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Publish an MCP server in the place that serves the function you need: a package destination for executable artifacts, a registry for discovery metadata, and a hosting environment for a remote endpoint. Publishing a catalogue entry does not run the service, and hosting a service does not make it discoverable everywhere.
This guide reviews the official registry and its publishing quickstart as of 9 November 2026. No live registry submission or hosting deployment was performed for this article. Verify the current schema and account requirements before release.
Choose local package or remote endpoint
| Distribution model | What users obtain | Your release responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Local package | Code launched by their client | Reproducible installation and subprocess instructions |
| Remote server | An endpoint their client connects to | Hosting, availability, authorization and tenant isolation |
| Source repository | Code and development instructions | A usable build path and clear support scope |
| Registry entry | Discovery and installation metadata | Accurate namespace, version and package/remote information |
These options can complement each other. A repository can contain the source of a package whose metadata appears in the official registry. A remote-only server can publish discovery information without distributing a local package.
The official MCP Registry is a metadata destination
The current quickstart distinguishes package-based publication from remote-only entries. It states that the registry hosts metadata rather than executable artifacts. Remote entries describe their connection destination; package entries point to separately published packages.
Ownership verification of the registry namespace is not proof of ownership of every remote URL or a security audit of the implementation. Do not advertise registry inclusion as certification. The quickstart also identifies the registry as preview infrastructure; check its current stability notice before depending on its behavior.
Use the live official publishing instructions rather than copying a stale schema into an article. Record the schema used for your release, keep the metadata with your source and validate it with the supported tooling before submission.
Package distribution
Use a package format that your intended clients actually support. The registry quickstart discusses npm and other supported package types, including PyPI, NuGet, OCI and MCPB. Their ownership-verification steps differ, so follow the instructions for the actual artifact rather than adapting npm-specific fields blindly.
Before publishing, install the built artifact in a clean environment. Do not test only from a development checkout that already contains dependencies and local files. Verify the executable entry point, runtime requirements and final package contents.
For a Python package, the relevant test includes importing and starting the installed artifact. A source file that runs from the repository root does not establish that packaging included every required module.
Remote hosting
A remote server needs an operated service, not merely a public URL in a JSON file. Identify the endpoint, transport, authentication requirements, resource limits and support contact. Decide how users obtain access and how administrators revoke it.
Use the current HTTP authorization specification when implementing its supported flow. Keep identity validation separate from business permissions: a valid token does not authorize every private record.
Plan deadlines, cancellation, concurrency and dependency failures. Document what a client should do when a request times out. If an operation writes external state, implement a way to determine whether it completed before retrying.
Do not deploy a demonstration that has no authentication as an unrestricted production endpoint merely because the local example worked. The Python tutorial deliberately starts with a read-only local server and states its scope.
Document installation as a user journey
A good release page explains the task, supported client/runtime versions, transport, configuration fields and a safe first call. Separate required credentials from optional settings. Show placeholders, never production secrets.
Give users an expected result they can recognize. An illustrative inventory server can return a known count for a demo SKU and a distinct error for an unknown SKU. That provides a clearer acceptance test than “the host can see the server.”
Explain uninstalling and credential revocation. Removing a local package may not revoke a token it previously used. Users should know both the software cleanup step and the access cleanup step.
A release checklist
- Define the supported operation and its data-access boundary.
- Build a versioned artifact or prepare a tested remote deployment.
- Verify discovery and a complete request using a supported client.
- Test invalid input, missing data, denied permissions and timeout behavior.
- Inspect packages, logs and screenshots for secrets and private records.
- Publish accurate installation, billing and support information.
- Validate registry metadata against the current supported schema.
- Verify the final recipient journey after publication.
Keep evidence tied to the released version. A passing test for yesterday's source tree does not validate a different package or endpoint configuration released today.
Versioning and maintenance
Version the executable and discovery metadata consistently. If you change tool names, input schemas, permission requirements or failure behavior, explain the effect on existing clients. Do not silently reinterpret a parameter that older clients already use.
Maintain a compatibility record with the client version, SDK version, transport and tested operations. Update it after actual checks. Do not turn one client's success into a universal host-compatibility claim.
Prepare a rollback or withdrawal process for compromised credentials and unsafe releases. For a remote endpoint, consider how to stop a costly or dangerous operation while preserving a useful error response. For a local package, identify the affected version and a safe replacement path.
How Theaimart fits
Theaimart's agent publishing flow distributes workflow files for target runtimes. It should not be described as a general MCP registry or managed MCP hosting service without separate verified product support. A workflow listing and an MCP server entry solve different distribution problems.
If your product is a hosted application using MCP internally, describe the application through the appropriate app publishing guide. If you distribute an importable agent workflow, use how to publish an AI agent.
Publish the right layer
Choose where the executable lives, where the service runs and where users discover it. Test each handoff and make ownership, credentials and costs explicit. Read what an MCP server is for the architecture, and use developer documentation for the relevant Theaimart publishing format.