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The MCP Server Registry is the official catalog and API for discovering publicly available Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. Developers can use it to find server metadata, while maintainers can publish entries through the documented workflow and publisher CLI. It is a discovery directory—not a guarantee that a listed server is safe, compatible with every client, or hosted by the registry itself.
What the MCP Server Registry is—and what it is not
The Model Context Protocol Registry is an open catalog and API intended to make public MCP servers easier to discover and distribute. Its searchable site gives people a way to browse listings; clients and other tools can use the API to obtain server metadata. The official preview launched on September 8, 2025, according to the Model Context Protocol Blog.
The registry is a directory, not a runtime. It helps a client or developer locate information about a server; it does not, by being listed, run that server, grant it permissions, or establish that its code is trustworthy. You still need to choose a server, understand its connection and authentication requirements, and configure it in the MCP client or environment where you intend to use it.
The launch announcement describes the registry as a primary source that other directories can build on. Because the project is open source, downstream public marketplaces may ingest and augment its listings, and private enterprise sub-registries may use it upstream while applying their own privacy and security criteria.
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How to find an MCP server
- Search the registry’s discovery interface. Start with the capability or service you need, then inspect the individual listing rather than relying on its name alone.
- Check the server’s origin. Follow the source repository or publisher information and confirm that the project is maintained by the organization or developer you expect.
- Read the configuration and access requirements. Identify the server’s transport, authentication method, permissions, and any credentials or local setup it needs. The registry’s presence does not remove the need to review these details.
- Check whether it fits your client. Confirm that your MCP client supports the server’s connection method and configuration. Compatibility can depend on the client and server, not merely on the registry listing.
- Review maintenance and risk before connecting. Look for recent maintenance activity, understand what data or tools the server can access, and decide whether its permissions are appropriate for your use.
The catalog’s metadata is useful for discovery, but the official launch post says server information is self-reported for downstream consumers to process. Treat a listing as a starting point for evaluation rather than a security certification.
How to publish a server to the registry
Maintainers publish through the workflow documented in the registry repository, using its publisher CLI. The repository describes namespace validation and requires evidence that the publisher controls the relevant identity or domain. An example namespace is io.github.domdomegg/my-cool-mcp; it illustrates the format, not a namespace to copy for your own project.
Namespace ownership and authentication
Before publishing, choose a namespace that you can prove you control. The documented authentication options are GitHub OAuth, GitHub OIDC from GitHub Actions, DNS verification, and HTTP verification. Which route makes sense depends on the identity or domain associated with your namespace and whether you are publishing interactively or through automation.
- GitHub OAuth: an interactive authentication route for a GitHub identity.
- GitHub OIDC from GitHub Actions: an option for a publishing workflow running in GitHub Actions.
- DNS or HTTP verification: routes for proving control of a domain through the relevant verification mechanism.
Use the repository’s current instructions for the exact CLI invocation, required metadata, and verification procedure. Those details can change with the registry’s API and tooling; do not substitute guessed commands or assume an old example matches the current release.
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For a project that publishes from CI, use an authentication method designed for that environment and keep permissions limited to the job that needs them. GitHub OIDC is one documented option for GitHub Actions. Treat credentials and publishing rights as supply-chain controls: restrict who can change the workflow, review namespace ownership, and avoid putting long-lived secrets into source control.
Official registry versus downstream marketplaces
The distinction is about role, not simply which interface is easier to use. The official registry is the upstream catalog and API described by the project; downstream marketplaces can consume that data and add their own selection or governance layer. The launch announcement specifically allows for public directories to augment data and private sub-registries to apply their own criteria.
| Question | Official MCP Registry | Downstream marketplace or enterprise sub-registry |
|---|---|---|
| Primary role | Official open catalog and API for publicly available MCP servers. | May use upstream data and add its own discovery or governance layer. |
| Metadata source | Server information is self-reported, according to the official launch post. | May augment upstream information; details depend on that directory. |
| Curation and policy | Community members can flag spam, malicious code, or impersonation; maintainers can denylist entries and remove them from public access. | May add curation, compatibility filters, policy checks, or enterprise-specific criteria. |
| Visibility | Designed to catalog publicly available servers. | Public marketplaces may offer additional organization; private sub-registries can apply enterprise privacy and security criteria. |
For an individual developer, the official directory is a natural starting point for discovery. For an organization, a downstream marketplace or private sub-registry may be more suitable when its added compatibility filters, review process, or internal policies matter. Neither the upstream listing nor the word “marketplace” alone tells you whether a server meets your security requirements.
Is the official MCP Registry safe?
A registry listing is not a safety endorsement. The official launch announcement says server details are self-reported; community members can flag spam, malicious code, or impersonation, and maintainers can denylist entries and remove them from public access. Those measures help manage a public directory, but they do not replace reviewing a server before connecting it.
- Inspect the source repository and confirm who maintains it.
- Review requested permissions, authentication, and the data the server can reach or transmit.
- Check maintenance activity and whether the project documents its behavior.
- Use a controlled environment when evaluating a server whose behavior or provenance you have not established.
- For organizational use, apply your own approval and policy checks or use an enterprise directory with controls that match your requirements.
Be particularly careful with impersonation: verify that the namespace and repository belong to the expected publisher instead of trusting a similar name. The registry’s moderation mechanisms can remove access to a listing, but a consumer should still make an independent decision about whether to run its code.
Can you run the registry locally?
Yes. The open-source project documents local and self-hosted development options, including Docker, Go, PostgreSQL-backed make dev-compose, pre-built images in GitHub Container Registry, and versioned image tags. The repository also includes API models, validation tools, integration tests, and a publisher command.
Choose the deployment route that matches the work you need to do: a documented development composition for local work, or a published container image when you want to work from a versioned artifact. For either route, consult the repository’s current setup instructions for prerequisites, environment variables, database configuration, and image tags; those operational specifics are not interchangeable between releases. Running a local instance supports development or self-hosting, but it does not automatically make your directory a public listing in the official registry.
API stability and preview-era caveats
The project launched in preview on September 8, 2025, and its announcement warned that the preview could change, including breaking changes or data resets before general availability. A repository status update dated October 24, 2025, said the Registry API had entered an API freeze at v0.1, temporarily, while real-world integrations informed future versions.
Those are dated project statements, not proof of the API’s status today. If you are building an integration, check the repository’s current release and API reference before depending on an endpoint, schema, or version. Pin or test the version your application uses, and plan for changes rather than treating a preview-era freeze as a permanent compatibility guarantee.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.ScreenshotNeo as a separate MCP-server option
If your task is to capture a website rather than search a catalog, ScreenshotNeo is a separate website screenshot API and MCP server from Yorker Media—not a registry feature or a replacement for the MCP Registry. Its MCP server offers take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf for AI agents using Claude, Cursor, or another MCP client. It can be useful when you need an agent to capture a server’s documentation or demo site; it does not verify that the server itself is safe.
One-call screenshot API
For an HTTP screenshot instead of an MCP-client workflow, send a GET request with your URL and access key. Replace the example URL with the page you want to capture. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for the available parameters.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpPython:
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js:
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);ScreenshotNeo accepts a cookie or consent banner like a visitor and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each of those steps can be turned off. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers report the page verdict and billing status. It also has an MCP server for AI agents. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots.
Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan: 1,000 screenshots a month, no card required.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Assuming registration means approval
A listing makes a server discoverable; it is not a certification. Check the maintainer, code, permissions, and connection requirements before using it.
Copying a namespace example
The repository’s example namespace illustrates a naming pattern. Publishing requires validating ownership of the namespace through an identity or domain verification method; use a namespace you control.
Relying on an old API assumption
The October 24, 2025 v0.1 freeze was described as temporary. Confirm the current version and API reference when building or updating a client integration.
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Docker, Go, and PostgreSQL-backed development options help you run or develop the registry software. They do not, on their own, publish your MCP server to the official catalog; publication follows the publisher workflow.
Frequently asked questions
Does the registry host the MCP servers it lists?
No. It catalogs server information for discovery; listing a server does not mean the registry runs it.
Is the registry itself an MCP server?
It is described as a catalog and API for finding MCP servers. That is distinct from an MCP server that provides tools or data to a client.
Can an organization restrict which listed servers its staff use?
The launch announcement describes private enterprise sub-registries that can use upstream data under their own privacy and security criteria. The exact controls depend on the implementation an organization chooses.
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