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registry/docs/reference/api/registry-authorization.md
adam jones 32b37e71f8
 Add registry authorization specification (#756) 
Add a standardized OAuth 2.1-based authentication specification for MCP
sub-registries, aligned with the MCP Authorization Specification.

This enables:
- Private registry entries with access control
- Permission-based server visibility
- Client code reuse (clients can use their existing MCP auth
implementation)

The spec is intended for downstream sub-registries. The official
registry remains public for reading.

Fixes #751

---------

Co-authored-by: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
2025-11-17 19:11:07 +00:00

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Registry Authorization

MCP registries wishing to implement authentication SHOULD follow the MCP Authorization Specification.

How it works

The registry acts as an OAuth 2.1 Resource Server, identical to how MCP servers work. This means:

  • MCP clients can reuse their existing MCP authorization implementation without any changes
  • Registries validate access tokens the same way MCP servers do
  • Users get a consistent login experience across MCP servers and registries

Registry-Specific Scopes

Registries MAY use these scopes:

  • mcp-registry:read - List and read server metadata
  • mcp-registry:write - Publish, update, and delete servers

These are recommendations - registries may use any set of scopes they deem sensible.

Note that scopes only control what types of operations a user can perform. Registries should still apply user-level authorization to control which specific resources a user can access. For example, a user with mcp-registry:write might only be able to publish servers to namespaces they own, and may not have permissions to edit servers if the registry treats servers as immutable.

Official Registry Authentication

The official modelcontextprotocol.io registry remains public for reading. For publishing servers, it uses a custom JWT-based authentication system for legacy reasons - see its API spec. This may change in future to align with the MCP Authorization Specification.