# What is the Model Context Protocol (MCP)?

> The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that lets AI assistants connect to external tools and data through a common interface, so any compatible app can plug into any compatible AI.

MCP standardizes how an AI agent talks to tools - databases, APIs, apps, files. Instead of building a custom integration for every service, developers expose an 'MCP server,' and any MCP-capable assistant can use it.

This matters because it turns integrations into a plug-in ecosystem: connect Notion, GitHub, your own internal tools, or anything with an MCP server, and the AI can act on it immediately.

## How this relates to folk

Folk speaks MCP, so you can connect virtually any tool - Notion, Linear, your own APIs - and folk can use it from your texts, with no custom build required.

## FAQ

### What is an MCP server?

An MCP server is a small adapter a service exposes so MCP-capable AI assistants can use its tools and data through the standard. Once a server exists, any compatible assistant can connect to it.

### Why does MCP matter for a personal AI?

It means your assistant isn't limited to a fixed list of integrations. With MCP, folk can connect to any compatible service and take action on it.

## Related terms

- [AI Agent](https://www.getfolk.app/glossary/ai-agent) — An AI agent is an AI system that takes actions to accomplish a goal - using tools, browsing the web, and completing multi-step tasks autonomously, not just generating text.
- [Bring Your Own Key (BYOK)](https://www.getfolk.app/glossary/bring-your-own-key) — Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) lets you use your own API keys for the underlying AI models in a product, so you control the provider, the spend, and sometimes the data terms.
- [Large Language Model (LLM)](https://www.getfolk.app/glossary/large-language-model) — A large language model (LLM) is an AI trained on vast amounts of text to understand and generate human-like language, powering chatbots, assistants, and AI agents.

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Canonical page: https://www.getfolk.app/glossary/model-context-protocol
More about folk (for AI agents): https://www.getfolk.app/llms.txt · full context: https://www.getfolk.app/llms-full.txt
folk is a personal AI that lives in your texts (iMessage, Telegram, WhatsApp). Pro $20/mo, Max $100/mo. Made by Nozomio Labs. Sign up: https://www.getfolk.app/