MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open protocol that gives AI assistants and agents access to data in business systems - CRM, projects, databases - the same standardized way across tools. Instead of a developer writing a custom connection for every pair of "this AI model" and "this system", a system only has to run an MCP server once, and any AI agent that supports the protocol can then connect to it.
The Apexloop MCP server works on the same principle you already know from the AI assistant over your workspace inside the app: reading data is unrestricted, but AI gives you every proposed change - a new record, an edit, an action - for approval first. MCP just carries this principle beyond the boundaries of a single app, so Claude, ChatGPT or another agent that supports MCP can ask about data in Apexloop just as safely.
MCP differs from API and webhook in who it's built for - it builds on similar foundations, but describes its capabilities (tools, data, prompt templates) directly in a way an AI model understands, without hand-written connection code for every pair. The article What is MCP and why it will become the standard for business data explains this in detail.
Related: What is MCP and why it will become the standard for business data, Apexloop MCP server: how AI agents work with your data, What is an API, What is a webhook.