Discovery of Model Context Protocol Servers via DNS TXT Records vs DNS for AI Discovery (DNS-AID)
The map lists them as complementary: sites and agents commonly implement both.
| Discovery of Model Context Protocol Servers via DNS TXT Records | DNS for AI Discovery DNS-AID | |
|---|---|---|
| Lifecycle step | 1 Discover: What is here, and where? | 1 Discover: What is here, and where? |
| Answers | How can a client discover an MCP server's endpoint, the operating organisation's identity, and a signed ~handle identity envelope using DNS TXT records under a domain? | Given a domain, where is its agent endpoint, what protocol does it speak, and how can that be verified via DNSSEC/DANE? |
| Governed by | Individual Internet-Draft by a single author; not adopted by an IETF working group per the page text (Network Working Group, Intended Status: Informational). | IETF dnsop working group Internet-Draft (individual submission track, not yet WG-adopted) |
| Status (issuer's words) | Active Internet-Draft (-09, Informational; expires 2027-04-25) | Internet-Draft, Standards Track intended status |
| Version | draft-morrison-mcp-dns-discovery-09 (2026-10-22) | draft-mozleywilliams-dnsop-dnsaid-02 (2026-05-27) |
| Form / transport | DNS record | DNS record |
| Found at | _mcp.<domain> | _index._agents.<domain> (SVCB); _agent-name.<domain> (SVCB) |
| Implementation | none found | prototype — Infoblox and GoDaddy joint press release |
| Evidence | 1 reported, 1 verified | 2 verified, 1 reported |
| Primary use case | Let agents discover my API or service | Let agents discover my API or service |
| Last verified | 2026-10-23 (current) | 2026-10-23 (current) |
| Specification | https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-morrison-mcp-dns-discovery-09 | https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-mozleywilliams-dnsop-dnsaid/ |
When to use which
- Choose Discovery of Model Context Protocol Servers via DNS TXT Records when your question is “How can a client discover an MCP server's endpoint, the operating organisation's identity, and a signed ~handle identity envelope using DNS TXT records under a domain?” and you accept its maturity: status "Active Internet-Draft (-09, Informational; expires 2027-04-25)", implementation none found.
- Choose DNS for AI Discovery when your question is “Given a domain, where is its agent endpoint, what protocol does it speak, and how can that be verified via DNSSEC/DANE?” and you accept its maturity: status "Internet-Draft, Standards Track intended status", implementation prototype (Infoblox and GoDaddy joint press release).
Read the full articles
- Discovery of Model Context Protocol Servers via DNS TXT Records: How can a client discover an MCP server's endpoint, the operating organisation's identity, and a signed ~handle identity envelope using DNS TXT records under a domain?
- DNS for AI Discovery: Given a domain, where is its agent endpoint, what protocol does it speak, and how can that be verified via DNSSEC/DANE?