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Premium · coming soon Intermediate 12 lessons · 4 hours

MCP Skills: Connect AI to Your Tools

The Model Context Protocol is how AI assistants securely reach your files, apps, and data. In this course you'll set up MCP servers, build your own, and wire AI into tools you use every day — with safety baked in from lesson one.

4modules
12lessons
4htotal
3builds
Syllabus

What you'll work through

Click a module to see its lessons.

  • The problem MCP solves: AI locked out of your tools Why copy-paste is not an integration strategy.
  • Hosts, clients, and servers: the MCP architecture One clear diagram you'll reference all course.
  • Your first MCP server: connecting a notes folder Hands-on: an AI that can read your actual notes.
  • Exposing tools: actions your AI can take Design patterns for safe, useful tool APIs.
  • Exposing resources: data your AI can read Files, databases, and APIs as MCP resources.
  • Prompts and sampling: reusable server-side workflows Exercise: package a workflow as a server prompt.
  • Build 2: a project-files server Let AI search and summarize your own documents.
  • Build 3: connecting a real third-party API Step-by-step with keys, scopes, and error handling.
  • Debugging MCP: logs, inspectors, and common gotchas The troubleshooting lesson you'll bookmark.
  • Threat model: what can go wrong when AI has access Prompt injection, over-permissioned tools, data leaks.
  • Hardening checklist: least privilege in practice Apply the checklist to everything you built.
  • Capstone: an MCP-powered workflow for your life or work Design, build, and document a complete integration.
Outcomes

What you'll be able to do

✓ Explain MCP architecture: hosts, clients, servers, tools, resources
✓ Set up and configure existing MCP servers for popular tools
✓ Build custom MCP servers that expose your own data and actions
✓ Apply a security checklist before giving AI access to anything
✓ Ship a capstone integration you can actually use daily

Prerequisites

AI Agents 101 (or solid understanding of agents and tool calling). Comfortable installing software and editing config files; some lessons include code you can follow along with.

Instructor

HelpLearnAI curriculum team — designed by our in-house curriculum team.

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