---
title: Frequently Asked Questions
sidebarTitle: FAQ
---

<Note>
  The MCP Registry is currently in preview. Breaking changes or data resets may occur before general availability. If you encounter any issues, please report them on [GitHub](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/registry/issues).
</Note>

## General

### What is the difference between "Official MCP Registry", "MCP Registry", "MCP registry", "MCP Registry API", etc?

- "MCP Registry API" — An API that implements the [OpenAPI spec](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/registry/blob/main/docs/reference/api/openapi.yaml) defined by the MCP Registry.
- "Official MCP Registry API" — The REST API served at `https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io`, which is a superset of the MCP Registry API. Its OpenAPI spec can be downloaded from [https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io/openapi.yaml](https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io/openapi.yaml).
- "MCP registry" — A third-party service that provides an MCP Registry API.
- "Official MCP Registry" (or "The MCP Registry") — The service that lives at `https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io`.

### Can I delete/unpublish my server?

Yes, you can change your server's status to `deleted` using the `mcp-publisher status` command:

```bash
# Delete a specific version
mcp-publisher status --status deleted --message "No longer maintained" \
  io.github.my-username/my-server 1.0.0

# Delete all versions
mcp-publisher status --status deleted --all-versions --message "Project archived" \
  io.github.my-username/my-server
```

Deleted servers are hidden from default API listings but can still be retrieved with `include_deleted=true`. You can restore a deleted server by setting its status back to `active`.

**Note**: Server metadata is never permanently removed from the registry. The `deleted` status hides the server from discovery but preserves the historical record.

### How do I update my server metadata?

Submit a new `server.json` with a unique version string. Once published, version metadata is immutable (similar to npm).

### Can I add custom metadata when publishing?

Yes, custom metadata under `_meta.io.modelcontextprotocol.registry/publisher-provided` is preserved when publishing to the registry. This allows you to include custom metadata specific to your publishing process.

<Warning>

There is a 4KB size limit (4096 bytes of JSON). Publishing will fail if this limit is exceeded.

</Warning>

## Reporting Issues

### What if I need to report a spam or malicious server?

1. Report it as abuse to the underlying package registry (e.g. NPM, PyPI, DockerHub, etc.); and
2. Raise a GitHub issue on the registry repo with a title beginning `Abuse report: `

### What if I need to report a security vulnerability in the registry itself?

Follow [the MCP community SECURITY.md](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/.github/blob/main/SECURITY.md).