MCP Guides
Strategic and practical guides for developers building with Model Context Protocol. From first principles to production setup.
What Is MCP? A Plain-English Guide to Model Context Protocol
MCP is the open standard that lets AI models connect directly to tools, files, and APIs. Learn what it is, how it works, and why developers are building with it.
Best MCPs for Cursor in 2026 (Ranked + Setup)
The 6 MCPs every Cursor user should install — Context7, Filesystem, GitHub, Postgres, Brave Search, Memory. Ranked, with a copy-paste mcp.json. Updated 2026.
Best MCPs for Claude Desktop in 2026 (Ranked + Setup)
The 7 MCP servers every Claude Desktop user should install — Filesystem, Memory, Sequential Thinking, Context7, GitHub, Puppeteer, Brave Search. Copy-paste config included. Updated 2026.
Best MCPs for Claude Code in 2026 (Ranked + Setup)
The 6 MCP servers every Claude Code user should install — Filesystem, GitHub, Context7, Postgres, Puppeteer, Memory. With claude mcp add commands and a shared .mcp.json. Updated 2026.
Best MCPs for Windsurf in 2026 (Cascade-Ready Setup)
The 6 MCP servers every Windsurf user should install — Filesystem, GitHub, Context7, Supabase, Puppeteer, Postgres. Cascade-ready mcp_config.json with copy-paste setup. Updated 2026.
Best MCPs for VS Code in 2026 (Agent Mode + .vscode/mcp.json)
The 6 MCP servers every VS Code user should install — Filesystem, Context7, GitHub, Git, Postgres, Fetch. Workspace-scoped .vscode/mcp.json with copy-paste setup. Updated 2026.
MCP Registry vs Curated Directory: Which Should You Use?
The official MCP registry lists every server. Curated directories like topMCPs help you find the ones worth using. Here is the difference — and when each one is right.
Best MCPs for ChatGPT: The Apps and Connectors Worth Installing
A practical guide to the MCP servers worth using inside ChatGPT — official Apps directory picks (Spotify, Canva, Booking) and remote dev MCPs (GitHub, Notion, Stripe). Verified for 2026.
How to Add an MCP Server to ChatGPT (Developer Mode + Apps Directory)
Step-by-step: turn on ChatGPT Developer Mode, add a custom remote MCP connector, or install a one-click app from chatgpt.com/apps.
MCP Security: What to Know Before You Install
How MCP servers handle credentials, scope, sandboxing, and the OAuth 2.1 spec. A practical security guide for anyone installing MCPs.
Best MCPs for Marketers in 2026 (SEO, Email, Analytics)
The MCP servers worth installing if you do marketing work — Semrush, Klaviyo, HubSpot, Mixpanel, Brand24, and more.
Remote vs Local MCP Servers: When to Use Each
How to choose between stdio (local) and remote (HTTP) MCP servers. Latency, auth, blast radius, and the cases each one wins.
MCP vs Function Calling: What’s the Difference?
Function calling is a model capability. MCP is a server protocol. Here is the practical difference and when each one matters for builders.
MCP Directories Compared: Top MCPs vs mcp.so vs PulseMCP vs mcp.directory
An honest comparison of the four largest MCP directories — catalog size, curation, freshness, install UX, and AI-readiness.
MCP Prompt Injection: How Tool-Calling Agents Get Hijacked
When an MCP gives an AI agent tool access, prompt injection becomes remote code execution by proxy. The attack surface and four defenses that move the needle.
OAuth 2.1 for MCP: What the Spec Standardised and What You Need to Know
The 2025-06-18 MCP spec standardised on OAuth 2.1 with PKCE. The handshake, dynamic client registration, audience binding, and the migration path from API keys.
Sandboxing MCP Servers: Containers, Least Privilege, and Process Isolation
How to run MCP servers safely — least-privileged Unix users, container-level isolation, network egress controls, and dedicated sandbox runtimes like E2B.
Rotating MCP Credentials: A Practical Guide for Leaks, Expiry, and Routine Hygiene
When an MCP token leaks — or just ages — you need a clean rotation playbook. Revocation, re-issuance, OS credential store updates, step by step.
Least-Privilege Scoping for MCPs: How to Grant the Smallest Useful Permission
The single highest-leverage MCP security move is granting credentials with the smallest possible scope. The per-category playbook.
Best MCP Servers for Databases in 2026 (Ranked + Setup)
The 6 best database MCPs for AI agents — Postgres MCP Pro, Supabase, SQLite, MongoDB, BigQuery, DuckDB. With install commands, a decision tree, and the security gotchas around the archived reference Postgres MCP.
Best MCP Servers for Research in 2026 (Search, Scrape, Synthesize)
The research stack worth installing for an AI agent — Perplexity, Brave Search, Tavily, Exa, Firecrawl, Fetch. Ranked, with a decision tree for picking the right shape per question.
Best MCP Servers for Design-to-Code in 2026 (Figma → React)
The 6 MCPs that close the loop from Figma design to merged code — Figma, Playwright, Puppeteer, Filesystem, Context7, GitHub. The full pipeline with verification.
Best MCP Servers for Domains in 2026 (Registrars + DNS)
The best domain MCPs for AI agents — Cloudflare, Name.com, Porkbun, GoDaddy, Namecheap. Ranked with install commands, a decision tree, and the safety gotchas around transfers and DNS propagation.
How to Buy a Domain From Claude (Cloudflare MCP, Step by Step)
Install the Cloudflare MCP in Claude Desktop or Claude Code, scope a Registrar + DNS API token, and walk Claude through search → confirmation → register → DNS in a single conversation. Updated 2026.
How to Search for Domains With an AI Agent (Cross-Registrar Workflow)
Install the Cloudflare, Name.com, and Porkbun MCPs together; brainstorm names; fan out availability checks; compare prices across registrars before registering. Updated 2026.
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