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MCP Overview

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that lets Kodik connect to external servers which expose tools and resources. Think of it as a USB-C port for AI applications: one standard interface, many possible devices.

When you connect an MCP server, Kodik’s agent discovers every tool and resource that server publishes and makes them available during a conversation.

  • Tools are functions the agent can call — fetching a URL, querying a database, running a shell command on a remote machine, and so on. Each tool is identified in the agent’s context as mcp__<server-name>__<tool-name>. For example, a server named github that exposes a search_repos tool appears as mcp__github__search_repos.
  • Resources are read-only data feeds (files, database rows, live sensor readings, etc.) that the agent can read without a separate tool call.

The agent decides when to call a tool based on the conversation. By default it asks for your approval before each call; you can grant auto-approval globally or per tool. See Auto-Approve and Agent Tools for details.

ConceptWhat it is
MCP hostThe client that connects to servers — in this case, Kodik
MCP serverA small program (local process or remote HTTP endpoint) that exposes tools and resources
ToolA callable function; shown to the agent as mcp__<server>__<tool>
ResourceRead-only data the agent can pull from the server
TransportHow the host talks to the server (stdio, SSE, or streamable HTTP)

MCP servers can wrap almost any external system:

  • Web and APIs — search the web, post to social platforms, fetch live data
  • Browser automation — drive a real browser for testing or scraping
  • Databases — run queries, generate reports, inspect schemas
  • Project management — create tickets, sync tasks, read roadmaps
  • Code tooling — run linters, formatters, build systems, or custom scripts

Kodik ships without any MCP servers pre-installed. Choose the path that fits your situation:

MCP servers can execute arbitrary code and make network requests. Only connect servers you trust. Kodik isolates credentials in environment variables and never exposes them to the model directly. Every tool call requires approval unless you explicitly enable auto-approve. See Auto-Approve.