MCPs - Beyond Just Tools

MCPs extend Claude's capabilities. They're not just API wrappers - they can provide tools, resources, and prompts.

Make It Your Own

After cloning, remove the original remote and create your own GitHub repository:

Windows (PowerShell)

git remote remove origin
gh repo create cc-fundamentals-04-mcps --public --source=. --remote=origin --push

Mac / Linux

git remote remove origin
gh repo create cc-fundamentals-04-mcps --public --source=. --remote=origin --push

Prerequisite: Install the GitHub CLI — winget install GitHub.cli (Windows) or brew install gh (Mac), then run gh auth login once.

Before the Purpose

When most people hear "MCP," they think of API connections - Notion, Slack, Supabase. That's only part of the story.

MCPs (Model Context Protocol) are a standard way to extend Claude's capabilities. They run as separate processes on your machine, giving Claude new abilities. And they can provide three types of capabilities:

Tools - Actions Claude can perform
Resources - Data Claude can access
Prompts - Templates Claude can use

This module teaches you:

What MCPs actually are (beyond the hype)
How to install and configure them
How to evaluate MCPs for security
How to build simple MCPs yourself

Purpose

MCPs let Claude do things it can't do natively. Without MCPs, Claude can read files, run commands, and search code. With MCPs, Claude can:

Take browser screenshots (Playwright)
Store persistent memories (Memory, ea-memory)
Connect to databases (Supabase)
Access external APIs (Notion, Slack, GitHub)
Use pre-built prompt templates (ea-prompts)
Track your daily work (ea-journal)

The Three Capabilities

| Capability | What It Provides | Example MCP | |------------|-----------------|-------------| | Tools | Actions to perform | Playwright (screenshot) | | Resources | Data to access | Filesystem (file contents) | | Prompts | Pre-built templates | ea-prompts (code-review) |

Most MCPs provide Tools. The powerful ones provide all three.

What's Included

MCPs Built for This Course

| MCP | Purpose | Demonstrates | |-----|---------|--------------| | ea-memory | Simple memory with tagging | Tools capability | | ea-prompts | Prompt library | Tools + Prompts capabilities | | ea-journal | Daily work journal | Tools capability |

Find them in the mcps/ folder with full source code and installation instructions.

Guides

| Guide | Description | |-------|-------------| | What is MCP? | Plain-language explanation of MCPs | | Three Capabilities | Tools, Resources, and Prompts | | MCP Security | Evaluating MCPs before installation | | Recommended MCPs | Curated list for beginners |

Templates

| Template | Description | |----------|-------------| | mcp-json-template.json | Starter pack (3 essential MCPs) | | mcp-json-full.json | Full menu with placeholders |

Commands

| Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | /EA-install | Install MCPs interactively | | /EA-preload-mcps | Configure lazy loading for faster startup | | /EA-prime | Understand the codebase | | /EA-handoff | Save session state | | /EA-pickup | Resume from handoff |

Quick Start

1. Install an MCP

Copy templates/mcp-json-template.json to your project root as .mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@playwright/mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

2. Restart Claude Code

MCPs load at startup. After adding or changing .mcp.json, restart Claude Code.

3. Use the MCP

"Take a screenshot of localhost:3000"

Claude will use the Playwright MCP to capture the screenshot.

Lazy Loading (Recommended)

If startup is slow, enable lazy loading:

Windows PowerShell:

$env:ENABLE_TOOL_SEARCH = "true"; claude

Mac/Linux:

enable_tool_search=true claude

This loads MCPs only when needed, not all at startup.

Folder Structure

04-mcps/
├── .claude/
│   └── commands/          # EA-* commands
├── mcps/                   # Custom MCPs with source code
│   ├── ea-memory/          # Simple memory system
│   ├── ea-prompts/         # Prompt library
│   └── ea-journal/         # Daily journal
├── guides/                 # Documentation
├── templates/              # .mcp.json templates
├── specs/
│   ├── todo/
│   ├── done/
│   └── handoffs/
├── .mcp.json               # Module's MCP config
└── README.md

Key Takeaways

MCPs are plugins - They extend Claude's capabilities
Three capabilities - Tools (do), Resources (know), Prompts (how)
Local first - MCPs run on YOUR machine
Security matters - Evaluate before installing
Less is more - Start with 2-3 MCPs, add as needed

Next Steps

Read the What is MCP? guide
Install one MCP using the template
Try the ea-memory MCP to store and recall information
Explore the Recommended MCPs

Resources

MCPs are Claude's plugin system. Use them to extend what's possible.

MCP Servers