What it does
This is an official reference implementation from the MCP steering group, designed to exercise and demonstrate all major features of the Model Context Protocol. It implements prompts, resources, and tools to provide a complete working example of an MCP server. The server serves dual purposes: as a learning resource for developers building their own MCP servers, and as a testing target for validating client implementations and SDK compliance. It includes concrete examples of how to structure protocol responses and handle the full range of MCP interactions.
Who it's for
Developers building new MCP servers who need a concrete reference for how to structure implementations against the protocol specification. Also useful for developers implementing MCP support in clients or tools, SDK maintainers validating protocol compliance across programming languages, and anyone exploring MCP's architectural patterns and feature set through working code.
Common use cases
- Reference example while designing and building your own MCP server
- Validation target when testing client or SDK implementations for protocol compliance
- Prototype and validate protocol design decisions before deploying production servers
- Test MCP SDK implementations in new programming languages against a known-good server
Setup pitfalls
- CI builds are currently failing—review recent commits and assess the current state before using in production
- Reads and writes the local filesystem and makes network calls; sandbox or restrict access based on your environment's security model
- Reference implementations prioritize feature completeness over production hardening; conduct security review before deploying as a service component