MCP Client

MCP

Definition

An application that connects to MCP servers to access their tools, resources, and prompts. Claude Code and the Anthropic API act as MCP clients. Responsible for discovering available capabilities, formatting requests, and handling MCP protocol messages.

Example Usage

Claude Code acts as an MCP client, connecting to all servers configured in .mcp.json and making their tools available to Claude.

Related Concepts

MCP Server Configuration & Scoping

Tool Design & MCP

Use project-scoped .mcp.json for team tools, user-scoped ~/.claude.json for personal tools

Related Terms

MCP Server Model Context Protocol (MCP)

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