---
title: "What is MCP?"
description: "MCP, the Model Context Protocol, is a standard way for models and editors to call tools and read resources from a server."
url: "https://www.pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-mcp"
updated: "2026-09-29"
vertical: "Agents"
doc: "https://docs.pixeltable.com/overview/quick-start"
---

# What is MCP?

MCP, the Model Context Protocol, is a standard way for models and editors to call tools and read resources from a server.

Updated: 2026-09-29


## On this page

- [How it works](https://www.pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-mcp#how-it-works)
- [What it is not](https://www.pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-mcp#what-it-is-not)
- [Comparison](https://www.pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-mcp#comparison)
- [Where Pixeltable fits](https://www.pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-mcp#where-pixeltable-fits)
- [Questions](https://www.pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-mcp#questions)

## How it works {#how-it-works}


- A server advertises tools and resources.
- The model or IDE calls a tool.
- The tool reads or writes your system and returns a result.

## What it is not {#what-it-is-not}

It is not an agent framework, and it is not a database API that was never exposed as MCP.

## MCP: this, and the thing it is confused with {#comparison}

|  | This | Not this |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Is | A protocol for tools | The agent loop itself |
| Carries | Tool calls and resources | Your whole database |
| Needs underneath | Something the tool can actually query | Nothing |

## Where Pixeltable fits {#where-pixeltable-fits}

Pixeltable is an MCP client: pxt.mcp_udfs(url) turns a server's tools into functions an LLM column can call, and each call and its result land in a row. The library has no API that turns your own tables and queries into an MCP server. Its own MCP servers are for coding agents: the developer server inspects schemas, queries tables and runs a REPL against a local or Cloud catalog, and the hosted Cloud MCP at /mcp/cloud reads and operates a signed-in Cloud organization after AuthKit consent; ?read_only=true leaves only the read tools.

## Questions {#questions}

### How does MCP work? {#faq-1}

A server advertises tools and resources. The model or IDE calls a tool. The tool reads or writes your system and returns a result.

### What is MCP often confused with? {#faq-2}

It is not an agent framework, and it is not a database API that was never exposed as MCP.

## In the blog

- [How to build an agent state machine in Pixeltable](https://www.pixeltable.com/blog/agent-state-machine-pixeltable)
- [Research, code and images on the GPU you already own, as one Pixeltable app](https://www.pixeltable.com/blog/self-hosted-ai-research-code-images-local-gpu-pixeltable)
- [Designing Software for LLMs as Customers: A Five-Stage Framework](https://www.pixeltable.com/blog/designing-software-for-llms-as-customers)
- [Kubrick Video Agent Course: Building Multimodal Agents with Pixeltable](https://www.pixeltable.com/blog/kubrick-video-agent-course)
- [Powering Multimodal LLMs: Pixeltable MCP Servers for Rich Data Context](https://www.pixeltable.com/blog/pixeltable-mcp-servers)
- [Give Claude Multimodal Superpowers: Announcing Pixeltable MCP Server (Developer Edition)](https://www.pixeltable.com/blog/pixeltable-mcp-developer-edition-launch)

## Related

- [Documentation](https://docs.pixeltable.com/overview/quick-start)
- [Give Claude Multimodal Superpowers: Announcing Pixeltable MCP Server (Developer Edition)](https://www.pixeltable.com/blog/pixeltable-mcp-developer-edition-launch)
- [Designing Software for LLMs as Customers: A Five-Stage Framework](https://www.pixeltable.com/blog/designing-software-for-llms-as-customers)
- [AI agents and MCP](https://www.pixeltable.com/use-cases/ai-agents-mcp)