Guide
Glossary
The words that keep appearing while you learn MCP and Skills, with short beginner definitions.
MCP terms
ClientThe app or runtime that discovers and uses capabilities.
ServerThe process or service that exposes capabilities.
ToolA callable action with a structured input and result.
ResourceReadable context that the agent can inspect.
PromptA reusable template that shapes common interactions.
SchemaThe shape of allowed input or output fields.
Skill terms
SKILL.mdThe main instruction file for a Skill.
ActivationThe moment the agent decides the Skill should be loaded.
ReferencesExtra reading loaded only when needed.
AssetsTemplates or files the Skill reuses.
ScriptsExecutable helpers that make output deterministic.
CatalogThe short name and description shown before activation.
Design and comparison terms
Access layerThe part of the system that decides what an agent can reach. MCP lives here.
Procedure layerThe part that decides how a repeatable job is carried out. Skills live here.
Tool callOne structured request from the model to a capability, plus the result that comes back.
Least privilegeGranting only the permissions a capability actually needs, not the whole surface.
Failure modeWhat happens when a capability cannot complete, and whether retrying makes sense.
DiscoveryHow a client learns which capabilities a server exposes before calling any of them.
Learning terms
1
Progressive disclosure
Show only the small amount of information needed at each step.
2
Capstone
The final practical task that proves the learner can connect the ideas.
3
Validation
Testing the structure or behavior before trusting the result.
4
Evaluation set
A fixed batch of cases (should-trigger and should-not-trigger) you rerun after every change.