Why do we need MCP Components?
There are a few obvious paths to building UIs for agents—but they don't work well at scale. Here's why we need a better approach.
Approaches That Don't Scale
There are several methods that fall short when building AI-powered interfaces at scale.
Let the LLM Build the UI
Slow
Inconsistent
Token-intensive
Hard to brand
Chat App Builds the UI
Not scalable
No company can anticipate every domain or data source
Closed system
You can't customize the experience or insert your brand
No monetization
There's no clear way for tool builders to get paid
The Fractal Solution: Component MCP Servers
We propose a better architecture: MCP servers that return lightweight, reusable UI components
Instead of just sending data, an MCP server returns:
UI Template
HTML as a string
Initial Data
JSON payload
Refetch Function
For live updates
Options
Auth, refresh, caching
Agents don't need to generate the UI—they just compose components from different servers into a full screen experience.
This makes responses:
Companies Regain UI Control in the Agent World
Component MCP servers aren't just better for agents—they're better for companies too
Brand Identity & Control
- Retain your brand identity (layout, visuals, voice)
- Control the UX your users receive—even through third-party agents
- Avoid being reduced to text blobs by LLMs
Monetization & Integration
- Monetize usage of your tools directly (via Fractal's protocol)
- Offer seamless integration of subscriptions, user authentication, and transactions
- Your MCP server becomes your new digital storefront
Fractal Makes This Easy
Everything you need to build and deploy component MCP servers
SDKs
Build and serve components fast with our comprehensive developer kits
Registry
A central registry where agents can discover your tools
Infrastructure
Authentication, search, and monetization infrastructure
Registries
Public and private registries—so you can go open or internal