---
type: Glossary Term
title: "Roots"
description: "Roots (roots/list) in the Model Context Protocol (MCP) are URI boundaries—typically file:// workspace directories or repository paths—that an MCP client host advertises to a connected server to define which filesystem trees or resource scopes the server is expected to operate within."
resource: "https://agenticweb.wiki/terms/roots/"
tags: ["glossary", "permit"]
status: stable
generated: { by: agenticweb-builder/1.0, at: 2026-10-23T00:00:00Z }
verified: { by: process:agenticweb-engine, at: 2026-10-23T00:00:00Z }
stale_after: 2026-11-22T00:00:00Z
sources:
  - id: ref-1
    resource: "https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2026-07-28/index"
    last_modified: 2026-07-28T00:00:00Z
---

# Roots

**Roots** (`roots/list`) in the **Model Context Protocol (MCP)** are URI boundaries—typically `file://` workspace directories or repository paths—that an MCP client host advertises to a connected server to define which filesystem trees or resource scopes the server is expected to operate within. While advisory rather than an OS sandbox, roots let IDE and desktop hosts coordinate workspace boundaries across multiple local and remote MCP servers. Used by: mcp.

# Knowledge Graph

* **Related standards**: [Model Context Protocol](/okf/protocols/mcp.md)

[^ref-1]: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2026-07-28/index (https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2026-07-28/index)