How to add an MCP server to Claude
Add an MCP server to Claude, Claude Desktop, Cowork or Claude Code: connectors, claude_desktop_config.json, claude mcp add, scopes and fixes when it fails.
On this page
- 01Which way should I add an MCP server to Claude?
- 02How do I add a remote MCP server to Claude?
- 03How do I add a local MCP server to Claude Desktop?
- 04How do I add an MCP server to Claude Code?
- 05Why is my Claude MCP server not working?
- 06How do I find MCP servers for Claude?
- 07How do I get my own MCP server into Claude?
- 08How Transica helps
- 09Common questions
- 10Sources
How you add an MCP server depends on where you use Claude. In Claude on the web or the desktop app, add a remote server under Customize > Connectors > + Add > Add custom connector. For a local server in Claude Desktop, edit claude_desktop_config.json. In Claude Code, run claude mcp add.
Which way should I add an MCP server to Claude?
| You're using | The server is | Do this |
|---|---|---|
| Claude web, desktop or Cowork | Remote, with a URL | Add a custom connector |
| Claude Desktop | Local, with a command | Edit the config file |
| Claude Code | Either | Run claude mcp add |
How do I add a remote MCP server to Claude?
From Anthropic's guide, for Pro and Max:
- Go to Customize > Connectors.
- Click + Add, then Add custom connector.
- Enter a name and the server's URL, then click Continue.
- Review the detected sign-in settings, and click Continue.
- Choose Sign in now, Sign in when needed or No sign in.
- If it uses sign-in, leave the OAuth client on Use Claude's published identity unless the server needs something else.
- Add request headers only if the server takes a fixed API key or bearer token.
- Click Add.
To use it in a chat, click + at the lower left, choose Connectors and turn it on.
Team and Enterprise: an Owner or Primary Owner adds it under Organization settings > Connectors > Add > Custom > Web. On Enterprise, a custom role with Manage access to Libraries can too. Members then open Customize > Connectors and click Connect.
Free: you can add one custom connector.
To try it, use Transica's public server, which needs no sign-in:
`` https://transica-mcp.transica.dev/mcp ``
How do I add a local MCP server to Claude Desktop?
From the official guide:
- Click the Claude menu in your system's menu bar, not inside the Claude window, and choose Settings.
- Open Developer and click Edit Config.
- Add your server to
claude_desktop_config.json. This example gives Claude access to two folders:
``json { "mcpServers": { "filesystem": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/Users/username/Desktop", "/Users/username/Downloads" ] } } } ``
- Quit Claude Desktop completely and open it again.
- In a chat, click the + in the input box, then Connectors > Manage connectors, to see the server and its tools.
Many servers need Node.js. A local server runs with your user's permissions, so give it only the folders it needs.
Where is claude_desktop_config.json?
| System | Path |
|---|---|
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json |
| Windows | %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json |
| Linux | ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json |
How do I add an MCP server to Claude Code?
From Claude Code's docs:
Remote server (recommended):
`` claude mcp add --transport http notion https://mcp.notion.com/mcp ``
With a fixed token:
`` claude mcp add --transport http secure-api https://api.example.com/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer your-token" ``
Local server: everything after -- is the command that starts it.
`` claude mcp add --env AIRTABLE_API_KEY=YOUR_KEY --transport stdio airtable -- npx -y airtable-mcp-server ``
From a JSON config, such as instructions written for another client. Pass the object inside mcpServers, not the wrapper:
`` claude mcp add-json example '{"command":"npx","args":["-y","@example/mcp-server"]}' ``
Sign in: run /mcp inside Claude Code, or claude mcp login <name> from your shell.
How do I add an MCP server globally in Claude Code?
Use --scope user:
`` claude mcp add --transport http hubspot --scope user https://mcp.hubspot.com/anthropic ``
| Scope | Works in | Shared with your team | Stored in |
|---|---|---|---|
local (default) | This project | No | ~/.claude.json |
project | This project | Yes, through version control | .mcp.json in the project root |
user | All your projects | No | ~/.claude.json |
Claude Code asks for approval before using a project-scoped server.
How do I list and remove servers?
`` claude mcp list claude mcp get notion claude mcp remove notion ``
To revoke its tokens at the provider too, run claude mcp logout <name> before removing it.
Why is my Claude MCP server not working?
| Symptom | Check |
|---|---|
| A custom connector won't connect | The server must be on the public internet, because connections come from Anthropic's cloud. A localhost address won't work |
| Sign-in fails | The server's OAuth setup, including the redirect URL https://claude.ai/api/mcp/auth_callback. Sign-in details |
| A connector doesn't appear in a chat | Turn it on under + > Connectors for that conversation |
| A local server doesn't appear in Claude Desktop | Quit fully and reopen, check the JSON syntax, and use absolute paths |
| A local server still fails | Run its command yourself to see the error, then read the logs |
| Claude Code skips a server from JSON | A url entry needs a "type", such as "http", or it's treated as stdio |
| An old SSE server | SSE is deprecated. Use the HTTP address if the server has one |
Claude Desktop logs have mcp.log for connections and mcp-server-SERVERNAME.log for each server:
- macOS:
~/Library/Logs/Claude - Windows:
%APPDATA%\Claude\logs - Linux:
~/.config/Claude/logs
To test a remote server without Claude, paste its address into the free MCP directory check.
How do I find MCP servers for Claude?
- Claude's Connectors Directory: added in a click.
- The official MCP Registry: a public list of servers.
- The product's own docs: many companies publish their server's URL.
Only add servers from developers you trust. A server can do whatever its tools allow.
How do I get my own MCP server into Claude?
A custom connector works only for people who add it by URL. To appear in Claude's directory, submit the server to Anthropic. It needs to be remote, with OAuth for anything on a customer's account, and every tool needs a title and a read-only or destructive annotation.
Don't have a server yet? Five ways to build one.
How Transica helps
- Build and host. Transica builds a remote MCP server from your API or from AI agents exploring your site, with your customers' existing login. Free to build, hosting from $19 a month.
- Free directory check. Paste a server's address into the MCP directory check, no account, to see what Claude's and ChatGPT's directories would flag.
- Done for you. On the done-for-you listing, from $1,500, Transica builds the app, records the demo, prepares the submission and stays with you through review.
Common questions
Can I use MCP servers with the free Claude plan?
Yes. Free accounts can add one custom connector. Claude Desktop's local servers are configured separately.
Can I add a local MCP server to Claude on the web?
No. Claude on the web connects from Anthropic's cloud, so it needs a server on the public internet. Use Claude Desktop or Claude Code for local servers.
Does Claude Code use the same MCP servers as Claude Desktop?
They're configured separately. To reuse a Desktop server, copy its entry into claude mcp add-json.
Where does Claude Code store MCP config?
In ~/.claude.json for local and user scope, and in .mcp.json in the project root for project scope.
How do I add an MCP server to Claude Cowork?
Add it as a custom connector under Customize > Connectors. Anthropic's guide covers Claude, Cowork and Claude Desktop together.
How do I edit a custom connector?
Remove it and add it again with the new details, under Customize > Connectors.
Can a custom connector use an API key?
Yes, through Request headers when you add it. Claude's public directory has its own rules, so check them before you submit.
Is an MCP server the same as a Claude connector?
A connector is Claude's name for a remote MCP server added to its apps. The server underneath is the same one other MCP clients can use.
Sources
All read on 5 November 2026.
- Anthropic: Custom connectors using remote MCP, Claude Code: connect to tools through MCP
- Model Context Protocol: Connect to local MCP servers