Docs Cloud Agentic AI MCP MCP Overview MCP Servers for Redpanda Cloud Overview Page options Copy as Markdown Copied! View as plain text Ask AI about this topic Add MCP server to VS Code This page introduces MCP in Redpanda Cloud and helps you choose the right option for your use case. After reading this page, you will be able to: Describe what MCP enables for AI agents Distinguish between Redpanda Cloud Management MCP Server and Remote MCP Choose the right MCP option for your use case What is MCP? MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that lets AI agents use tools. Think of it like a universal adapter: instead of building custom integrations for every AI system, you define your tools once using MCP, and any MCP-compatible AI client can discover and use them. Without MCP, connecting AI to your business systems requires custom API code, authentication handling, and response formatting for each AI platform. With MCP, you describe what a tool does and what inputs it needs, and the protocol handles the rest. MCP options in Redpanda Cloud Redpanda Cloud offers two complementary MCP options: Redpanda Cloud Management MCP Server (beta) A pre-built server that gives AI agents access to Redpanda Cloud APIs. It runs on your computer and lets you manage clusters, topics, and other resources through natural language. Example: "Create a cluster called dev-analytics with 3 brokers." Remote MCP Your own MCP server built with Redpanda Connect and hosted inside your Redpanda Cloud cluster. You define custom tools that access your data, call external APIs, or trigger workflows. Example: "Analyze the last 100 orders and show me the top product categories." Comparison Redpanda Cloud Management MCP Server Remote MCP Purpose Operate your Redpanda Cloud account Build custom tools for your data and workflows Where it runs Your computer Redpanda Cloud (managed) Who builds it Redpanda You, using Redpanda Connect Access to Redpanda Cloud APIs (clusters, topics, users, ACLs) Anything you configure (databases, APIs, Redpanda topics, LLMs) Best for Platform operations, quick admin tasks, incident response Data analysis, workflow automation, team-shared tools Which should I use? Choose based on what you want to accomplish: Use the Redpanda Cloud Management MCP Server when you want to: Manage Redpanda Cloud resources without memorizing CLI commands Quickly create test clusters, topics, or users Inspect cluster health during incidents Onboard team members who prefer natural language over APIs Use Remote MCP when you want to: Build tools that access your business data in Redpanda topics Create reusable tools shared across your team Connect AI agents to external systems (databases, APIs, LLMs) Run tools close to your data with managed infrastructure You can use both options together. For example, use the Redpanda Cloud Management MCP Server to create a cluster, then deploy Remote MCP tools to analyze data in that cluster. Get started Redpanda Cloud Management MCP Server Quickstart: Connect Claude to your Redpanda Cloud account Remote MCP Server Quickstart: Build and deploy custom MCP tools Suggested reading MCP Server for Redpanda Documentation: Access Redpanda documentation through AI agents (read-only, no Cloud access required) Back to top × Simple online edits For simple changes, such as fixing a typo, you can edit the content directly on GitHub. Edit on GitHub Or, open an issue to let us know about something that you want us to change. Open an issue Contribution guide For extensive content updates, or if you prefer to work locally, read our contribution guide . Was this helpful? thumb_up thumb_down group Ask in the community mail Share your feedback group_add Make a contribution 🎉 Thanks for your feedback! MCP Remote MCP