What is MCP prompt?

An MCP prompt is the third core primitive of the Model Context Protocol, alongside tools and resources. It is a named, reusable template, often with arguments, that a server exposes so the host can offer it as a ready-made way to start a task. Unlike tools (model-controlled) and resources (application-controlled), prompts are designed to be user-controlled: they typically appear in the host UI as slash commands, menu items, or buttons that a person explicitly chooses. Picking one expands into a set of messages, possibly filled in with arguments and embedded resources, that prime the model for a specific workflow, for example a prompt that frames a code review, a structured commit message, or a debugging session. Prompts let server authors package their domain expertise into discoverable starting points so users do not have to remember the right phrasing. They are the least universally adopted of the three primitives, but they are powerful for turning a raw integration into a guided experience.