What is MCP?
The Model Context Protocol is the open standard that lets an AI assistant connect to your tools and your data, with no custom integration.
3 min read
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard, introduced in late 2024, that defines a common way for an AI assistant to talk to outside sources: your analytics, your advertising platform, your CMS, your tag manager, and many others.
The universal port analogy
Before USB, every device had its own cable. MCP plays that role for AI: one protocol, and any compatible tool becomes accessible. You never rewrite an integration for each new service.
What it changes in practice
- Without MCP: you export files, copy tables, and describe your numbers to the AI from memory.
- With MCP: the AI reads your real data at the source, on your request, and answers with the exact figures.
- All without leaving your conversation, in Claude, ChatGPT or any other compatible client.
Key takeawayMCP is not a product, it is a common language. Alpative builds on it to connect your marketing tools to your AI, securely.