We're thrilled to announce the general availability of Custom MCP Catalogs and Profiles, two features that revolutionize how teams manage Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. Custom Catalogs allow organizations to curate and distribute approved server collections, while Profiles enable developers to define portable, named server groupings. Together, they streamline discovery, security, and collaboration across enterprise AI tooling. Below, we answer common questions about these capabilities and walk through practical implementation steps.

What are Custom MCP Catalogs and MCP Profiles?

Custom MCP Catalogs are curated collections of MCP servers that an organization can publish for its teams. Instead of each developer hunting for servers across the internet, they access a trusted list of approved tools. MCP Profiles, on the other hand, are portable configurations that bundle one or more MCP servers into a named collection. Developers can share Profiles across projects and teams, making it easy to replicate environments. Both features complement each other: Catalogs define what's available, while Profiles define how servers are grouped and used.

Why Do Enterprises Need Custom Catalogs for MCP?

As organizations scale AI tooling, managing which MCP servers are trustworthy becomes critical. Custom Catalogs solve this by letting teams publish a single source of approved servers, including internally built ones. This centralizes discovery—developers no longer search the open web for random servers. It also enforces security and compliance, because only vetted servers appear in the catalog. Moreover, catalogs can reference servers from Docker's MCP Catalog, community sources, and proprietary servers, blending flexibility with control in one experience.

How Can You Build a Custom MCP Catalog with Docker?

Building a custom catalog is straightforward. First, gather the metadata for each server you want to include—name, title, type, Docker image reference, and description. Save this as a YAML file (e.g., mcp-custom.yaml). Next, create a catalog manifest that lists these servers, plus any from Docker's official catalog. Finally, push the catalog to a registry or share it as a file. In Docker Desktop, you can import the catalog via the CLI or the UI. This approach improves on previous methods by simplifying distribution and versioning.

For a detailed example, see our roll-dice server walkthrough.

Can Custom Catalogs Mix Official and Internal Servers?

Yes, absolutely. A custom catalog can combine servers from multiple sources: Docker's curated MCP Catalog, community repositories, and your own internally developed MCP servers. This hybrid approach gives organizations maximum flexibility. For instance, you might include a file system server from Docker's catalog and your proprietary database connector in the same catalog. Developers then see a unified list of approved tools, regardless of origin. The catalog metadata simply references each server's Docker image or configuration, making it easy to maintain and update.

What Role Do MCP Profiles Play in Tool Management?

MCP Profiles introduce a portable, named abstraction for grouping MCP servers. Instead of manually listing servers every time, developers define a Profile once—e.g., "data-analysis" containing SQL, CSV, and plotting servers. They can then run that Profile across projects, share it with teammates, or version it in source control. Profiles also simplify switching between configurations: a developer might have separate Profiles for development, testing, and production. This reduces repetitive setup and ensures consistent environments. In the future, Docker plans to extend Profiles with more dynamic features.

How Do You Create and Push a Custom MCP Server to Docker Hub?

Let's walk through a concrete example using a roll-dice server. First, build your MCP server as a Docker image (e.g., from the roll-dice GitHub repo). Tag and push it to Docker Hub: docker push roberthouse224/mcp-dice:latest. Next, create a metadata file named mcp-dice.yaml with fields like name: roll-dice, title: Roll Dice, type: server, image: roberthouse224/mcp-dice@latest, and a description. This YAML describes your server for inclusion in a custom catalog. Then, in your catalog manifest, reference this file (or inline the data) alongside other servers. Finally, use Docker Desktop or CLI to import the catalog.

How Does Docker Desktop Streamline Catalog and Profile Management?

Docker Desktop provides a user-friendly interface for importing custom catalogs and managing Profiles. Through the CLI, you can run commands to list, add, or remove catalogs. In the Desktop UI, developers can browse available servers, activate Profiles, and switch between configurations with a few clicks. Docker Desktop also handles the underlying Docker engine interactions, ensuring MCP servers run in isolated containers. This tight integration reduces friction for teams adopting MCP at scale, especially when combined with version control and CI/CD pipelines for catalog updates.