MCP and Plugins
How Claude Code connects to external servers, tools, and resources
A map of MCP connection management, plugin-facing flows, and how external capabilities become part of the Claude Code experience.
MCP is treated as a managed capability layer
Claude Code does not just list MCP servers. It manages connection state, exposes reconnect and toggle behavior, and treats MCP clients as first-class runtime capabilities.
That makes MCP closer to a capability graph than a simple settings page.
- Servers can be reconnected and toggled.
- Connections can expose tools, commands, and resources.
- The app distinguishes MCP management from generic browsing.
The command surface exposes operational controls
The `/mcp` command family is not only descriptive. It actively supports reconnect, enable, and disable behavior for servers.
That reflects how operational MCP is inside Claude Code: integrations are meant to be managed during real work, not only configured once.
Why this matters for the directory
For `claudecode.directory`, MCP content should not live as isolated resource cards. Users need concept pages that explain where MCP fits in the Claude Code mental model.
The best directory experience links protocol docs, concrete servers, and workflow guidance together.
Learn next
These guides are adjacent to the current topic and make the learning path easier to follow.
Agents and Plan Mode
How Claude Code separates planning, coordination, and delegated execution
Understand the difference between the main thread, plan mode, coordinator behavior, and constrained sub-agents.
Context and Memory
How Claude Code builds working context and persistent memory
Understand the difference between session context, CLAUDE.md instructions, MEMORY.md indexing, and relevance-based memory recall.
How Claude Code Works
The high-level architecture behind a Claude Code turn
A code-backed explanation of how Claude Code assembles context, runs the agent loop, invokes tools, and keeps long sessions moving.
Related resources
These directory entries connect the concept guide to concrete tools, docs, and integrations.
MCP Protocol Documentation
Complete Model Context Protocol specification
Official documentation for the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Covers the protocol specification, server implementation, tool definitions, and integration patterns. Essential reading for MCP server developers.
GitHub MCP Server
GitHub API integration for Claude with repository management capabilities
Official MCP server providing comprehensive GitHub integration. Enables Claude to read repositories, manage issues and pull requests, search code, and interact with the GitHub API. Essential for any development workflow involving GitHub.
Filesystem MCP Server
Secure file system access with configurable permissions and sandboxing
Official MCP server providing controlled filesystem access. Read, write, and manage files within specified directories. Features include path sandboxing, configurable permissions, and support for common file operations. Perfect for local development workflows.
Context7 MCP Server
Real-time documentation lookup for libraries and frameworks
Community MCP server that provides up-to-date documentation for popular libraries and frameworks. Instead of relying on potentially outdated training data, fetch current documentation directly. Supports npm packages, Python libraries, and more.