What is an MCP?

MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. The name matters less than what it does: it is the standard way an AI assistant plugs into a system so it can use that system for you. An MCP server is one such plug-in — one for your management system, one for a rater, one for a carrier portal. Connect it to the assistant you already use, and the assistant can look things up and do things there, one request at a time, with you watching.

Because MCP is an open standard, the same server works with any assistant that supports it. You do not pick an assistant to match the tool, or a tool to match the assistant.

• Look up a policy

  “What is the effective date on the Cedar Creek Cattle Co policy?” — the assistant reads it from your management system and answers.

• Pull loss runs

  “Get me five years of loss runs for this account.” — the assistant fetches them from the carrier and hands you the file.

• Rate a quote

  “Rate this trucking submission at a $2,500 deductible.” — the assistant runs it through the rater and brings back the premium.

• Check a certificate

  “Does this COI meet the contract’s limits?” — the assistant compares the certificate with the requirements and flags what is short.

The names in these examples are made up. Every real listing says which systems it connects to.

• Not another app to log in to. You keep using the AI assistant you already have; the MCP works behind it.
• Not the AI itself. The assistant does the thinking; the MCP is the hands that reach the system.
• Not a data feed that runs on its own. Nothing happens until you ask, and the assistant shows you what it is about to do first.
• Not a replacement for your management system, rater or carrier portal. It talks to them; it does not replace them.

1. Pick an MCP server from the registry that connects to a system you already use.
2. Add it in your AI assistant’s settings — usually a link or a short copy-and-paste. Most assistants call this a connector, integration or tool.
3. Sign in to that system when asked, the same way you do today. The MCP uses your access, not someone else’s.
4. Ask for what you need in plain English. Before the assistant does anything that changes data, it shows you and waits for a yes.

The last step is the important one. A well-built MCP server never changes a record, sends a document or binds anything without showing you first and waiting for your yes. If a listing cannot tell you how it asks, that is a reason to keep reading before connecting it.

Before you connect one, check two things: who built it, and what data it can touch. That is exactly what the trust tiers on this site are for. Every listing carries one of three tiers:

• Listed

  Submitted to the registry. Nothing has been checked yet.

  For you, that means: Treat it as a lead, not a recommendation. Read who built it and what data it touches before connecting it.

• Verified

  A steward confirmed the server exists, runs, and matches its listing.

  For you, that means: It is real and does what its listing says. You still decide whether that builder should see that data.

• Council Reviewed

  An independent Council panel reviewed this server and published a scorecard.

  For you, that means: Independent insurance and technology experts scored its workflow fit, data safety, security and build quality, and published the scorecard.

Tiers are earned, never bought. Beyond the badge, every listing shows how it authenticates, where it runs and how it handles data, so you can read for yourself what a server would see. The rules the steward is held to are on the stewardship page.

Is it safe?

It depends on the server, which is why this registry exists. A good MCP server uses your own login to the system, asks before it changes anything, and says plainly what data it reads. Start with Verified or Council Reviewed listings, read the data-handling section on every listing, and connect nothing you would not let a new employee use on their first day.

Do I need to be technical?

No. Connecting an MCP server is a settings step in your AI assistant, usually a link or a copy-and-paste, and using one is asking in plain English. If a listing says it must be installed on your own computer, that is a job for whoever looks after your IT.

Does it cost anything?

This registry is free to read and free to list on, and nobody pays for placement or a badge. The servers themselves are set by their builders: many are free, some are part of a product you already pay for, and some are priced on their own. The listing says which.

What is the difference from an app or an integration?

An app is a screen you go to. An integration wires two systems together behind the scenes on a fixed path. An MCP server gives your AI assistant the ability to use a system on your behalf, in conversation, one request at a time — so one assistant can reach your rater, your management system and a carrier portal without you switching screens.

Which AI assistants work with MCP servers?

MCP is an open standard, so any assistant that supports it can use any MCP server. Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and a growing list of others do. Each listing here notes anything specific to how it connects.