Claude Desktop — v1.0

MCP setup.
One command.

Stop editing JSON by hand. Enter your server URL,
pick your platform — get the exact command.

$  npx connect-mcp  claude  --url  <your-mcp-url>
Command Generator
connect-mcp — command generator
⚠ Always use /mcp — never /mcp/sse. The /sse endpoint is internal and will fail silently.
Recommended

Run this, then restart Claude Desktop. Your MCP tools will be live.

Auto mode — omit the platform flag
Interactive wizard — no flags at all

The wizard prompts you for the URL and platform step by step.

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

✔ connect-mcp writes this for you automatically. This tab is for reference only.

How it works
01 // locate

Finds config

Auto-detects Claude Desktop's config file path for your OS — macOS or Windows.

02 // merge

Safely updates

Merges only the mcpServers key. All other settings are untouched. Creates the file if missing.

03 // validate

Validates JSON

Checks the result is well-formed before writing. Backs up the original config automatically.

04 // done

Restart & go

One restart of Claude Desktop and your MCP tools are live — no debugging, no guesswork.

3 ways to connect
Mode 01

CLI — recommended

Pass platform then URL as flags. Explicit, fast, CI-friendly.

$ npx connect-mcp claude --url <URL>
Mode 02

Auto mode

Omit the platform — defaults to Claude automatically.

$ npx connect-mcp --url <URL>
Mode 03

Interactive wizard

No flags needed. Get prompted for everything step by step.

$ npx connect-mcp
Support matrix
Platforms
Claude Desktop✔ supported
Claude Cowork/Code✔ supported
Cursor🚧 planned
VS Code🚧 planned
Continue.dev🚧 planned
Transport
HTTP✔ supported
MCP / SSE✔ supported
Cloudflare Tunnel✔ recommended
Local command✔ supported
ngrok✔ supported
FAQ
Do I need to restart Claude Desktop after connecting?▾
Yes — Claude Desktop reads the config on startup. One restart is all you need. After that, your tools are persistent across sessions.
Will this break my existing Claude Desktop config?▾
No. connect-mcp only modifies the mcpServers key. Everything else — theme, history, preferences — is left untouched. A backup is written before any change.
What if the config file doesn't exist yet?▾
connect-mcp creates it automatically with the correct structure. No manual file creation needed.
Why does /mcp/sse fail?▾
The /sse path is an internal streaming endpoint. Claude Desktop connects to /mcp directly. Using /sse causes a silent failure — your server simply won't be called.
Does this work with ngrok?▾
ngrok is unreliable for MCP due to SSE connection issues. For local dev, use localhost directly. For external access, Cloudflare Tunnel is the recommended free alternative — it handles SSE correctly.
Can I use this with a locally built MCP server?▾
Yes — that's the primary use case. Run your server, then: npx connect-mcp claude --url http://localhost:8000/mcp. Restart Claude Desktop and your tools are live.
Roadmap
✔Add / remove / list MCP servers via CLI
✔Interactive setup wizard
✔Config validation and auto-backup
○Cursor platform support
○VS Code (Copilot) support
○Health check — verify server starts before registering
○Import / export configs for team sharing
○MCP Hub — marketplace of ready-to-use servers
○Cloud deployment helpers
✔ Copied to clipboard