---
title: "Claude Desktop Integration"
description: "Configure Claude Desktop to connect to MetaMCP endpoints using mcp-proxy"
---

**Claude Desktop** integration allows you to access MetaMCP tools directly through Claude's interface. Since Claude Desktop only supports stdio servers, you'll need a local proxy to connect to MetaMCP's remote endpoints.

## Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

- **Claude Desktop** installed and running
- **MetaMCP** running locally or deployed
- **Active endpoint** configured in MetaMCP
- **API key** generated (if authentication is enabled)

## Basic Configuration

### Using mcp-proxy (Recommended)

Since MetaMCP endpoints are remote only (SSE, Streamable HTTP), Claude Desktop needs a local proxy to connect. Based on testing, `mcp-proxy` is the recommended solution for API key authentication.

<CodeGroup>
```json Streamable HTTP (Recommended)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MetaMCP": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-proxy",
        "--transport",
        "streamablehttp",
        "http://localhost:12008/metamcp/your-endpoint-name/mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "API_ACCESS_TOKEN": "sk_mt_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

```json SSE (Alternative)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MetaMCP": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-proxy",
        "http://localhost:12008/metamcp/your-endpoint-name/sse"
      ],
      "env": {
        "API_ACCESS_TOKEN": "sk_mt_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

```json Multiple Endpoints
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MetaMCP-Dev": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-proxy",
        "--transport",
        "streamablehttp",
        "http://localhost:12008/metamcp/dev-tools/mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "API_ACCESS_TOKEN": "sk_mt_dev_key"
      }
    },
    "MetaMCP-Research": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-proxy",
        "http://localhost:12008/metamcp/research-tools/sse"
      ],
      "env": {
        "API_ACCESS_TOKEN": "sk_mt_research_key"
      }
    }
  }
}
```
</CodeGroup>

## Configuration File Location

Edit Claude Desktop's configuration file at:

- **macOS**: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
- **Windows**: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`
- **Linux**: `~/.config/claude/claude_desktop_config.json`

## Authentication Methods

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion icon="key" title="API Key Authentication">
    **Most common method** using environment variable:
    
    ```json
    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "MetaMCP": {
          "command": "uvx",
          "args": [
            "mcp-proxy",
            "--transport",
            "streamablehttp",
            "http://localhost:12008/metamcp/your-endpoint-name/mcp"
          ],
          "env": {
            "API_ACCESS_TOKEN": "sk_mt_your_key_here"
          }
        }
      }
    }
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion icon="shield-minus" title="No Authentication">
    **For public endpoints** without authentication:
    
    ```json
    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "MetaMCP": {
          "command": "uvx",
          "args": [
            "mcp-proxy",
            "http://localhost:12008/metamcp/public-tools/sse"
          ]
        }
      }
    }
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Remote/Production Setup

For remote MetaMCP instances, simply replace the localhost URL:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MetaMCP-Production": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-proxy",
        "--transport",
        "streamablehttp",
        "https://your-metamcp-domain.com/metamcp/your-endpoint-name/mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "API_ACCESS_TOKEN": "sk_mt_production_key"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

## Important Notes

- **Replace** `your-endpoint-name` with your actual endpoint name
- **Replace** `sk_mt_your_api_key_here` with your MetaMCP API key
- **mcp-proxy** handles the protocol conversion between stdio and HTTP/SSE
- **Environment variables** are the secure way to pass API keys
- For detailed troubleshooting, see [issue #76](https://github.com/metatool-ai/metamcp/issues/76) 