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MCP Glossary

MCP Registry

TL;DR

An MCP registry is a central index of available MCP servers, their metadata, versions, and install commands. Anthropic maintains an official MCP registry; MCPizy, Smithery, and Glama run community registries. Registries are the backbone of MCP discovery and automated install tooling.

In depth

An MCP registry is the machine-readable counterpart to a marketplace. Where a marketplace is the human UX (browse, rate, click install), a registry is the JSON/HTTP API that tools like the MCPizy CLI query to get server metadata, versions, and install commands.

A typical registry entry includes: server name, description, publisher, current version, install command (stdio command + args, or HTTP URL), required env vars, declared tool list, supported protocol versions, and security/signing metadata. CLIs and marketplaces consume this to render listings and automate installs.

Anthropic maintains a first-party registry at `registry.modelcontextprotocol.io` (as of late 2024 / 2025 rollout). It's the authoritative source for official and verified servers. Community registries (MCPizy, Smithery) federate with it and add curation, ratings, usage analytics.

Registries also support update notifications — when a server publishes a new version, subscribed clients can show an update badge. This is how MCP stays fresh without manual work.

Examples

  • 1
    The Anthropic MCP registry at `registry.modelcontextprotocol.io`
  • 2
    MCPizy's registry powering the marketplace at `mcpizy.com`
  • 3
    Smithery's public registry JSON feed
  • 4
    A private company registry with internal-only MCP servers
  • 5
    A CLI tool querying a registry for version info before install

What it's NOT

  • ✗A registry is NOT a marketplace — marketplaces are UI on top of registries.
  • ✗A registry is NOT a package registry like npm — it indexes metadata, not code binaries.
  • ✗Multiple registries are NOT incompatible — they can federate and mirror each other.
  • ✗Installing from a registry does NOT mean the server is trusted — still verify before running.

Related terms

MCP MarketplaceMCPizy CLIModel Context Protocol (MCP)MCP Server

See also

  • MCP Registry Docs

Frequently asked questions

How does a registry differ from GitHub?

GitHub stores source code; a registry stores MCP-specific metadata (install commands, schemas, versions) for machine consumption.

Can I run a private registry?

Yes — useful for enterprises with internal-only MCP servers. The registry API is an open spec.

Is there one official registry?

Anthropic's is the first-party one. Community registries (MCPizy, Smithery) extend and enrich it.

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