MCP server discoverability checklist

TL;DR

An MCP server gets discovered through four layers: a clear name and description (so registries and search find it), complete registry listings (so browsers find it), docs with real examples (so evaluators pick it), and tool descriptions agents can act on (so clients actually call it). Miss any layer and the funnel leaks. Run the checklist before launch and quarterly after.

MCP server discoverability checklist

Use this when

• Your MCP server is built and you want agents to find it
• Server usage is lower than expected and you need to diagnose why
• You are launching and want the discoverability basics covered
• You need a repeatable audit for server listings

Not for this skill when

• The server isnt built yet (build it first)
• You need help writing the server code (different topic)
• The problem is server reliability, not discovery (different fix)

Steps

1. Nail the name and one-line description. The name says what it is; the description says what it does for the agent in one sentence. Expected: a listing a stranger understands in five seconds.

Checklist: name is searchable and specific,
description states the capability and the audience.

1. Complete every registry listing fully. All fields filled, accurate transport info, current version, working contact. Expected: no registry shows your server as incomplete.

Audit: visit each listing as a stranger.
Fix: empty fields, stale versions, dead links.

1. Publish docs with real examples. What the server does, how to connect, and example tool calls with expected outputs. Expected: an evaluator can go from docs to working calls in minutes.

Docs: overview, connection steps, tool reference with examples.
Test the docs by following them cold.

1. Write tool descriptions agents act on. Each tool's description says when to use it and what it returns, in concrete terms. Expected: agents choose the right tool without guessing.

Good: "Searches [product] docs; returns matching articles with URLs."
Bad: "Search functionality."

1. Make the server findable from the web. A landing page or README that search engines index, linked from your main site. Expected: web search can surface the server too.

Page: what it is, who it is for, how to connect, link to registries.
One canonical URL for the server.

Variant phrasings

How to make my MCP server discoverable

Name, listings, docs, tool descriptions, web presence; audit quarterly.

MCP server not getting usage

Work the checklist top to bottom; the leak is usually descriptions or docs.

MCP server launch checklist

Discoverability is half the launch; the server working is the other half.

Why it happens

Discovery is a funnel: registries list thousands of servers, agents filter by name and description, evaluators skim docs, and clients pick tools by their descriptions. Each layer filters, so a great server with a vague description dies at layer one, and a well-listed server with bad tool descriptions dies at layer four. Most builders only do layer one and wonder why nobody connects; the checklist exists because all four layers are the product.

Edge cases / pitfalls

• Keyword-stuffed descriptions get filtered by registries and ignored by agents; write for humans first.
• Docs that dont match the current version are worse than no docs; version them with the server.
• A server that only works with one specific client isnt discoverable in any meaningful sense; test broadly.
• Dont chase every new registry; a complete listing on three good ones beats thin listings on ten.
• Re-run the checklist after every major release; discoverability rots as servers evolve.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_G9i1AMag0W4iveXwlgS5Aw