MCP Integration

MCP extends Claude Code with tools, resources, and structured context. Use it when the agent needs repeatable access to systems that should not be pasted into prompts.

Common Uses

• Internal documentation search.
• Browser or design inspection tools.
• Issue trackers and pull request metadata.
• Database schema discovery.
• Product analytics or operational dashboards.

The value is strongest when the server returns structured, narrow data instead of a large dump.

Trust Boundary

Every MCP server expands what the agent can see or do. Classify each server before enabling it:

• Read-only context.
• Read-write project automation.
• External network access.
• Sensitive data access.
• Production-impacting operations.

For sensitive systems, prefer read-only tools plus explicit human approval for writes.

Configuration Pattern

Keep team-approved servers in shared configuration and personal experiments in local configuration. Name servers by purpose, not by implementation detail:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "docs-search": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["./tools/mcp/docs-search.js"]
    }
  }
}

Operational Checklist

• The server has a narrow purpose.
• Tool names are understandable from the prompt alone.
• Result sizes are capped.
• Authentication is not committed to the repository.
• Write tools have explicit approval boundaries.
• Failure messages tell the agent what to try next.