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Glossary · 2 min read

What is an MCP server? A plain-language explanation for creators

An MCP server is a small program that offers a list of actions, called tools, to an AI app. MCP stands for Model Context Protocol, a shared format that lets an AI assistant use an app's tools. The AI app can then use those actions for you, such as creating or exporting a slideshow.

Updated · Published by Fyslide

What is an MCP server?

Think of a menu. The server publishes a list of things it can do, each with a name and the details it needs. An AI app reads the menu, and when you ask for something, the model picks an item and the app places the order. The server does the work and sends the result back.

"MCP" stands for Model Context Protocol. It is the shared format that lets an AI assistant use an app's tools, which is also how Fyslide's MCP guide describes it.

A server can run on your own computer or at a company. What it can do depends entirely on which tools it lists.

What does one request look like?

Here is a local example. Fyslide includes a local MCP server, so Claude Code, Codex or Cursor can list designs, create slideshows, edit texts, replace images and export, as long as the app is running and licensed. Suppose you type "list my designs" into Claude Code:

  1. Claude Code has the server's menu of tools.
  2. The model sees a tool that lists designs and asks the app to call it.
  3. The server runs that action inside the slideshow app on your computer.
  4. The server sends the list back.
  5. The model writes the answer in plain language.

The MCP docs list the actual tools. For a full walkthrough of connecting Claude Code, see Claude Code and TikTok slideshows.

How is it different from an API?

An API is a way for programs to call each other, and it is written for developers. An MCP server is described in terms an AI assistant can use: the menu above, with a name and the inputs for each tool. The MCP docs show what that looks like for Fyslide.

What should you ask before connecting a server?

  • Does it run on my computer or on someone else's?
  • What can its tools change, and can any of them publish or delete?
  • Which logins or keys does it hold for me?
  • What leaves my computer when the AI app uses it?
  • How do I switch it off and remove its access?

Those five cover the basics. The longer version, with hosted servers and publishing risks, is in MCP servers for social media content.

Do I need to code to use an MCP server?

No. In Fyslide you click Connect next to your assistant on the app's MCP page, and the Claude Code via MCP guide has the steps.

Does an MCP server send my files to the cloud?

Not by itself. A local server runs on your computer. The AI app that calls it is a separate program, so a cloud AI sees whatever it reads from the server. The local-first guide shows where each request goes.

Sources

  1. Fyslide FAQ, Fyslide. Checked November 5, 2026.