Get to grips with the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and learn how to build scalable, intelligent web applications with AI-ready architecture in Python

Key Features

• The only resource you'll need to build, test, and deploy MCP servers and clients
• Take a modern approach toward building, testing, and securing distributed agentic AI apps
• Get clear, professional guidance on developing for both LLM and non-LLM clients
• Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook

Book Description

Learn Model Context Protocol with Python introduces developers, architects, and AI practitioners to the transformative capabilities of Model Context Protocol (MCP), an emerging protocol designed to standardize, distribute, and scale AI-driven applications. Through the lens of a practical project, the book tackles the modern challenges of resource management, client-server interaction, and deployment at scale.

Drawing from Christoffer's expertise as a published author and tutor at the University of Oxford, you’ll explore the components of MCP and how they streamline server and client development. Next, you’ll progress from building robust backends and integrating LLMs into intelligent clients to interacting with servers via tools such as Claude for desktop and Visual Studio Code agents. The chapters help you understand how to describe the capabilities of hosts, clients, and servers, facilitating better interoperability, easier integration, and clearer communication between different components.

The book also covers security best practices and building for the cloud, ensuring that you're ready to deploy your MCP-based apps. Each chapter enables you to develop hands-on skills for building and operating MCP-based agentic apps. The Python primer at the end rounds out the practical toolkit, making this book essential for any team building AI-native applications today.

What you will learn

• Understand the MCP protocol and its core components
• Build MCP servers that expose tools and resources to a variety of clients
• Test and debug servers using the interactive inspector tools
• Consume servers using Claude Desktop and Visual Studio Code Agents
• Secure MCP apps, as well as managing and mitigating common threats
• Build and deploy MCP apps using cloud-based strategies

Who this book is for

This book is ideal for web developers, software architects, AI practitioners, and tech leads looking to build scalable AI-integrated applications using MCP. Product managers overseeing AI initiatives will also find this book valuable. A basic understanding of web development and AI concepts is needed to make the most of this book.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to the Model Context Protocol
2. Explaining the Model Context Protocol
3. Building and Testing Servers
4. Building SSE Servers
5. Streamable HTTP
6. Advanced Servers
7. Building Clients
8. Consuming Servers
9. Sampling
10. Elicitation
11. Securing Your Application
12. Bringing MCP Apps to Production
13. Appendix

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