# What is an MCP server? A plain explanation

An MCP server gives an AI agent tools it can call. What a tool call looks like, and how one connection can reach many providers.

## Summary

MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. It is an open standard that lets an AI agent talk to outside software in one agreed way. An MCP server is the piece of software on the other end. It tells the agent which tools it offers and runs them when the agent asks.

## The problem MCP solves

A language model on its own can only write text. It cannot look up an email address, check a ranking or read a web page. To do those things it needs tools, and every tool used to need its own glue code. One app had one way to describe a tool, another app had a different one.

MCP gives every tool the same shape. An agent that speaks MCP can connect to any MCP server without custom code for that server. You add the server once in your agent's settings, and the agent sees what it can do.

## Three parts

There are three roles. The agent is the program you talk to. The MCP server is the connection point. The provider is the service that holds the data or does the work.

| Part | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Agent (the MCP client) | Reads your request, decides which tool to call, reads the result | Claude Code, Cursor, Codex |
| MCP server | Lists its tools, accepts calls, returns results | A server your agent is connected to |
| Provider | Holds the data or runs the job | A search API, an email finder, a scraper |

Sometimes the server and the provider are the same company. Sometimes the server sits in front of several providers and passes calls along. The agent does not need to care which.

## What a tool call looks like

When you ask an agent to find recent news about a company, it picks a tool from the server's list and sends a request. Under the hood this is a small JSON message. The tool name below is made up to show the shape.

The server runs the search and answers with text or structured data. The agent reads the answer and either replies to you or makes another call.

Each tool also carries a description and a list of inputs. The agent reads those to decide when the tool fits.

## Where looot fits

looot is one MCP connection to many data providers. Instead of adding a search server, an email server and a scraping server one by one, you connect your agent to looot once. The agent can then search the catalog for a job in plain words, read what an endpoint takes and returns, and call it.

looot is not the official MCP server of any provider listed in the catalog. It is a separate service that calls those providers' APIs for you and bills each call. If you want to see what an agent can do with a single provider, the [Exa page](https://looot.ai/mcp/exa) shows example jobs and prompts. The full list is on the [MCP index](https://looot.ai/mcp).

Note: An MCP server does not make an agent smarter. It gives the agent hands. The quality of the result still depends on the request you write and the data behind the tool.

## How to try one

1. Pick an agent that supports MCP, such as Claude Code or Cursor.
2. Add the server in the agent's MCP settings, or give the agent a setup file and let it do the steps.
3. Sign in if the server asks you to. Most hosted servers use a normal browser sign-in.
4. Ask for one small job and watch which tool the agent calls.
5. Check the result before you ask for a large batch.

## What to watch for

Tools that read data are low risk. Tools that write, send or spend need care. Check what a server can do before you connect it. If a server can send email or change records, tell your agent to ask first.

For a comparison with calling a plain API, read [MCP vs API for agents](https://looot.ai/blog/mcp-vs-api-for-agents). To set up looot, see [set up looot with one line](https://looot.ai/blog/set-up-looot-with-one-line).

[Browse the MCP pages](https://looot.ai/mcp)

## Questions

### What is an MCP server in simple terms?

An MCP server is a program that lists tools an AI agent can call and runs them on request. The agent asks, the server does the work and returns the result.

### What does MCP stand for?

Model Context Protocol. It is an open standard for how an AI agent connects to tools and data, so one agent can use many servers the same way.

### Is an MCP server the same as an API?

No. An API is a service you call with code. An MCP server wraps tools in a standard format so an agent can discover and call them without custom code. Many MCP servers call an API inside.

### Do I need to code to use an MCP server?

Usually not. You add the server in your agent's settings and the agent handles the calls. Setup is a config line or a sign-in link.

### Is looot an official MCP server for the providers it lists?

No. looot is a separate service. It calls provider APIs for you and bills each call. It is not the official MCP server of any provider.

### Which agents work with an MCP server?

Agents that support MCP as a client, such as Claude Code, Cursor and Codex. Check your agent's documentation for how to add a server.

## For agents

### Code (json)

```json
{
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "search_web",
    "arguments": { "query": "Acme Corp funding news", "limit": 5 }
  }
}
```

### Prompt to see what a server offers

```text
List every tool the connected MCP server gives you. For each one, give the name, what it does in one line, and the inputs it needs. Then pick the tool that fits best to find the latest news about https://example.com and run it once. Tell me what you called and what came back.
```