Hands-On MCP: Build an MCP Server in Python from Scratch

A beginner-friendly, hands-on course to build an MCP server from scratch, step by step using Python.

What you’ll learn
✓ Set up a complete MCP development environment using Python, VS Code, Node.js, and related tools
✓ Configure and run an existing MCP server inside the Claude Desktop Client
✓ Build an MCP server in Python from scratch, following a structured, step-by-step approach
✓ Understand the core components and workflow of an MCP server through implementation
✓ Extend an MCP server with SQLite for persistent data handling
✓ Create MCP servers that work with resources and prompts
✓ Implement MCP servers using both local and remote streamable HTTP
✓ Test and validate MCP servers using VS Code and Azure MCP
✓ Gain confidence to build, modify, and extend MCP servers independently

Requirements
● Basic familiarity with Python (variables, functions, running scripts)
● A computer with Windows
● Willingness to install required software and follow setup steps
● No prior experience with Model Context Protocol (MCP) is required
● No prior experience with AI tools or MCP servers is needed

Description
This course contains the use of artificial intelligence.

In this course, you will learn how to build a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server in Python from scratch through clear, hands-on, step-by-step lessons.

The course is designed as a build-first learning journey, where you start by setting up the complete development environment and gradually move toward building, extending, and testing multiple MCP server implementations.

Each section of the course maps directly to the book’s chapters, allowing you to follow the curriculum sequentially and build a working MCP server piece by piece.

What This Course Covers

You will begin by preparing a clean development environment and verifying all required tools. From there, you will move into configuring an existing MCP server and then progress toward building your own MCP server from scratch.

As the course advances, you will incrementally enhance your MCP server with different capabilities, including

• Database-backed MCP servers using SQLite

• MCP servers that work with resources and prompts

• MCP servers using local and remote streamable HTTP

• Testing and validating MCP servers using VS Code and Copilot

Each stage builds on the previous one, ensuring a clear, structured, and progressive learning path.

Course Structure

The course follows this exact progression

• Install and configure all required software

• Python, VS Code, PIP, UV

• Claude Desktop Client

• Node.js

• Installation verification

• Download and understand the complete book source code

• Configure an existing MCP server

• Finding and setting up an MCP server

• Running it inside the Claude Desktop Client

• Build and test your own MCP server from scratch

• Creating the project

• Running and validating the server

• Extend your MCP server with SQLite

• Adding persistence and storage

• Build MCP servers using resources

• Build MCP servers using prompts

• Implement local streamable HTTP MCP servers

• Implement remote streamable HTTP MCP servers

• Test MCP servers using VS Code and Azure MCP Server

This structured approach ensures that you are always building, testing, and improving as you move forward.

Who This Course Is For

This course is ideal for

• Beginners who want to learn MCP by building from scratch

• Python developers exploring MCP and AI tool integration

• Learners following the book and wanting guided implementation

• Developers who prefer structured, step-by-step learning

No prior MCP experience is required.
Basic Python familiarity is sufficient.

Learning Approach

• Hands-on and practical

• Step-by-step progression

• Beginner-friendly

• Build-from-scratch mindset

• Curriculum-driven and structured

You will finish this course with real implementation experience and a clear understanding of how MCP servers are built, extended, and tested in practice.

Final Outcome

By the end of this course, you will have

• Built multiple MCP server implementations

• Understood how MCP servers integrate with tools, resources, and prompts

• Gained confidence to create and extend MCP servers on your own

• Followed a complete, structured curriculum based on the book

Who this course is for
■ Beginners who want to learn Model Context Protocol (MCP) by building from scratch
■ Python developers interested in creating and extending MCP servers
■ Developers who prefer hands-on, step-by-step learning over theory-heavy courses
■ Learners following the book and looking for a guided implementation path
■ Anyone curious about MCP and how to implement it in practical projects