Merge pull request modelcontextprotocol#226 from modelcontextprotocol/justin/roadmap-update

[RFC] Roadmap updates after new spec version

Author: jspahrsummers

development/roadmap.mdx

@@ -1,58 +1,54 @@
 ---
 title: Roadmap
-description: Our plans for evolving Model Context Protocol (H1 2025)
+description: Our plans for evolving Model Context Protocol
 ---
 
-The Model Context Protocol is rapidly evolving. This page outlines our current thinking on key priorities and future direction for **the first half of 2025**, though these may change significantly as the project develops.
+<Info>Last updated: **2025-03-27**</Info>
 
-<Note>The ideas presented here are not commitments—we may solve these challenges differently than described, or some may not materialize at all. This is also not an _exhaustive_ list; we may incorporate work that isn't mentioned here.</Note>
-
-We encourage community participation! Each section links to relevant discussions where you can learn more and contribute your thoughts.
+The Model Context Protocol is rapidly evolving. This page outlines our current thinking on key priorities and direction for approximately **the next six months**, though these may change significantly as the project develops. To see what's changed recently, check out the **[specification changelog](https://spec.modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-03-26/changelog/)**.
 
-## Remote MCP Support
+<Note>The ideas presented here are not commitments—we may solve these challenges differently than described, or some may not materialize at all. This is also not an _exhaustive_ list; we may incorporate work that isn't mentioned here.</Note>
 
-Our top priority is improving [remote MCP connections](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/specification/discussions/112), allowing clients to securely connect to MCP servers over the internet. Key initiatives include:
+We value community participation! Each section links to relevant discussions where you can learn more and contribute your thoughts.
 
-- [**Authentication & Authorization**](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/specification/discussions/64): Adding standardized auth capabilities, particularly focused on OAuth 2.0 support.
+For a technical view of our standardization process, visit the [Standards Track](https://github.com/orgs/modelcontextprotocol/projects/2/views/2) on GitHub, which tracks how proposals progress toward inclusion in the official [MCP specification](https://spec.modelcontextprotocol.io).
 
-- [**Service Discovery**](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/specification/discussions/69): Defining how clients can discover and connect to remote MCP servers.
+## Validation
 
-- [**Stateless Operations**](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/specification/discussions/102): Thinking about whether MCP could encompass serverless environments too, where they will need to be mostly stateless.
+To foster a robust developer ecosystem, we plan to invest in:
 
-## Reference Implementations
+- **Reference Client Implementations**: demonstrating protocol features with high-quality AI applications
+- **Compliance Test Suites**: automated verification that clients, servers, and SDKs properly implement the specification
 
-To help developers build with MCP, we want to offer documentation for:
+These tools will help developers confidently implement MCP while ensuring consistent behavior across the ecosystem.
 
-- **Client Examples**: Comprehensive reference client implementation(s), demonstrating all protocol features
-- **Protocol Drafting**: Streamlined process for proposing and incorporating new protocol features
+## Registry
 
-## Distribution & Discovery
+For MCP to reach its full potential, we need streamlined ways to distribute and discover MCP servers.
 
-Looking ahead, we're exploring ways to make MCP servers more accessible. Some areas we may investigate include:
+We plan to develop an [**MCP Registry**](https://github.com/orgs/modelcontextprotocol/discussions/159) that will enable centralized server discovery and metadata. This registry will primarily function as an API layer that third-party marketplaces and discovery services can build upon.
 
-- **Package Management**: Standardized packaging format for MCP servers
-- **Installation Tools**: Simplified server installation across MCP clients
-- **Sandboxing**: Improved security through server isolation
-- **Server Registry**: A common directory for discovering available MCP servers
+## Agents
 
-## Agent Support
+As MCP increasingly becomes part of agentic workflows, we're exploring [improvements](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/specification/discussions/111) such as:
 
-We're expanding MCP's capabilities for [complex agentic workflows](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/specification/discussions/111), particularly focusing on:
+- **[Agent Graphs](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/specification/discussions/94)**: enabling complex agent topologies through namespacing and graph-aware communication patterns
+- **Interactive Workflows**: improving human-in-the-loop experiences with granular permissioning, standardized interaction patterns, and [ways to directly communicate](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/specification/issues/97) with the end user
 
-- [**Hierarchical Agent Systems**](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/specification/discussions/94): Improved support for trees of agents through namespacing and topology awareness.
+## Multimodality
 
-- [**Interactive Workflows**](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/specification/issues/97): Better handling of user permissions and information requests across agent hierarchies, and ways to send output to users instead of models.
+Supporting the full spectrum of AI capabilities in MCP, including:
 
-- [**Streaming Results**](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/specification/issues/117): Real-time updates from long-running agent operations.
+- **Additional Modalities**: video and other media types
+- **[Streaming](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/specification/issues/117)**: multipart, chunked messages, and bidirectional communication for interactive experiences
 
-## Broader Ecosystem
+## Governance
 
-We're also invested in:
+We're implementing governance structures that prioritize:
 
-- **Community-Led Standards Development**: Fostering a collaborative ecosystem where all AI providers can help shape MCP as an open standard through equal participation and shared governance, ensuring it meets the needs of diverse AI applications and use cases.
-- [**Additional Modalities**](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/specification/discussions/88): Expanding beyond text to support audio, video, and other formats.
-- [**Standardization**] Considering standardization through a standardization body.
+- **Community-Led Development**: fostering a collaborative ecosystem where community members and AI developers can all participate in MCP's evolution, ensuring it serves diverse applications and use cases
+- **Transparent Standardization**: establishing clear processes for contributing to the specification, while exploring formal standardization via industry bodies
 
 ## Get Involved
 
-We welcome community participation in shaping MCP's future. Visit our [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/orgs/modelcontextprotocol/discussions) to join the conversation and contribute your ideas.
+We welcome your contributions to MCP's future! Join our [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/orgs/modelcontextprotocol/discussions) to share ideas, provide feedback, or participate in the development process.