AI Plugin IndexAnthropic · Local MCP servers through a config file, remote servers as connectors
How to add MCP servers to Claude Desktop
In Claude Desktop, open Settings, then Developer, then Edit Config. Add the server to the mcpServers section of claude_desktop_config.json and restart the app. Hosted servers can also be added as custom connectors in Settings.
Add a local MCP server
- Open Claude Desktop, go to Settings → Developer and click Edit Config.
- Add the server under
mcpServers. Every MCP server page on this site shows the exact block to paste. - Save the file and fully restart Claude Desktop.
{
"mcpServers": {
"my-server": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "some-mcp-package"]
}
}
}The file lives at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS and %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json on Windows. Local servers need Node.js (for npx) or uv (for uvx) installed.
Add a remote server as a connector
Hosted servers with a URL can be added as a custom connector in Settings → Connectors. Availability depends on your Claude plan.
Troubleshooting
- Server not showing: check the JSON is valid (one missing comma breaks the whole file) and restart the app completely.
- Logs are in Settings → Developer, next to each server.
Official documentation
Claude Desktop changes often. If a step here no longer matches, the official docs win.
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