An MCP implementation involves three components working together.
The MCP server is installed on or connected to a website or domain. It acts as a controlled gateway between the underlying data — inventory, pricing, vehicle specifications, images, scheduling availability — and any AI assistant that requests it. The server defines what data is accessible and under what conditions.
The MCP client lives inside the AI assistant the shopper is using. When a shopper asks their AI to find a specific vehicle, the client formats that request according to MCP standards and sends it to the appropriate MCP server. The server returns structured, current data and the AI presents it to the shopper.
The host manages the overall session — handling authentication, routing requests to the correct data sources, and maintaining the connection between client and server.
From the shopper’s perspective none of this is visible. They ask a question in plain language and receive a current, accurate answer. A single MCP server can simultaneously serve an AI-powered chat widget on the dealer’s own website and external AI agents arriving from outside the dealer’s web presence, using the same live data connection for both.