---
type: Article
name: "What is MCP?"
id: "https://selfe.ai/insights/glossary/what-is-mcp"
url: "https://selfe.ai/insights/glossary/what-is-mcp"
publisher: "did:web:selfe.ai"
description: "Model Context Protocol, an open standard that lets an AI agent call into a business's own systems, checking live data or triggering a defined action, the way it would check availability or pull a menu."
datePublished: "2026-09-15T16:25:20.643Z"
author: The Selfe team
---

# What is MCP?

> Model Context Protocol, an open standard that lets an AI agent call into a business's own systems, checking live data or triggering a defined action, the way it would check availability or pull a menu.

## In short

- MCP lets an agent call into a business's systems for live data or actions. It doesn't cover identity or payment.
- It's strong for internal tooling, and needs other protocols layered on top for a stranger's agent to book or buy.

Good for: An operator's own tools querying their own systems. Not good for: Proving a stranger's agent is allowed to book or spend. Identity and payment need separate protocols.

MCP is the connection layer specifically. A later revision added a thin way to check who's calling in, but proving what an agent is allowed to spend is still a separate protocol's job entirely. It's strongest today for an operator's own tools, a member of staff's assistant querying their own booking system, and weaker on its own for a stranger's agent trying to book from a business it's never dealt with, which needs identity and payment checks on top. Selfe uses MCP as one piece of a larger chain, not the whole answer.

## Good for

An operator's own tools querying their own systems.

## Not good for

Proving a stranger's agent is allowed to book or spend. Identity and payment need separate protocols.

## Act on this

- [Check whether an agent can buy from you](https://selfe.ai/agentic-commerce/buyability-check) — the free readiness scan.
- [Discover venues](https://selfe.ai/api/registry/discover) — `POST`, semantic browse across the registry.
- [Match a bookable answer](https://selfe.ai/api/registry/match) — `POST` with dates and party size.
- [Verify Selfe's identity](https://selfe.ai/.well-known/did.json) — `did:web:selfe.ai`.
- [Agent card](https://selfe.ai/.well-known/agent-card.json) — how to connect over A2A or MCP.