Dictionary term
MCP Primitive
Agentic AIAdvanced
One of the core building blocks an MCP server can expose: tools (actions the model can call), resources (readable data), and prompts (reusable templates).
In plain English
The three kinds of things an MCP server can offer an AI: actions it can take (tools), information it can read (resources), and ready-made prompt templates (prompts).
Analogy
Like the basic ingredients in a kitchen: actions you can perform, items you can read, and recipes you can follow.
Why it matters
Knowing the primitives lets you design an MCP server that exposes the right mix of actions and data for Claude to use effectively.
In practice
A server exposing a send_email tool, a contacts resource, and a follow_up prompt template.
Related terms
Sources
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