Glossary

Core Concepts

MCP (Model Context Protocol)
A standard that lets AI tools discover and call external capabilities through a consistent interface. Instead of hardcoding functions, AI tools can discover what's available and how to use it.

Bundle (MCPBundles Platform)
A cloud-hosted collection of related tools exposed through one MCP URL. Add the URL to your AI and all tools in that bundle become available. Example: "Marketing Automation" bundle contains 12 tools for campaigns, emails, and analytics. Managed through your MCPBundles dashboard.

.mcpb Extension File
A downloadable package format (.mcpb) introduced by Anthropic for distributing MCP servers. MCPBundles generates these files for one-click installation in Claude Desktop. The file contains a bridge that connects to your cloud-hosted bundle—it's an installer, not a standalone server. You can use bundles either by pasting the MCP URL directly or by downloading the .mcpb file.

Tool
A single action your AI can perform. Examples: list email campaigns, generate text, create calendar events, search databases. Each tool has inputs, outputs, and dependencies.

Provider
An external API service that tools connect to. Examples: Smartlead (email outreach), OpenAI (AI), GitHub (code), Slack (messaging). Tools use providers to perform actual work.

Connector
A setting in your AI tool (ChatGPT, Cursor, Claude, etc.) that adds an MCP server by pasting its URL. Once connected, your AI can discover and use all tools from that server.

Bundle States

Publication Status
Whether a bundle is ready for use:

• Draft: Still being built, not ready yet
• Published: Complete and ready to use
• Deprecated: Old version, migrate to newer
• Archived: No longer maintained

Readiness Status
Whether you can use a bundle's tools right now:

• Operational: All providers connected, everything works
• Partial: Some providers missing, some tools work
• Blocked: No providers connected, nothing works
• Unknown: You haven't enabled the bundle yet

User Access
Whether you've enabled a bundle on your account:

• Enabled: You've added it and can use its tools
• Disabled: Bundle exists but you're not using it

Provider & Credentials

Credential
Authentication information stored to access a provider. Could be an API key, OAuth token, or bearer token. Always encrypted at rest.

OAuth / OAuth2
A secure authentication method where you authorize access through the provider's website without sharing your password. Tokens automatically refresh and can be revoked anytime.

API Key
A secret string you generate from a provider's dashboard and paste into MCPBundles. Used to authenticate API requests. Simpler than OAuth but requires manual management.

Bearer Token
Similar to an API key but used specifically in Authorization: Bearer {token} headers. Common in modern APIs.

Verification
Testing that credentials actually work by running a validation tool. Unverified credentials won't enable tools.

Scope (OAuth)
Specific permissions that control what actions are allowed. Examples: read:campaigns, write:contacts, admin:account. You grant scopes when authorizing.

Scope Mismatch
When a tool needs permissions you didn't grant. Tool won't work until you re-authorize with additional scopes.

Tool Properties

Tool Dependency
A provider that a tool needs to function. Can be:

• Required: Tool won't work without it (e.g., Smartlead tool requires Smartlead provider)
• Optional: Tool works without it but adds features with it (e.g., search tool optionally uses OpenAI for summaries)

Tool Visibility
Whether a tool appears in your AI:

• Enabled: All required providers verified, tool works
• Hidden: Missing providers or unverified credentials

Enabled Tools
Tools that are currently available in your AI because all their requirements are met.

Tool Status
The tool's operational state:

• Active: Working and maintained
• Inactive: Temporarily disabled
• Deprecated: Being phased out

Authentication Types

None (Public API)
Provider doesn't require authentication. Anyone can access it. Still create a "connection" for tracking purposes.

OAUTH2
Browser-based authorization flow with automatic token refresh. Most secure.

API_KEY
Manual key entry. Common with REST APIs.

BEARER_TOKEN
Token-based auth using Authorization header. Common in modern APIs.

Credential States

Credential Status

• Active: Currently in use
• Disabled: Saved but not active

Verification Status

• Verified: Tested and working (green checkmark)
• Unverified: Not tested yet (yellow warning)
• Error: Validation failed (red X)
• Expired: OAuth token expired (orange alert)
• Pending: Validation running (gray spinner)

Connection States

Connected
You have verified credentials for a provider. All its tools are available.

Unverified
You have credentials but haven't tested them yet. Run validation to fix.

Error
Credentials exist but validation failed. Might be invalid, revoked, or expired.

None
No credentials exist for this provider. Connect it to use its tools.

Attention
Some credentials have errors or need verification. Review provider page.

MCP Specific

MCP Server
A service that implements the Model Context Protocol. Exposes tools that AI clients can discover and call.

MCP URL
The endpoint where an MCP server is hosted. Format: https://mcp.mcpbundles.com/bundle/{slug}

MCP Transport
How MCP servers communicate:

• HTTP: Standard HTTP requests
• SSE: Server-Sent Events for streaming
• WebSocket: Bidirectional streaming

Tool Schema
JSON description of a tool's inputs, outputs, and behavior. AI uses schemas to understand how to call tools correctly.

Tool Discovery
Process where an AI client connects to an MCP server and learns what tools are available, what they do, and how to use them.

Subscription & Billing

Plan / Tier
Your subscription level (Free, Pro, Business, etc.). Determines usage limits and features.

Usage Limits
Maximum number of tool calls, bundles, or providers allowed per month on your plan.

Overage
When you exceed your plan's limits. May be blocked or charged extra depending on plan.

Other Terms

Slug
URL-friendly identifier for bundles, tools, and providers. Example: marketing-automation-a3f instead of "Marketing Automation Bundle".

Category
Grouping for bundles and providers (Marketing, Development, Analytics, etc.). Makes discovery easier.

Validation Tool
A tool used to test that credentials work. Runs a simple API call to verify connectivity.

MCP Provider vs. API Provider

• MCP Provider: Another MCP server you connect to
• API Provider: Traditional REST API (Smartlead, HubSpot, etc.)

Token Refresh
Automatic process that renews OAuth tokens before they expire. Happens in the background.

Re-authorization
Going through the OAuth flow again to get a fresh token. Needed when automatic refresh fails.

Encryption at Rest
All credentials stored in the database are encrypted. Keys stored separately from data.

User Isolation
Your credentials are completely separate from other users. No one can access your keys, even if they use the same bundle.