Connection Method: Client ID Metadata Documents (CIMD)¶
Status: coming soon. This method is not yet supported by the MCP Gateway Registry. This page describes the concept and is a placeholder for future documentation.
This is one of three ways an AI coding assistant could obtain the OAuth identity it needs to log in to a gateway-protected MCP server. See the connection methods overview for how it compares to a pre-registered client id and Dynamic Client Registration.
What it is¶
Client ID Metadata Documents (CIMD) take a different approach: the client_id is not a pre-registered record at all. It is an https URL that points to a small JSON metadata document describing the client. The authorization server fetches that URL on demand to learn who the client is, instead of looking up a stored registration.
Why it matters¶
CIMD aims to keep the zero-touch benefit of Dynamic Client Registration while removing its bookkeeping cost:
- No registration call.
- No stored client record in the IdP.
- No client sprawl to clean up.
It is the newest of the three approaches and currently the least universally supported across IdPs and IDEs, which is why it is future-facing rather than available today.
Current status in this registry¶
Not implemented. When CIMD support lands, this page will document:
- How to configure the gateway to advertise/accept CIMD client ids.
- Which IdPs and IDEs support it.
- How it interacts with the registry's group-based authorization.