Model Context Protocol (MCP) Explained in 5 Minutes – A high-level overview of MCP. Introduces MCP as a standardized layer between AI agents and external APIs, simplifying tool integration. The article breaks down MCP’s host-client-server architecture and guides you through setting up VS Code with Copilot to use MCP servers. A great quick-start for understanding what MCP is.
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MCP Explained in 10 Minutes: A Python Developer’s Crash Course – An in-depth primer for developers. Explains MCP’s origins and covers its core components (Hosts, Clients, Servers). This article also compares MCP to existing function-calling, clarifying that it adds no new capability but offers a unified, interoperable way to expose tools to LLMs.
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MCP Demystified: How the Model Context Protocol Standardizes AI Tool Use – A conceptual deep-dive on why MCP matters: it solves the lack of standardization in tool integration. This piece is valuable for understanding the big picture—how an “MCP server” can publish tools in a way that any MCP-compatible LLM client can use without bespoke code.
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MCP Servers Explained in Under 10 Minutes – A broad architecture overview that spells out MCP’s “Model – Context – Protocol” triad. The article illustrates server-side concepts and includes a hands-on C# example to show MCP implementation in another language, cementing that core concepts apply beyond Python.
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VS Code + Copilot Setup – Learn to configure your IDE to use MCP servers. These guides explain step-by-step how to install and add MCP servers (like GitHub or custom ones) in VS Code, verify them in
mcp-user-configuration.json, and invoke them via natural language in Copilot. -
Command-Line & Copilot Integration – A concise article showing how GitHub Copilot integrates with an MCP-enabled GitHub server. It highlights Copilot’s new tools (e.g., creating issues, PRs) and demonstrates how MCP unlocks powerful developer workflows within Copilot.
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Basic Python Server (Google Search Tool) – A beginner-friendly tutorial using the
FastMCPPython SDK to create a simple “Google Search” server. It covers project setup withuv, writing a tool-decorated function, and adding the tool to the Claude Desktop client. -
Retrieval-Augmented Server (PDF-to-Markdown) – An intermediate tutorial building a Python server that converts PDFs to Markdown using
doclink. It emphasizes a real use-case (RAG with your docs) and gives end-to-end guidance on implementation and integration into an IDE like Cursor or VS Code. -
Domain-Specific Server (AI HR Agent) – A more advanced Python example for an HR leave-management use case. It shows how to define multiple tools (
get_leave_balance,apply_for_leave), highlighting that docstrings become tool descriptions for the AI. The focus is on practical, multi-tool servers. -
Java MCP Server (No Spring) – Demonstrates language flexibility by walking Java developers through using the official Java SDK to build an MCP server without heavy frameworks. This piece is valuable for showing core concepts (tool specifications, transports) in a non-Python environment.
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Build Custom Tools for IDEs (Python + VS Code) – This tutorial walks through creating a local FastAPI-based MCP server and integrating it into VS Code. It highlights the DIY aspect of MCP, showing end-to-end how to add custom functionality (like
get_office_jokes) to your dev tools. -
Repo Prompt MCP (Context Sync Across Tools) – A conceptual tutorial on using MCP for advanced workflows. It explains how the Repo Prompt code editor uses its built-in MCP server to expose tools and sync context (like selected files) with other tools like the Cursor IDE. This emphasizes creative, multi-app uses of MCP.
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Practical Integration Examples – Several articles showcase real MCP tool usage, such as building a RAG knowledge-base tool or calling the GitHub API from Copilot. These examples are valuable for understanding how MCP enables AI to perform tasks in real workflows.
- MCP Explained in 10 Minutes: A Python Developer’s Crash Course (RAG Example)
- Supercharge Your Workflow: Integrating GitHub Copilot with an MCP Server (GitHub API Example)
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Protocol Upgrades (HTTP vs SSE) – Covers MCP’s evolving transport mechanisms, explaining the switch from stateful SSE to stateless, streamable HTTP. This is important for understanding deployment considerations for performance-critical or scalable servers.
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Security Considerations (Context7 MCP) – A cautionary perspective on MCP security. It warns about potential attack vectors (data poisoning, prompt injection) and highlights the need to use MCP thoughtfully: isolate servers, keep tools minimal, and stay informed on security best practices.
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🔰 Beginner: Start with the high-level explainers to grasp what MCP is and why it matters. Experiment by installing public MCP servers in VS Code/Copilot and trying example prompts.
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🛠️ Intermediate: Follow hands-on tutorials to build your own MCP servers. Begin with simple Python examples, then move to more complex scenarios like RAG servers or multi-tool APIs using the
FastMCPSDK. -
🚀 Advanced: Explore language-specific SDKs (Java, C#) and transports (HTTP). Incorporate MCP into real projects by creating servers that connect to your company’s APIs or databases.
Contributions are welcome! If you have a high-quality article, tutorial, or resource you'd like to add, please open a pull request.
This list is available under the MIT license.