Server identity
Name, version, description, homepage and metadata that identify the server.
Specification
The MCPDS document format
Canonical YAML for designing MCP servers. JSON is an equivalent serialization; JSON Schema 2020-12 backs structural validation.
Read MCPDS 1.0.0 →What a document describes
Eight areas, one contract. Together they cover distribution, transport, authentication and the runtime capability surface that MCP otherwise exposes only after a server starts.
Protocol guidance
Instructions, server capabilities and required client capabilities declared before runtime.
Transports
stdio, streamable HTTP and legacy SSE endpoints with URLs, headers and variables.
Authentication
Server-wide none, OAuth 2.1 or environment-variable authentication schemes.
Tools
Callable operations with JSON Schema input and output contracts, annotations and examples.
Resources
Static resources and URI templates, including annotations and template parameters.
Prompts
Reusable MCP prompt templates with typed arguments and optional icons.
Packaging
Installable packages and local runtime details that project to registry server.json.
Read specification
Use the MCPDS 1.0.0 reference to explore the document structure, field definitions, validation rules and examples.