Canonical: https://composio.dev/glossary/mcp-gateway
Markdown: https://composio.dev/glossary/mcp-gateway.md

# MCP gateway

An MCP gateway is an intermediary between MCP clients and MCP servers that routes requests and centralizes access controls.

A client connects to the gateway rather than configuring each downstream server separately. The gateway decides which servers and tools the client can reach and forwards requests to them.

Authentication, audit logging, tool filtering, and credential handling depend on the implementation. The term alone does not tell you where credentials live, whether tool execution runs in your infrastructure, or which policies the gateway enforces. Check those boundaries separately.

## Related terms

- [Model Context Protocol](https://composio.dev/glossary/model-context-protocol)

- [Tool](https://composio.dev/glossary/tool)

- [Token custody](https://composio.dev/glossary/token-custody)

## Sources and implementation

- Technical reference: [MCP architecture](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/learn/architecture)

- Implementation guide: [Using Composio sessions via MCP](https://docs.composio.dev/docs/sessions-via-mcp)

- On this site: [Composio MCP Gateway](https://composio.dev/mcp-gateway)

[All glossary terms](https://composio.dev/glossary)

Reviewed: 2026-10-29
Next review: 2027-01-29
Owner: Brendan O'Leary / Developer Marketing