AI dictionary

MCP Resource

Data exposed by an MCP server for a client or model to use as context, identified by a URI.

Plain English

It is a file, record, schema, or app-specific object the AI host can intentionally add to context.

Example

A database MCP server exposes a schema resource so an agent can understand table names before writing a query.

Why it matters

Resources separate contextual data from executable tools, which helps clients control what the model can see.