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Publishing Servers

Publishing is the process of promoting an MCP server from draft status to production-ready. Published servers can be deployed to environments and used by AI applications.

Publishing Workflow​

Prerequisites​

Before publishing a server, ensure:

  1. Security scan completed: All critical vulnerabilities resolved
  2. Artifacts documented: Tools, prompts, and resources clearly described
  3. Testing complete: Functionality verified in development
  4. Policies configured: Access controls and usage limits defined

Publishing Process​

Step 1: Review Server Status​

From the Registry, locate your server and verify:

  • Status shows as "Draft"
  • Security scan has been run
  • No critical issues remain unresolved

Step 2: Initiate Publishing​

Click the Edit action menu for your server and select Publish.

Step 3: Final Review​

The publishing dialog will show:

  • Server name and description
  • Security scan summary
  • Artifact inventory
  • Any warnings or considerations

Step 4: Confirm Publication​

Click Publish to:

  • Change server status to "Published"
  • Make server available for deployment
  • Enable production use

Published Server Features​

Deployment Eligibility​

Published servers can be:

  • Deployed to cloud environments
  • Used in production applications
  • Integrated with AI workflows
  • Monitored and managed centrally

Version Management​

Publishing creates a version snapshot:

  • Immutable artifact definitions
  • Locked dependency versions
  • Stable API contracts
  • Rollback capabilities

Access Controls​

Published servers inherit:

  • Organizational policies
  • User permissions
  • Rate limiting rules
  • Audit requirements

Publishing Standards​

Security Requirements​

Servers must meet security thresholds:

  • No critical vulnerabilities: All must be resolved
  • Limited high-risk issues: With documented mitigations
  • No exposed secrets: All credentials externalized
  • Validated dependencies: Known and approved packages

Documentation Standards​

Published servers should have:

  • Comprehensive README
  • Tool usage examples
  • Environment variable documentation
  • Troubleshooting guides

Testing Validation​

Before publishing, validate:

  • All tools function correctly
  • Error handling works properly
  • Performance meets requirements
  • Integration points are stable

Post-Publishing Actions​

Deployment​

After publishing, you can:

Monitoring​

Track published server:

  • Deployment locations
  • Usage statistics
  • Performance metrics
  • Error rates

Updates​

To update a published server:

  1. Create new version in draft
  2. Make necessary changes
  3. Run security scan
  4. Publish new version
  5. Migrate deployments

Best Practices​

Pre-Publishing Checklist​

Before publishing, verify:

  • All tests passing
  • Security scan clean
  • Documentation complete
  • Dependencies updated
  • Secrets externalized
  • Performance validated
  • Rollback plan ready

Troubleshooting​

Publishing Blocked​

Common reasons include:

  • Unresolved security issues
  • Missing required documentation
  • Failed automated checks
  • Pending approvals

Unpublishing​

To remove a server from published status:

  1. Ensure no active deployments
  2. Communicate deprecation plan
  3. Click "Unpublish" action
  4. Server returns to draft status

Next Steps​

After publishing your server: