Step-by-Step Guides
Practical tutorials to help you implement MCP solutions in your business. Each guide includes detailed steps, screenshots, and copy-paste code.
The Definitive Guide to Securely Configuring MCP Servers
A complete walkthrough on setting up MCP servers for Gemini CLI and VS Code, focusing on security best practices, persistent environment variables, and troubleshooting common issues like 'Access Denied' and authentication loops.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ Why you must never hardcode API keys or secrets.
- ✓ How to use environment variables to securely manage secrets.
- ✓ How to make environment variables permanent on macOS using .zshrc.
- +2 more topics
Beyond Claude: How to Use MCP with Any LLM
MCP is an open, model-agnostic protocol. This guide shows you how to connect your MCP servers to OpenAI, local Ollama models, and the wider AI ecosystem by building your own client.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ Why MCP is a model-agnostic open protocol
- ✓ How to build a basic Python MCP client from scratch
- ✓ How to connect your MCP server to OpenAI's API
- +2 more topics
How to Build a Remote MCP Server: A Step-by-Step Guide to Exposing Your Database
Learn how to build and deploy a secure, remote Model Context Protocol (MCP) server to provide AI applications with access to your database, enabling scalable and accessible enterprise integrations.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ How to connect an MCP server to a remote, hosted database like PostgreSQL.
- ✓ Best practices for securely managing database credentials using environment variables.
- ✓ How to build a remote-first MCP server in Python using FastMCP and FastAPI.
- +2 more topics
Local vs. Remote: Why Your AI Agent Can't Find Your MCP Server
A common point of confusion for developers is why one AI client can find their local MCP server while another can't. This guide breaks down the critical difference between local, remote, and hybrid AI clients.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ The fundamental difference between local and remote MCP clients
- ✓ Why transports like `stdio` and `Streamable HTTP` are not interchangeable
- ✓ Why clients like VS Code Copilot can't access `localhost` servers
- +2 more topics
A Developer's Guide to MCP Security: Beyond the Basics
Centralize your understanding of MCP security with this comprehensive guide. Learn practical steps for authenticating servers, preventing prompt injection, validating URIs, and managing secrets.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ Why security is the #1 concern for MCP server developers
- ✓ How to implement robust authentication using the MCP authorization spec
- ✓ Techniques to prevent prompt injection and command injection in your tools
- +3 more topics
The MCP Ripple Effect: How One Protocol is Reshaping AI Development
MCP is more than a connector; it's a fundamental shift in responsibility that's empowering AI to code and creating a new, standardized ecosystem for developers.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ How MCP is ending the developer chore of building one-off integrations.
- ✓ Why MCP acts as a universal 'API for APIs'.
- ✓ The way MCP lets AI take a more active role in coding its own tools.
- +1 more topics
The Three Primitives Explained: When to Use MCP Tools, Resources, and Prompts
Master the core concepts of MCP with a crystal-clear framework for understanding Tools, Resources, and Prompts - know exactly when to use each one.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ The fundamental differences between Tools, Resources, and Prompts
- ✓ A simple framework for choosing the right primitive
- ✓ When each primitive is automatically triggered vs user-controlled
- +2 more topics
What is MCP in Plain English? Unpacking the 'USB-C for AI' Analogy
A detailed, no-jargon explanation of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and why it's the 'USB-C for AI' that connects models to your real-world data and tools.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ The core problem MCP solves for modern AI applications.
- ✓ A detailed breakdown of the 'USB-C for AI' analogy.
- ✓ The simple client-server architecture of MCP.
- +2 more topics
Getting Started with MCP: A Practical Guide
Learn what MCP actually is, how it works, and how to successfully implement it to enhance your AI workflows and business processes.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ What MCP is and how it can enhance your AI workflows
- ✓ Practical implementation approaches and timelines
- ✓ How to choose the right MCP strategy for your needs
Ditching RAG: Building a Local MCP Server for Your Docs
Learn how to build a lightweight MCP server that provides direct access to local documentation files, offering a simpler alternative to complex RAG pipelines for project-specific context.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ How to create a local MCP server using FastMCP
- ✓ Debugging common MCP server deployment issues
- ✓ Configuring servers for different MCP clients
- +1 more topics
Getting Started with MCP: Your First Integration
A practical beginner's guide to setting up your first MCP server and connecting it to Claude Desktop for enhanced AI capabilities.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ What MCP is and how it works
- ✓ How to install and configure your first MCP server
- ✓ Connect MCP servers to Claude Desktop
- +2 more topics
A Developer's Guide to Using MCP Servers with Gemini CLI
Learn how to extend Google's Gemini CLI with custom tools by configuring and running Model-Context Protocol (MCP) servers. This guide covers setup, configuration, and a real-world example with the official GitHub MCP server.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ The significance of MCP support in Google's Gemini CLI.
- ✓ How to configure MCP servers in the `settings.json` file.
- ✓ Step-by-step instructions for integrating the official GitHub MCP server.
- +1 more topics
The Anatomy of an MCP Connection: Host, Client, and Server Roles Demystified
The MCP architecture can seem abstract. This guide uses a simple restaurant systems analogy to demystify the roles of the Host, Client, and Server, clarifying who is responsible for what.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ The distinct roles of an MCP Host, Client, and Server
- ✓ A clear analogy using restaurant systems to understand the architecture
- ✓ The fundamental difference between data (Resources) and workflows (Tools)
- +2 more topics
MCP Server vs. AI Agent: Understanding the Building Blocks of Modern AI
Demystifying the relationship between MCP Servers and AI Agents. Learn how these two key components work together to create powerful, context-aware AI systems.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ The distinct role of an AI Agent as a 'consumer' or 'conductor'.
- ✓ The role of an MCP Server as a 'provider' or 'toolbox'.
- ✓ The fundamental difference between agents and servers in the MCP ecosystem.
- +1 more topics
MCP Compatibility with Different AI Models
Understanding which AI models currently support MCP and how to work with different providers including Claude, OpenAI, and Google Gemini.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ Which AI models officially support MCP
- ✓ How MCP works with different AI providers
- ✓ Current limitations and workarounds
- +1 more topics
Connecting MCP to Your Business APIs
Comprehensive guide to integrating Model Context Protocol with REST APIs, GraphQL endpoints, and business systems including authentication patterns and error handling.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ REST API integration patterns with MCP
- ✓ GraphQL endpoint connections
- ✓ Authentication strategies (API keys, OAuth, JWT)
- +2 more topics
MCP for Business Document Processing
Enable AI to read, analyze, and extract insights from business documents including PDFs, contracts, reports, and office files using Model Context Protocol.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ PDF text extraction and analysis
- ✓ Office document processing (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- ✓ OCR for scanned documents
- +2 more topics
Business Tool Integration with MCP
Connect AI to your business tools including CRM, project management, accounting software, and communication platforms using Model Context Protocol.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ CRM integration patterns (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive)
- ✓ Project management tool connections (Asana, Monday.com, Trello)
- ✓ Accounting software integration (QuickBooks, Xero)
- +2 more topics
Building Your First MCP Server with Python
A step-by-step tutorial on how to create and run a basic Model Context Protocol (MCP) server using the Python SDK, FastMCP.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ Introduction to MCP and FastMCP
- ✓ Setting up Python environment with uv
- ✓ Creating an MCP server with tools and resources
- +2 more topics
What is uv?
An introduction to uv, the fast Python package and project manager.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ What uv is and its core purpose
- ✓ Key features like speed and virtual environment management
- ✓ How uv simplifies Python dependency resolution
Connect Claude to Your Business Files with MCP
Step-by-step guide to setting up Claude AI to read, analyze, and work with your business documents and spreadsheets automatically.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ How to install and configure MCP Filesystem Server
- ✓ How to connect Claude AI to your business files securely
- ✓ How to organize files for optimal AI access
- +2 more topics
Set Up Your First MCP Email Assistant
Create an AI assistant that can read emails, analyze content, and help you respond faster. Perfect for managing customer inquiries and business communications.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ Connect Claude to your Gmail account
- ✓ Automate email categorization and responses
- ✓ Set up smart email filtering
- +1 more topics
MCP Troubleshooting Guide
Quick solutions to common MCP setup issues, connection problems, and performance optimization tips. Get your MCP integrations working smoothly.
What You'll Learn
- ✓ Diagnose common MCP connection issues
- ✓ Fix authentication and permission problems
- ✓ Optimize MCP server performance
- +1 more topics