What is MCP?
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that enables AI assistants like Claude to securely interact with external tools and services, including email APIs.
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open protocol developed by Anthropic that standardizes how AI applications connect to external data sources and tools. It provides a secure, consistent way for AI assistants to perform actions in the real world—like sending emails, querying databases, or managing infrastructure.
Before MCP, integrating AI assistants with external services required custom implementations for each combination of AI and service. MCP provides a standard interface: services implement MCP servers that expose their capabilities, and AI applications connect to these servers using the MCP client protocol.
For email APIs, MCP means AI assistants can send emails, check delivery status, manage domains, and perform other email operations through natural language commands. Instead of writing code to call an API, you can simply ask an AI assistant to "send a password reset email to [email protected]."
Why MCP Matters
MCP represents the future of AI-powered automation. As AI assistants become more capable, they need secure ways to interact with external services. MCP provides that standard, enabling AI to move from just answering questions to actually performing tasks. For email, this means AI agents can autonomously manage email operations without human intervention for each action.
How Ark Handles MCP
Ark offers the most comprehensive MCP server for email, with 26 tools covering all email operations. Send emails, manage domains, configure webhooks, handle suppressions, and track deliveries—all through AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, or VS Code. Our MCP implementation is designed for the agentic era, where AI agents can manage email infrastructure autonomously.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do with email MCP tools?
With Ark's MCP server, you can send individual and batch emails, manage sending domains, configure webhooks, handle suppression lists, retry failed deliveries, and monitor email status—all through natural language commands to an AI assistant.
Which AI assistants support MCP?
MCP is supported by Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code (with Claude extension), Windsurf, and other AI development tools. Any application that implements the MCP client protocol can connect to MCP servers.
Is MCP secure?
MCP includes authentication and authorization mechanisms. Access to MCP servers requires proper credentials, and servers can implement fine-grained permissions. Ark's MCP server uses your API key for authentication with the same security as our REST API.
How do I set up MCP for email?
Install the MCP server (npm install @anthropic/ark-mcp), add your API key, and configure your AI application to connect to the server. Detailed setup instructions are in Ark's documentation.
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