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AI learning library / 3 illustrated guides

MCP library

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open protocol that lets AI applications connect to external context and capabilities through a common interface.

Start here: write your own answer to an input below, then compare it with “Check your result”. You can complete this comparison on this page without an AI account. Sending a prompt to an AI is optional; external research needs the relevant source.

On-site lesson

01 / MCP

The three MCP building blocks

An MCP host is the AI application; its client connects to an MCP server. A server may expose tools the model can call, resources the app can read, and prompt templates a person can choose. A server offers capabilities; the host and user decide how to use them.

Try it yourself

Input example

Classify these fictional capabilities: “read a saved note”, “send an email”, “choose a review template”.

Do this

Make three columns: resource, tool, prompt. Place each capability and state whether it reads, changes, or supplies instructions.

Check your result

Reading a note fits a resource; sending an email is a tool; a review template is a prompt. Real servers may expose reading as a tool too.

Limits

Names alone do not prove behavior. Read the actual capability description before using a server.

On-site lesson

02 / MCP

What happens when an app connects

The client establishes a supported transport, negotiates protocol capabilities, and asks the server what it offers. When needed, the host reads a resource, retrieves a prompt, or asks for approval to call a tool. Results return to the host for the user to review.

Try it yourself

Input example

Paper scenario: a notes server advertises a read-only search tool with input {"query":"fractions"}.

Do this

Draw connect → discover → inspect input → request → result. Write the expected note title and source beside the final box; do not connect an account.

Check your result

Distinguish advertised capability from a result actually returned. A missing note means no evidence, not permission to invent content.

Limits

This is a paper exercise, not a tested connection. Transport, login, and approval behavior depend on the host.

On-site lesson

03 / MCP

Review an MCP server before use

Check who maintains it, where it runs, what data it can access, and whether tools can change or send data. Prefer the least access needed, inspect consequential actions, and remove a connection you no longer trust.

Try it yourself

Input example

Scenario: a server requests full mailbox access for the task “find one message about homework”.

Do this

List publisher, requested data, read/write effects, and a narrower access option. Mark unknowns; do not install or authorize it for this exercise.

Check your result

Proceed only after a real publisher and the needed permission scope can be verified. Full sending access is unnecessary for this stated task.

Limits

A directory listing or this checklist is not a security audit. Unknown permissions remain unresolved.

Browse the collection

Browse the collection

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External source index — separate from the on-site lessons above. Original wording is preserved: Microsoft Learn uses English; community prompts and server descriptions are mainly English and may contain other languages. These are not translated editions.

Snapshot collected 2026-10-21 (UTC), not a live feed. We have not tried every course, prompt, or server. A listing does not prove quality, current availability, or safety.

Selection: the first 1,100 distinct active, latest-version server names returned by the official registry at collection time. This is a bounded snapshot, not a ranking or recommendation. Check the publisher, permissions, and current release before connecting.

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Official further reading