Connect Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop launches MCP servers over stdio. Use the `mcp-remote` bridge so it can reach your HTTP endpoint without any local server code.

Transportstdio bridge (mcp-remote)Configclaude_desktop_config.json

How do I connect an MCP server to Claude Desktop?

Add the server to `claude_desktop_config.json` (Settings → Developer → Edit Config) through the `mcp-remote` bridge, which lets Claude Desktop’s stdio-only MCP support reach a remote HTTP endpoint. Fully restart Claude Desktop and the server’s tools appear in the chat tools menu.

Setup

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config.
Merge the snippet below into `claude_desktop_config.json`, keeping any existing `mcpServers` entries.
Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop so it reloads the config.

claude_desktop_config.jsonjson

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "my-server": {
      "command": "bunx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://my-server.mcp.cloud/mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Verify the connection

Open a chat and check the tools menu (the slider icon) — your server’s tools should be listed.

Troubleshooting

The server never appears after restart.

Make sure `bunx` (or `npx`) is on your PATH; Claude Desktop runs the bridge as a child process.

JSON parse error on launch.

Validate the config — a stray trailing comma is the most common cause.

Claude Desktop MCP documentation

Connect another client

CLI

Claude Code

Add your MCP server to Claude Code from the terminal.