Claude MCP Expert

Claude Code MCP Expert

Purpose

Provide expert guidance on integrating MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers with Claude Code, including installation, configuration, authentication, and troubleshooting. Auto-invokes when users want to connect external tools and data sources.

When to Use

Auto-invoke when users mention:

• MCP - "MCP", "Model Context Protocol", "MCP server"
• Installation - "install MCP", "add MCP server", "connect MCP"
• Server types - "HTTP server", "SSE server", "stdio server", "remote MCP"
• Configuration - ".mcp.json", "MCP configuration", "MCP settings"
• Authentication - "MCP auth", "OAuth", "API key for MCP"
• Popular services - "Sentry MCP", "GitHub MCP", "Notion MCP", "Jira MCP"
• MCP resources - "MCP resources", "MCP prompts", "MCP tools"

Knowledge Base

• Official docs: .claude/skills/ai/claude-code/docs/code_claude_com/docs_en_mcp.md
• MCP website: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/
• Server list: MCP documentation has comprehensive server list

What is MCP?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open-source standard that allows Claude Code to connect to:

• External tools and services
• Databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, etc.)
• APIs (GitHub, Jira, Slack, etc.)
• File systems and data sources
• Custom integrations

Benefits:

• Access hundreds of integrations
• Standardized protocol
• Community-built servers
• Easy to install and configure

Process

1. Identify Need

Ask the user:

What would you like to connect with MCP?

**Popular integrations:**
- Development: Sentry, GitHub, Socket
- Project Management: Jira, Linear, Notion, Asana
- Databases: PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MySQL
- Communication: Slack, Gmail
- Cloud: AWS, Google Cloud
- File Systems: Local files, Google Drive

Or describe what you want to do, and I'll recommend an MCP server.

2. Choose Server Type

Explain the three types:

HTTP Server (recommended for remote services):

claude mcp add --transport http server-name https://mcp.service.com/mcp

• Most common for cloud services
• Example: Sentry, GitHub, Notion

SSE Server (Server-Sent Events):

claude mcp add --transport sse server-name https://mcp.service.com/sse

• For streaming services
• Example: Asana, Atlassian

stdio Server (local/npm packages):

claude mcp add --transport stdio server-name -- npx -y package-name

• For local tools or npm packages
• Example: Filesystem, custom scripts

3. Installation

Quick Install (Interactive)

# Recommended: Use /mcp command in Claude Code
/mcp

# Then select:
# - Add new server
# - Follow prompts
# - Authenticate if needed

Command Line Install

HTTP Server:

claude mcp add --transport http sentry https://mcp.sentry.dev/mcp

SSE Server:

claude mcp add --transport sse asana https://mcp.asana.com/sse

stdio Server with environment variables:

claude mcp add --transport stdio github \
  --env GITHUB_TOKEN=your_token \
  -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-github

4. Configuration Scopes

Explain where MCP servers are stored:

User Scope (Global)

Location: ~/.claude/.mcp.json

Use for:

• Personal integrations
• Services you use across all projects
• Personal API keys

Install:

claude mcp add --transport http sentry https://mcp.sentry.dev/mcp --user

Project Scope (Team)

Location: .claude/.mcp.json

Use for:

• Team-shared integrations
• Project-specific services
• Committed to git

Install:

claude mcp add --transport http linear https://mcp.linear.app/mcp --project

Local Scope (Personal + Project)

Location: .claude/.mcp.local.json

Use for:

• Personal overrides in project
• Testing configurations
• Not committed to git

Install:

claude mcp add --transport http notion https://mcp.notion.com/mcp --local

5. Authentication

Most MCP servers require authentication:

OAuth (Recommended)

# Install server
claude mcp add --transport http github https://mcp.github.com/mcp

# Authenticate via /mcp command
/mcp
# Select: Authenticate with server
# Browser opens, authorize app

API Key (via environment)

claude mcp add --transport stdio server-name \
  --env API_KEY=your_api_key \
  --env TEAM_ID=your_team_id \
  -- npx -y package-name

From settings.json

{
  "env": {
    "GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_xxxxx",
    "SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN": "sntrys_xxxxx"
  }
}

6. Verify Installation

After installation:

# Check MCP servers
/mcp

# Lists:
# - Active servers
# - Available tools
# - Authentication status
# - Resources and prompts

Popular MCP Servers

Development Tools

Sentry (Error monitoring):

claude mcp add --transport http sentry https://mcp.sentry.dev/mcp

Use for: "Check Sentry for errors in the last 24 hours"

GitHub (Code hosting):

claude mcp add --transport http github https://api.github.com/mcp

Use for: "Create a PR for this feature", "Review open issues"

Socket (Security analysis):

claude mcp add --transport http socket https://mcp.socket.dev/

Use for: "Analyze dependencies for security vulnerabilities"

Project Management

Jira (via Atlassian):

claude mcp add --transport sse atlassian https://mcp.atlassian.com/v1/sse

Use for: "Implement feature from JIRA-123", "Update ticket status"

Linear:

claude mcp add --transport http linear https://mcp.linear.app/mcp

Use for: "Create issue", "List my assigned tasks"

Notion:

claude mcp add --transport http notion https://mcp.notion.com/mcp

Use for: "Read project docs", "Update status page"

Asana:

claude mcp add --transport sse asana https://mcp.asana.com/sse

Use for: "Create task", "Check project timeline"

Databases

PostgreSQL (local):

claude mcp add --transport stdio postgres \
  --env POSTGRES_CONNECTION_STRING="postgresql://user:pass@localhost:5432/db" \
  -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres

MongoDB (local):

claude mcp add --transport stdio mongodb \
  --env MONGODB_URI="mongodb://localhost:27017/mydb" \
  -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-mongodb

File Systems

Filesystem (local files):

claude mcp add --transport stdio filesystem \
  --env ALLOWED_DIRECTORIES=/path/to/dir1:/path/to/dir2 \
  -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem

Google Drive:

claude mcp add --transport stdio google-drive \
  -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-gdrive

Communication

Slack:

claude mcp add --transport stdio slack \
  --env SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-your-token \
  --env SLACK_TEAM_ID=T1234567 \
  -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-slack

Gmail:

claude mcp add --transport stdio gmail \
  -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-gmail

MCP Configuration Files

.mcp.json Structure

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "server-name": {
      "transport": "http" | "sse" | "stdio",
      "url": "https://mcp.service.com/mcp",  // For http/sse
      "command": "npx",  // For stdio
      "args": ["-y", "package-name"],  // For stdio
      "env": {
        "API_KEY": "your_key",
        "TEAM_ID": "your_id"
      }
    }
  }
}

Example: Multiple Servers

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sentry": {
      "transport": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.sentry.dev/mcp"
    },
    "github": {
      "transport": "http",
      "url": "https://api.github.com/mcp"
    },
    "postgres": {
      "transport": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres"],
      "env": {
        "POSTGRES_CONNECTION_STRING": "postgresql://localhost:5432/mydb"
      }
    }
  }
}

Environment Variable Expansion

Use environment variables in config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "transport": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "${GITHUB_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Then set in shell or settings.json:

{
  "env": {
    "GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_xxxxx"
  }
}

Using MCP Features

MCP Tools

Once server is connected, use tools:

# GitHub MCP
"Create a PR for this feature"
"List open issues assigned to me"
"Add a comment to PR #123"

# Sentry MCP
"Check errors in the last 24 hours"
"Show details for error SENTRY-123"

# PostgreSQL MCP
"Find 10 random users in the database"
"Query users table for active accounts"

# Notion MCP
"Read the project roadmap page"
"Update the status page with this info"

MCP Resources

MCP resources are files/data the server provides:

Reference resources:

@mcp://server-name/resource-name

Example:

Review @mcp://github/README.md and suggest improvements

MCP Prompts as Slash Commands

MCP prompts become slash commands:

Format:

/mcp__<server-name>__<prompt-name> [args]

Example:

/mcp__github__create_issue "Bug in login" high
/mcp__jira__update_status PROJ-123 "In Progress"

Managing MCP Servers

Via /mcp Command

# Interactive management
/mcp

# Options:
# - View all servers
# - Add new server
# - Remove server
# - Authenticate
# - Clear auth tokens
# - View tools/prompts/resources

Via Command Line

# List servers
claude mcp list

# Add server
claude mcp add --transport http name url

# Remove server
claude mcp remove name

# Test connection
claude mcp test name

Via Configuration

Edit .mcp.json directly:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "new-server": {
      "transport": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.example.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Enterprise MCP Configuration

Managed MCP Servers

Location (enterprise-controlled):

• macOS: /Library/Application Support/ClaudeCode/managed-mcp.json
• Linux/WSL: /etc/claude-code/managed-mcp.json
• Windows: C:\ProgramData\ClaudeCode\managed-mcp.json

Features:

• Deployed by IT/DevOps
• Always available to users
• Users cannot remove
• Take precedence over user servers

Allowlist/Denylist

In managed-settings.json:

{
  "allowedMcpServers": [
    {"serverName": "github"},
    {"serverName": "sentry"}
  ],
  "deniedMcpServers": [
    {"serverName": "filesystem"}
  ]
}

Behavior:

• allowedMcpServers: Only these servers can be installed
• deniedMcpServers: These servers are blocked (takes precedence)
• Undefined allowedMcpServers: No restrictions
• Empty array allowedMcpServers: Complete lockdown

Plugin-Provided MCP Servers

Plugins can bundle MCP servers:

Automatic installation:

1. Install plugin
2. MCP servers from plugin are available
3. No manual configuration needed

Example:

# Install plugin that includes MCP servers
/plugin install company-tools@internal

# MCP servers from plugin are now active

Import from Claude Desktop

If you have MCP servers configured in Claude Desktop:

# Import configuration
claude mcp import-from-desktop

# Or manually copy from:
# ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

MCP Output Limits

Warning thresholds:

• 10,000 tokens: Warning shown
• 25,000 tokens: Default maximum (configurable)

Configure limit:

export MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_TOKENS=50000

Or in settings.json:

{
  "env": {
    "MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_TOKENS": "50000"
  }
}

Security Considerations

⚠️ Use MCP servers at your own risk:

• Anthropic has not verified all servers
• Trust servers you install
• Be careful with servers fetching untrusted content
• Risk of prompt injection
• Servers have access to data you authorize

Best practices:

• Only install trusted servers
• Review server permissions
• Use OAuth when available
• Store API keys securely
• Audit server access regularly
• Use project scope for team servers
• Use user scope for personal servers

Troubleshooting

Server Not Connecting

Check:

1. Server URL is correct
2. Authentication is complete
3. Network connectivity
4. Server is running (for stdio)

Debug:

# Run with debug mode
claude --debug

# Look for MCP connection errors
# Check: "MCP server 'name' connected"

Authentication Failing

Solutions:

1. Re-authenticate: /mcp → Authenticate
2. Check API key is valid
3. Verify OAuth tokens not expired
4. Clear and re-auth: /mcp → Clear auth

Tools Not Available

Check:

1. Server is connected: /mcp
2. Authentication complete
3. Restart Claude Code
4. Server provides expected tools

Verify tools:

/mcp
# Select server
# View "Available tools"

stdio Server Errors

Check:

1. Command is installed: which npx
2. Package exists: npx -y package-name --version
3. Environment variables set
4. Permissions to execute

Test manually:

# Run stdio command directly
npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-github
# Should start server, show JSON-RPC messages

Configuration Not Loading

Check:

1. JSON syntax valid: jq . < .mcp.json
2. File location correct
3. Restart Claude Code
4. Check scope (user/project/local)

Validate:

# Validate JSON
cat .claude/.mcp.json | jq .

# Check active config
/mcp

Permission Denied Errors

Check:

1. File permissions: chmod 644 .mcp.json
2. Allowed in settings (enterprise)
3. Not in denylist
4. OAuth scope sufficient

Best Practices

DO:

✅ Use project scope for team integrations ✅ Use user scope for personal tools ✅ Authenticate with OAuth when available ✅ Store sensitive keys in settings.json (not .mcp.json) ✅ Test servers before sharing with team ✅ Document required authentication for team ✅ Use environment variables for secrets ✅ Review server permissions regularly

DON'T:

❌ Commit API keys to git ❌ Install untrusted servers ❌ Share OAuth tokens ❌ Use excessive output limits ❌ Bypass enterprise restrictions ❌ Forget to authenticate after install ❌ Mix personal/team servers in wrong scope

Example Workflows

Workflow 1: Issue to PR

Setup:

claude mcp add --transport http github https://api.github.com/mcp --project
claude mcp add --transport sse atlassian https://mcp.atlassian.com/v1/sse --project

Usage:

"Read JIRA ticket ENG-123, implement the feature, and create a PR on GitHub"

Workflow 2: Error Investigation

Setup:

claude mcp add --transport http sentry https://mcp.sentry.dev/mcp --user

Usage:

"Check Sentry for errors in the last hour and fix them"

Workflow 3: Database Query to Email

Setup:

claude mcp add --transport stdio postgres --env POSTGRES_CONNECTION_STRING=... -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres
claude mcp add --transport stdio gmail -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-gmail

Usage:

"Find 10 beta users from database and draft Gmail invites to feedback session"

Use Claude Code as MCP Server

Claude Code can act as an MCP server for other applications:

# Expose Claude Code via MCP
claude mcp serve --port 8080

# Other apps can connect to:
# http://localhost:8080/mcp

Capabilities exposed:

• Claude Code tools (Read, Write, Edit, etc.)
• Project skills
• Slash commands (as MCP prompts)

Resources

• Official MCP Docs: .claude/skills/ai/claude-code/docs/code_claude_com/docs_en_mcp.md
• MCP Website: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/
• MCP Servers List: https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers
• Anthropic MCP Guide: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/agents-and-tools/mcp