← Back to glossary
Glossary

MCP Resource

Reviewed 9 April 2026 Canonical definition

An MCP resource is a piece of data or content — such as a file, database record, or API response — that an MCP server exposes to AI clients for reading. Resources are distinct from tools (which trigger actions) and allow agents to retrieve context without executing side effects, making them useful for read-only data access with controlled visibility.