What Is MCP? Model Context Protocol for Non-Developers

If you build with Claude Code, you've probably seen the letters MCP pop up. A setup guide mentions an "MCP server." A service you want to use says it "supports MCP." Claude Code suggests adding a connector. So what is MCP, and do you need to care?

This guide explains MCP in plain English: what it is, why it matters when you don't write code, and how to try it. We'll use email as the running example, because sending email is one of the first things most SaaS projects need. You don't need any technical background to follow along.

What is MCP? Model Context Protocol in plain English

MCP, short for Model Context Protocol, is a shared standard that lets AI tools like Claude Code connect to other services, such as your email service, database or payment provider. Once a service is connected, Claude Code can look things up and take actions there when you ask.

The official MCP site compares it to a USB-C port. One kind of plug now works for laptops, phones and headphones, instead of a different cable for each. MCP does the same job for AI: one standard way to plug in, instead of a custom link between every AI tool and every service.

Three terms come up a lot:

Anthropic, the company behind Claude, released MCP as an open standard in November 2024. "Open" means anyone can build an MCP server, and many AI tools besides Claude support it.

Why does MCP matter if you don't code?

MCP lets you get work done in other services by asking Claude Code in plain English, instead of learning each service's dashboard. Without a connection, Claude Code can only work with what's in your project and what you paste into the chat. With one, it can check things and act directly.

Say your SaaS needs to send a welcome email when someone signs up. Without a connector for your email service, you'd copy details out of a dashboard, paste them into the chat, and switch tabs every time you want to check something. With one, you brief Claude Code the way you'd brief a person:

Send me a test of the welcome email so I can see how it looks in my inbox.

Claude Code uses the connector to send the test and tells you when it's on its way. If something looks off, say what to change and ask for another test.

Anthropic's Claude Code docs offer a handy rule of thumb: connect a service when you notice yourself copying information from it into the chat.

There's one thing MCP doesn't do: it doesn't run your live product. The connection is how Claude Code works with a service while you're building. Once your SaaS is live and a real customer resets their password at 3am, your project sends that email through the email service directly. Claude Code isn't involved, and nothing goes through the chat.

What are some examples of MCP servers?

Many popular services now offer an MCP server. Here are the kinds you're likely to come across, with the sort of thing you might ask once one is connected.

Email shows how common MCP has become. Resend, a popular email service for developers, offers a hosted MCP server, and SimpleSends offers one too. So having an MCP server isn't what sets an email service apart. What matters more is who the service is built for, and how much of the work Claude Code can take on once it's connected. Our guide to email MCP servers covers what to look for, and our list of MCP servers worth connecting to Claude Code covers other categories.

How is MCP different from an API?

An API is a service's own way of letting software talk to it. MCP is a standard layer on top that lets AI tools like Claude Code use the service without learning its API first. Behind the scenes, an MCP server often uses the service's API to do the work.

API stands for application programming interface: the set of requests one piece of software can send another, like "send this email" or "list recent payments." Every service's API works a little differently, with its own names and rules, so software has to be written for each one. An MCP server describes what a service can do in the same standard format every time. Claude Code can read that list of actions and pick the right one for your request.

You usually need both. For email, your live project still talks to the email service through its API, using a secret code called an API key that proves the request comes from you. Our guide to what an API key is explains it in plain English. The MCP server is what lets Claude Code help you plan, build and test those emails. MCP sits alongside the API; it doesn't replace it.

How do you try an MCP server in Claude Code?

You add an MCP server to Claude Code as a connector, using on-screen settings. You don't write any code. Here's how it works, with SimpleSends as the example.

1. Sign up on the SimpleSends website and follow the steps there to set up the email address you'll send from. To send from your own domain, such as yourcompany.com, this includes adding a few DNS records where your domain is registered. DNS records are small settings on your domain that tell other services you own it. You can't sign up from inside the Claude Code chat.

2. In Claude Code, open Customize, then Connectors, choose Add, then Add custom connector, and fill in these details:

   Field	What to enter
   Name	SimpleSends
   MCP server URL	https://mcp.simplesends.com/mcp

3. When Claude prompts you to connect, log in to SimpleSends.

4. Back in the Claude Code chat, let Claude Code know you're set up:

I've connected SimpleSends for all transactional email.

Transactional emails are the automatic, one-to-one emails your product sends, like welcome emails, password resets and receipts. From here, Claude Code takes it on, including adding what your project needs to send email. Our guide to transactional emails in Claude Code shows what happens next, and how to send emails from Claude Code walks through a first project.

Other services work the same way: find the service's MCP server URL in its help pages, add it as a custom connector, and log in when asked. Custom connectors are available on Claude's Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans. On Team and Enterprise plans, an Owner adds the connector first. For a full walkthrough, including how to check it's connected and what to do if it isn't, see our step-by-step guide to connecting an MCP server to Claude Code.

One word of caution: connect only services you trust. Anthropic's help center points out that custom connectors aren't verified by Anthropic, and that a connected service can let Claude read and change data there. Stick to official MCP servers from companies you already use.