The README prerequisites were both stale, and the docs restated the Go
version in three places.
## Prerequisites: name the source, do not restate the version
| README said | Reality |
|---|---|
| `Go 1.24.x` | `go 1.26` in
[go.mod](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/registry/blob/main/go.mod)
|
| `golangci-lint v2.4.0` | `v2.11.4` pinned in
[ci.yml:30](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/registry/blob/main/.github/workflows/ci.yml#L30)
|
Rather than swap in fresher numbers — which only resets the clock on the
same drift — this **removes the numbers** and names the authoritative
file:
```
- **Go** - version per the `go` directive in go.mod; the Go toolchain fetches it for you
- **golangci-lint** - version per the `golangci-lint-action` pin in ci.yml, so local lint matches CI
```
The Go version was stated in **three** places, which is exactly why all
three drifted together. All three now point at a single source, so the
prerequisites list cannot go stale.
Two notes on why the numbers earn so little in prose:
- **Go corrects itself.** `go.mod` has no `toolchain` directive, so
under the default `GOTOOLCHAIN=auto` the toolchain downloads the
required version automatically. A contributor on an older Go gets an
upgrade, not a failure — it only hard-errors under `GOTOOLCHAIN=local`.
(An earlier version of this description said such a contributor "cannot
build"; that was too strong.)
- **golangci-lint does not.** Version skew here genuinely changes what
you see: running CI's config under a newer golangci-lint (2.12.2)
surfaces 23 `goconst` findings in
`cmd/publisher/commands/validate_test.go` that CI's pinned 2.11.4 does
not report. That is why the README now points at the pin rather than a
number someone has to keep in sync.
## `make check` does more than documented
Documented in three files as "lint, unit tests and integration tests".
Actually [`check: dev-down lint validate
test-all`](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/registry/blob/main/Makefile#L85)
— it also runs schema validation and **stops your running `dev-compose`
environment**. Worth knowing before running it mid-session. The
Makefile's own `##` help string already said this correctly; only the
prose was stale.
## Other verified corrections
- **README project structure** omitted `cmd/registry/` — the server
entry point and ko/goreleaser build target — and `internal/importer/`.
- **`tests/integration/README.md`** said the suite launches **MongoDB**.
It launches PostgreSQL (`postgres-integration-test`), as the same file
admits nine lines later. It also cited `/v0/servers/{server_id}`, a path
removed a while ago; the test actually calls `GET /v0/servers` and `GET
/v0/servers/{serverName}/versions/latest`
([main.go:210,255](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/registry/blob/main/tests/integration/main.go#L210)).
- **`scripts/mirror_data/README.md`** pointed at
`internal/database/migrations/008_separate_official_metadata.sql`, which
does not exist — that migration is `009_`, while `008_` is
`clean_invalid_data.sql`. (Migration 008's own header still calls itself
"007a", which is how the numbering slipped.) Also swapped two "edit line
NN" pointers for identifier names, since both had already drifted
(`maxMigration` is at :30 not :24; the connection string at :23 not
:17), and corrected the fetch URL from `/v0.1/servers` to the
`/v0/servers` the script actually requests.
- **`.env.example`** was missing
`MCP_REGISTRY_ENABLE_REGISTRY_VALIDATION`, even though the config reads
it
([config.go:18](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/registry/blob/main/internal/config/config.go#L18))
and README:50 tells contributors to set it while pointing at
`.env.example` as *the* reference.
- **`docker-compose.yml`** set `MCP_REGISTRY_ENVIRONMENT`, which nothing
reads — no `ENVIRONMENT` env tag in `internal/config`, and no other
occurrence in the repo. Removed. (The Pulumi-side
`mcp-registry:environment` key is a separate, real thing and is
untouched.)
- **Deleted `CHANGES.md`** — 0 bytes, untouched since the squashed
history base, zero references anywhere.
## Verification
`docker compose config` validates. `grep` for `Go 1.x` / `golangci-lint
vX` across all `.md`/`.mdx` now returns nothing outside `complete.md`
(which #1522 deletes). Both `../../README.md#pre-requisites` links
resolve and the anchor matches the real `#### Pre-requisites` heading.
🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
<!-- Provide a brief summary of your changes -->
## Motivation and Context
<!-- Why is this change needed? What problem does it solve? -->
We've been receiving numerous PRs from authors attempting to publish
their MCP server by adding entries to `data/seed.json`. This is not the
correct approach as servers should be published using the
`mcp-publisher` CLI tool.
Many of these PRs appear to be AI-generated so the existing docs aren't
being surfaced effectively. This PR adds explicit guidance in the files
that AI coding assistants actually read:
- `CONTRIBUTING.md` - shown by GitHub when opening new PRs; widely
ingested by AI tools
- `.github/copilot-instructions.md` - read by GitHub Copilot
- `CLAUDE.md` - read by Claude Code and Claude on github.com
## How Has This Been Tested?
<!-- Have you tested this in a real application? Which scenarios were
tested? -->
## Breaking Changes
<!-- Will users need to update their code or configurations? -->
## Types of changes
<!-- What types of changes does your code introduce? Put an `x` in all
the boxes that apply: -->
- [ ] Bug fix (non-breaking change which fixes an issue)
- [ ] New feature (non-breaking change which adds functionality)
- [ ] Breaking change (fix or feature that would cause existing
functionality to change)
- [ ] Documentation update
## Checklist
<!-- Go over all the following points, and put an `x` in all the boxes
that apply. -->
- [ ] I have read the [MCP
Documentation](https://modelcontextprotocol.io)
- [ ] My code follows the repository's style guidelines
- [ ] New and existing tests pass locally
- [ ] I have added appropriate error handling
- [ ] I have added or updated documentation as needed
## Additional context
<!-- Add any other context, implementation notes, or design decisions
-->
Signed-off-by: Radoslav Dimitrov <radoslav@stacklok.com>
Radoslav Dimitrov