---
title: "MCP server defined | Agent Ready Checklist"
description: "MCP server: A server speaking the Model Context Protocol that exposes tools, resources and prompts to agent hosts. Sourced example from github.com."
canonical: https://agentreadychecklist.com/glossary/mcp-server
site: "Agent Ready Checklist"
last_updated: 2026-11-05
section: "Glossary"
---

# MCP server defined | Agent Ready Checklist

> MCP server: A server speaking the Model Context Protocol that exposes tools, resources and prompts to agent hosts. Sourced example from github.com.

Source: https://agentreadychecklist.com/glossary/mcp-server
Site: Agent Ready Checklist
Last reviewed: 2026-11-05
Agent endpoints: https://agentreadychecklist.com/llms.txt (index), https://agentreadychecklist.com/openapi.json (API), https://agentreadychecklist.com/mcp (MCP server), https://agentreadychecklist.com/ask (search)
Access: https://agentreadychecklist.com/auth.md (no key). Pricing: https://agentreadychecklist.com/pricing.md (free).

# MCP server

A server speaking the Model Context Protocol that exposes tools, resources and prompts to agent hosts. AgentReady wants one over Streamable HTTP, usually at /mcp. Example: POST /mcp {"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/list"}. Related rows: AR-FIND-04, AR-ACT-03, AR-ACT-04, AR-ACT-05, AR-ACT-10. AR-ACT-04 asks: Ship an MCP server card for pre-connection discovery. The Verify Kit check mcp-or-cli tests MCP server.

## Definition

A server speaking the Model Context Protocol that exposes tools, resources and prompts to agent hosts. AgentReady wants one over Streamable HTTP, usually at /mcp.

## Example

```text
POST /mcp  {"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/list"}
```

## Where it appears on the checklist

-   [AR-FIND-04](https://agentreadychecklist.com/checklist/ar-find-04/)AI Catalog at .well-known: Publish an AI Catalog at /.well-known/ai-catalog.json listing every agent-facing resource (MCP server card, OpenAPI, A2A card, docs, llms.txt, skills), linked with <link rel="ai-catalog"> and an HTTP Link header.
-   [AR-ACT-03](https://agentreadychecklist.com/checklist/ar-act-03/)MCP over Streamable HTTP: Expose an MCP server over Streamable HTTP at /mcp; keep the docs MCP public and gate the product MCP with OAuth and PKCE; list it in the MCP Registry with a server.json.
-   [AR-ACT-04](https://agentreadychecklist.com/checklist/ar-act-04/)MCP server card: Ship an MCP server card for pre-connection discovery.
-   [AR-ACT-05](https://agentreadychecklist.com/checklist/ar-act-05/)MCP Apps view: Products with a UI may ship an MCP Apps view (ui:// resource) so the agent can hand a working surface back to the user.
-   [AR-ACT-10](https://agentreadychecklist.com/checklist/ar-act-10/)An MCP server or a CLI: A product agents are expected to act on exposes at least one interface an agent can act through: an MCP server (AR-ACT-03) or a CLI (AR-ACT-06).
-   [Guide](https://agentreadychecklist.com/guides/one-day-agent-readiness-sprint/)The one-day agent-readiness sprint
-   [Guide](https://agentreadychecklist.com/guides/add-oauth-metadata/)How to add OAuth metadata
-   [Guide](https://agentreadychecklist.com/guides/put-a-cli-on-npm/)How to put a CLI on npm for your product

## Asked about it

### What is the minimum a site needs to pass AgentReady?

Meet every MUST that applies. For an informational site that is three: do not block agents (AR-FIND-01), put the answer in the initial HTML (AR-READ-01) and return real status codes (AR-READ-02). A product agents act on adds AR-ACT-10, an MCP server or a CLI.

### Does every site need an MCP server?

No. AR-ACT applies only to products agents are expected to act on. For those, AR-ACT-10 requires an MCP server or a CLI, at least one. A purely informational site conforms without either.

## Sources

-   [github.com/agentready-org/standard/blob/main/spec/spec.md](https://github.com/agentready-org/standard/blob/main/spec/spec.md)read 2026-11-04

Last reviewed 2026-11-05. AgentReady v2.0, read 2026-11-04.