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Configuring MCP Server with Claude Desktop

Overview​

Claude Desktop provides native support for Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. This guide shows you how to connect your Cequence AI Gateway MCP server to Claude Desktop.

Configuration Steps​

1. Locate Configuration File​

Claude Desktop stores its MCP configuration in a JSON file:

macOS:

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

Windows:

%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

2. Edit Configuration​

Open the claude_desktop_config.json file in your preferred text editor and add your MCP server configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "your-server-name": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@cequenceai/mcp-remote",
        "your-mcp-server-url"
      ]
    }
  }
}

3. Configuration Parameters​

Replace the following placeholders:

  • your-server-name: A descriptive name for your MCP server (e.g., "salesforce", "github", "databricks")
  • your-mcp-server-url: The URL provided by Cequence AI Gateway after creating your MCP server

4. Multiple MCP Servers​

To add multiple MCP servers, include additional entries in the mcpServers object:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "salesforce": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@cequenceai/mcp-remote", "https://your-salesforce-mcp-url"]
    },
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@cequenceai/mcp-remote", "https://your-github-mcp-url"]
    },
    "databricks": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@cequenceai/mcp-remote", "https://your-databricks-mcp-url"]
    }
  }
}

5. Restart Claude Desktop​

After saving the configuration file, restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect.

Verification​

Once configured, your MCP server should appear in Claude Desktop. You can verify by:

  1. Starting a new conversation
  2. Checking for available tools/functions from your MCP server
  3. Testing with a simple command related to your configured service

Troubleshooting​

MCP Server Not Appearing​

Issue: MCP server doesn't show up after configuration

Solutions:

  • Verify the configuration file syntax is valid JSON
  • Ensure the MCP server URL is correct
  • Check that you've restarted Claude Desktop
  • Review Claude Desktop logs for errors

Connection Errors​

Issue: "Failed to connect to MCP server"

Solutions:

  • Verify your internet connection
  • Ensure the MCP server URL is accessible
  • Check if the MCP server is deployed and running
  • Verify your authentication credentials are valid

NPX Command Issues​

Issue: "npx command not found"

Solutions:

  • Install Node.js (which includes npx): nodejs.org
  • Verify Node.js installation: node --version
  • Ensure npx is available: npx --version

Configuration File Location Helper​

If you can't find the configuration file, you can create it:

macOS:

mkdir -p ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/
touch ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows (PowerShell):

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path "$env:APPDATA\Claude"
New-Item -ItemType File -Force -Path "$env:APPDATA\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json"

Example Configuration​

Here's a complete example configuration with a Salesforce MCP server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "salesforce-crm": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@cequenceai/mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.aigateway.cequence.ai/v1/servers/abc123xyz"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Additional Resources​