MCP
Also called Model Context Protocol
Model Context Protocol: a standard way for an agent to use tools that live outside it. A server offers tools such as "search issues", and any agent that speaks the protocol can list and call them.
One integration works across every agent, so you don't rebuild the link to, say, your bug tracker for each one. But each tool definition costs tokens on every request, and a server's tools run real code. Treat installing one like adding a dependency that has your agent's access.
Say it to your agent
“Connect our issue tracker as an MCP server in .mcp.json. List every tool it exposes with its description in full, tell me how many tokens the definitions add to each request, and remove any tool we won't use.”