# 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.

[1 Discover](/category/discover/) [Discovery of Model Context Protocol Servers via DNS TXT Records](/protocols/mcp-dns-discovery/) · [1 Discover](/category/discover/) [DNS for AI Discovery](/protocols/dns-aid/)

|  | [Discovery of Model Context Protocol Servers via DNS TXT Records](/protocols/mcp-dns-discovery/) | [DNS for AI Discovery](/protocols/dns-aid/) 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-morrison-mcp-dns-discovery-09) | [https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-mozleywilliams-dnsop-dnsaid/](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).

Guidance is derived from the two records (question, status, implementation, prerequisites, pairings), not from opinion. Each record's page carries its numbered references.

## Read the full articles

- [Discovery of Model Context Protocol Servers via DNS TXT Records](/protocols/mcp-dns-discovery/): 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](/protocols/dns-aid/): Given a domain, where is its agent endpoint, what protocol does it speak, and how can that be verified via DNSSEC/DANE?

Ask the MCP server to compare any two: the compare-protocols prompt, or get on both ids. [Connect](/connect/).

[mcp-dns-discovery.json](/data/protocols/mcp-dns-discovery.json) · [dns-aid.json](/data/protocols/dns-aid.json) · [Markdown](/compare/mcp-dns-discovery-vs-dns-aid/index.md)