> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mcpcore.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Claude Desktop

> Connect your MCPCore server to Claude Desktop using the mcp-remote bridge.

## Prerequisites

* [Claude Desktop](https://claude.ai/download) installed (macOS or Windows)
* A MCPCore server with at least one tool
* The config snippet from your server's **Integration** tab

***

## Step 1 — Get your config snippet

Open your server's detail page, click the **Integration** tab, and select **Claude Desktop**. Copy the generated config snippet.

It will look like this:

```json theme={null}
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "your-server-code": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote@latest", "https://your-subdomain.mcpcore.io/mcp"]
    }
  }
}
```

For API Key mode, the snippet includes the auth header:

```json theme={null}
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "your-server-code": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y", "mcp-remote@latest",
        "https://your-subdomain.mcpcore.io/mcp",
        "--header", "Authorization: Bearer <your-api-key>"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

***

## Step 2 — Open the config file

**macOS:**

```
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
```

**Windows:**

```
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
```

If the file doesn't exist, create it with `{}` as the initial content.

***

## Step 3 — Merge the snippet

If the file already has a `mcpServers` object, add your new server entry alongside the existing ones:

```json theme={null}
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "existing-server": { "..." },
    "your-server-code": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote@latest", "https://your-subdomain.mcpcore.io/mcp"]
    }
  }
}
```

***

## Step 4 — Restart Claude Desktop

Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop. MCP connections are established at startup.

***

## Step 5 — Verify

Look for the tools icon (plug or hammer) in the Claude Desktop chat input bar. Click it to see available tools from your server.

***

## Troubleshooting

| Problem                         | Solution                                                                 |
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Tools not visible after restart | Check JSON syntax — a missing comma or bracket breaks the whole file     |
| `401 Unauthorized` in logs      | Verify the API key in the `--header` argument                            |
| `Could not connect`             | Check internet access; verify the subdomain URL is correct               |
| Tool calls fail                 | Open [Traffic Logs](/observability/traffic-logs) to see the error detail |

<Note>
  Validate your JSON at [jsonlint.com](https://jsonlint.com) before saving — syntax errors are the most common cause of connection failures in Claude Desktop.
</Note>