[Public Input Request] Renaming the "Official MCP Registry"

[tadasant]

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Discussion Topic

What should we name the MCP registry? Would love any and all opinions, even if you haven't been participating in registry discussions much to-date.

The default plan is currently to name it the "Official MCP Registry" with a domain at registry.modelcontextprotocol.io.

My personal opinion is that this is a bad direction. We have many "MCP registry"-like concepts that will be referred to in various contexts throughout the MCP ecosystem. They have meaningfully different definitions, but all sound the same:

• "MCP Server Registry API" (or "MCP Registry API"): The OpenAPI specification defined in openapi.yaml. This is a reusable API specification that anyone building any sort of "MCP server registry" should consider adopting / aligning with.
• "Official MCP Registry" (or "MCP Registry"): The application that lives at https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io. This registry currently only catalogs MCP servers, but may be extended in the future to also catalog MCP client/host apps and frameworks.
• "Official MCP Registry API": The REST API that lives at https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io/api, with an OpenAPI specification defined at official-registry-openapi.yaml
• "MCP server registry" (or "MCP registry"): A third party, likely commercial, implementation of the MCP Server Registry API or derivative specification.

I intend to start a SEP proposing an official renaming of the "Official MCP Registry" and "Official MCP Registry API".

My proposal: Modex. Modex (short for Model Context) would be the application name of the Official MCP Registry. And the Modex API would be its REST API.

Some good qualities to shoot for in a name, if others are keen to brainstorm:

• Standalone name that doesn't introduce word gymnastics like "Official MCP Registry, not the MCP Server Registry API"
• No meaningful conflicts with existing brands and products and concepts in the MCP and AI ecosystem
• Memorable, simple
• Clear relation to MCP

Another name I don't mind is Protex. Others have thrown out Base Registry (base.modelcontextprotocol.io or mbr.modelcontexprotocol.io for MCP Base).

If you +1 this, or have alternative suggestions, or disagree with my thinking, would love to hear from you.

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Edit: Honest question for folks pitching the vanilla "MCP Registry": are you aware that this official "registry" is not meant to be consumed directly? That is where the suggestion "Base" is coming from -- the intent is for user-serving registries to use Base as an upstream source of truth.

MCP Base -> VS Code MCP Registry -> VS Code user is the path MCP servers would take.

If you get that and still think it should be "MCP Registry", duly noted, just want to make sure we're aligned that there is a difference between this upstream and MCP clients' server registries.

[jonathanhefner]

Adding some context for the "MCP Base Registry" suggestion:

"Base Registry" is analogous to a base class. You don't instantiate a base class directly; you extend it, and then instantiate the derived class. Likewise with "MCP Base Registry" and downstream aggregator registries.

[austinborn]

Coming from the crypto world, I'd be hesitant about anything that ends in ex (even though Modex and Protex are definitely cool names) since it often implies "exchange". Not to say it's off limits, but something to consider.

My brainstorm contributions would be:

• Servistry - "Server Registry". I see some other minor uses of the name online but nothing in the sphere of AI. Can also extend to MCP Servistry
• MCPlex - "Model Context Multiplex/Index". This one's more just for fun, but IMO it's catchy and memorable.

[tadasant]

Servistry - "Server Registry". I see some other minor uses of the name online but nothing in the sphere of AI. Can also extend to MCP Servistry

At the moment, this official registry may have a future where it also takes over, for example, this growing Clients list https://modelcontextprotocol.io/clients

I'm not sure we would definitely do it, but want to maintain the option, so "Servistry" is probably not a name we would want to lock in right now

MCPlex - "Model Context Multiplex/Index". This one's more just for fun, but IMO it's catchy and memorable.

This is solid, thank you! I'm not sure I definitely like it more than Modex and Protex, but I would be pretty happy with MCPlex. If other folks want to +1 MCPlex please add 👍 to this comment

[LucaButBoring]

Throwing some ideas out there that don't reference "index" or "registry" at all in the name, since those terms feel a bit overloaded:

• "MCP Discovery Portal" - It's a bit verbose, but it means you could use discover.modelcontexprotocol.io as a URL, which is easy to remember. Shortening it to "Discover MCP" could work as an official name too, or even just "Discover" colloquially.
• "MCP Station" - Along the lines of a train station? Somewhere you can discover and travel to a bunch of other places (servers) from - you could call self-hosted registries Stations as well, as in: "if you'd like to host your own Station, you can do..." The URL might be station.modelcontextprotocol.io here. I think this would also make branding easy, since trains make for easily-recognizable iconography and aren't overused.

[tadasant]

Both great suggestions, thank you! I think they are good options to go with in the event that we decide we don't want to do a unique made-up brand and would rather go with a word like "discover" or "station".

I personally lean Modex, Protex, MCPlex of the things I've heard to date, but could get behind MCP Discovery Portal, MCP Station, MCP Base as well.

[tadasant]

Readers - thumbs up this message if you like Discovery Portal

[tadasant]

Thumbs up this message if you like Station

[austinborn]

Another option would be MCPortal (thumbs up this message if you like it)

[evalstate]

MCP Server Canon.

It's an authoritative collection so it's the perfect word!

[rdimitrov]

Naming is hard! 😃 I understand the concerns you have around using "official" while at the same time I also like it since it's pretty self-explanatory whereas with something like MCPlex (just using it as an example) one will probably have quite a few follow up discussions describing what it is until enough people hear about it.

Anyway, I'm throwing out a few more naming options for consideration:

• MCP Reference Registry
• MCP Central
• MCP Upstream
• MCP Foundation
• MCP Source
• MCP Public Good Instance (PGI) - Follows the naming the sigstore project used for their upstream service
• MCP Main Registry

I also like base, station and discover 👍

[macoughl]

Modex is growing on me. Particularly given that other "registries"/directories will still be around with new ones within larger clients potentially springing up. This feels more of a brand and will help handle any confusion around which is THE registry.

Honorable mention to MCPlex

[iddv]

I don't think official should be in the name, but it must be in the title. I also don't think it should be some project style name. KISS

The MCP Registry.

[punkpeye]

Anything other than "Official MCP Registry" would be odd.

[royderks]

"MCP Registry"

I don't get why it has to be prefaced by "The" or "Official" tbh. Also, as MCP is already an abbreviation I don't see the need to shorten it into something more catchy like "npm" or "PyPi".