Model Context Protocol (MCP) base protocol

Below are concise over‑views of the key sections that make up the Model Context Protocol. Each summary gives a quick glimpse of the topic and links to the full page.

MCP base procotol overview

The overview outlines MCP’s core components, including base JSON‑RPC messages, lifecycle handling, authorization, and utility layers. It stresses mandatory support for the base protocol and lifecycle, while other modules are optional based on implementation needs.

MCP lifecycle

This section details the three‑phase connection lifecycle—initialization with capability negotiation, normal operation, and graceful shutdown. It describes required messages, version negotiation, and the use of Server‑Sent Events for streaming responses.

MCP transports

It explains the two standard transports—stdio and streamable HTTP—including message framing, security checks, session handling, and how clients discover and interact with servers using both POST and GET streams.

Authorization

The authorization chapter defines HTTP‑level auth for MCP, covering OAuth 2.1 flow, discovery of auth servers, client registration options, scope handling, and security best practices such as PKCE and token audience binding.

MCP Utilities Overview

This overview introduces optional utilities like request cancellation, ping, progress notifications, and task management, enabling responsive and observable client‑server interactions.