Setting Up Mcps

Setting Up MCPs

MCP (Model Context Protocol) connects Claude Code to external tools like GitHub, Notion, databases, and more.

Quick Reference

Setup Workflow

Follow this checklist for any new MCP:

- [ ] Step 1: Identify the service type (cloud or local)
- [ ] Step 2: Get the MCP URL or command
- [ ] Step 3: Run the add command
- [ ] Step 4: Verify with `claude mcp list`
- [ ] Step 5: Authenticate if needed (`/mcp`)
- [ ] Step 6: Test with a simple request

Step 1: Identify Service Type

Cloud services (GitHub, Notion, Sentry, etc.):

• Use --transport http or --transport sse
• Require a URL like https://mcp.servicename.com/...
• Usually need browser authentication

Local tools (databases, file servers, custom scripts):

• Use --transport stdio
• Require a command like npx -y package-name
• May need API keys via --env

Step 2: Get Setup Information

Find the service's MCP documentation. Look for:

• URL for cloud services
• npm package or command for local tools
• Required environment variables (API keys)

Popular hosted MCP servers (check each vendor's own docs for the current endpoint, since these move):

Vendors change endpoints and auth methods often. Always confirm the field names against the vendor's own MCP documentation rather than copying a config from a third-party aggregator. Different clients expect different keys for the same thing (url vs serverUrl vs httpUrl), and a wrong key fails silently instead of erroring.

Step 3: Run the Add Command

Cloud service (HTTP):

claude mcp add --transport http <name> <url>

Cloud service with auth header:

claude mcp add --transport http <name> <url> --header "Authorization: Bearer <token>"

Local tool (stdio):

claude mcp add --transport stdio <name> -- <command>

Local tool with API key:

claude mcp add --transport stdio <name> --env API_KEY=<value> -- <command>

Important: All flags (--transport, --env, --scope, --header) must come before the server name. Use -- to separate the name from the command.

Step 4: Verify Connection

claude mcp list

Confirm the new connection appears in the list.

Step 5: Authenticate (If Required)

Inside Claude Code:

1. Type /mcp
2. Select the service
3. Choose "Authenticate"
4. Complete browser login

Step 6: Test

Ask Claude something that uses the tool:

• GitHub: "List my open pull requests"
• Notion: "Show my recent pages"
• Database: "List the tables"

Scopes

Example:

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

Management Commands

# List all connections
claude mcp list

# Get details for one
claude mcp get <name>

# Remove connection
claude mcp remove <name>

# Check status inside Claude Code
/mcp

Troubleshooting

Quick fixes:

• Windows "Connection closed": Add cmd /c before npx commands
• Tools not appearing: Restart Claude Code after adding MCPs
• Auth failing: Use /mcp → "Clear authentication" and retry
• Timeout errors: Set MCP_TIMEOUT=30000 claude for longer startup