Align identity, metadata, and the live server
The MCP namespace, server title, description, website, repository, package or remote endpoint, and version should refer to the same product. The live initialization and tools/list response should agree with public documentation and downstream listings.
Descriptions should lead with the supported job and concrete tool outcomes. Include analytics, verification, publishing, or recommendation claims only when the server actually exposes and documents them.
Publish through the correct authority
The Official MCP Registry hosts standardized metadata through an API used by downstream aggregators. Publishing uses namespace authentication and server.json. Existing versions are immutable, so corrections require a unique newer version.
Directories may add health, search, category, or ownership layers. Verify each record, but correct imported fields at the registry, repository, or endpoint rather than assuming every directory field is editable.
Test by job, not only by server name
An exact namespace search confirms publication. Generic queries test whether a directory associates the server with its job. Provider experiments show whether that source enters an agent's retrieval path.
Track the stages independently. A registry record does not prove a client installed the server, called a tool, completed a task, or recommended it.