Introduction to Model Context Protocol
Anthropic
Last updated October 12, 2026
Introduction to Model Context Protocol is a free course from Anthropic that teaches developers to connect Claude to external tools and data using Model Context Protocol (MCP) — an open standard that lets a model use outside services without you hand-writing a tool schema for each one. You build both halves of the picture: MCP servers that expose tools, resources, and prompts, and MCP clients that consume them, all using the Python SDK. The architecture comes first — the client-server model and why the protocol exists — and then you put it to work on a hands-on document-management project, testing and debugging your server with the MCP Inspector along the way. By the end you can decide when to expose something as a tool, a resource, or a prompt.
What you'll learn
- How MCP works: the client-server architecture and communication model
- Building MCP servers that expose tools using the Python SDK
- Writing MCP clients that connect your applications to those servers
- Exposing data as resources and predefined workflows as prompts
- Choosing between tools, resources, and prompts based on the control pattern you want
- Testing and debugging servers with the MCP Inspector
- Building a complete document-management system end to end
Frequently asked questions about Introduction to Model Context Protocol
Who is Introduction to Model Context Protocol for?
Engineers who want to connect Claude to external tools and services without writing piles of boilerplate integration code.
Is Introduction to Model Context Protocol free?
Yes — Introduction to Model Context Protocol is completely free to take.
What are the prerequisites for Introduction to Model Context Protocol?
Basic Python programming experience, an understanding of async/await patterns, and familiarity with API concepts.
Do you need to code for Introduction to Model Context Protocol?
Yes — Introduction to Model Context Protocol involves hands-on coding.
Why we suggest this course
A focused, build-it-yourself introduction to the protocol that has become the common way to connect AI models to outside tools and data. Rather than explaining MCP in the abstract, it has you build a working server and client and wire them into a real document-management project, so the client-server model and the tool-versus-resource-versus-prompt decision land through practice. It is the natural first step before Model Context Protocol: Advanced Topics, which assumes this grounding and moves on to sampling, transports, and production deployment. Two things worth knowing: while MCP is an open standard that works across different models, this course teaches it with the Python SDK and Claude as the model; and it expects working Python and comfort with async/await before you start.