APIs Have Had Their Moment, But MCPs Reign Supreme In The Agentic Era

Adexchanger's discussion of Model Context Protocol (MCP) as a replacement for APIs marks a significant shift in how AI systems connect to external data sources. The article highlights MCP as an open-source standard that enables AI systems to tap into data warehouses and analytics platforms, potentially revolutionizing the way AI bots interact with website data. This development has significant implications for website owners, as it may change the way AI bot traffic is managed and tracked. With MCP, AI systems can access more comprehensive data, potentially leading to more sophisticated bot behavior. Website owners may need to reassess their AI bot tracking strategies to account for the increased capabilities of MCP-enabled AI systems. To prepare for this shift, website owners can take several steps: (1) review their current AI bot tracking tools to ensure they can handle MCP-enabled AI systems, (2) update their llms.txt files to reflect the new protocols and standards, and (3) monitor their website traffic for changes in AI bot behavior, adjusting their content policies and security measures as needed to accommodate the evolving landscape of AI interactions.