Tools vs Resources in MCP (A Subtle Difference That Matters)

By now, we’ve covered: tools (actions the model can take) MCP server (execution layer) MCP client (orchestration layer) Now let’s look at something that often causes confusion: What’s the difference between tools and resources ? 🧠 Simple Definitions 🔧 Tool Something the model uses to perform an action 📚 Resource Something the model uses to read data ⚠️ The Core Difference Type Purpose Tool Do something Resource Know something 🧩 Examples Tools (actions) create_order cancel_order send_email 👉