Guide

How to add an MCP server to Claude

The fast path for remote servers, plus the local option

Claude Desktop supports two kinds of MCP servers. Remote servers run in the cloud and are added through the Connectors UI. Local servers run on your machine and are configured in claude_desktop_config.json. Use the remote path unless you have a specific reason to run one locally — it's faster and doesn't need any files edited by hand.

Option 1 — Remote MCP server (recommended)

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Connectors.
Click Add custom connector (Claude may label it "Add remote MCP server" in some builds).
Paste the server's URL — for Muninn it's https://muninn.ferbutech.no/mcp. Give the connector a display name.
Claude opens a browser window for OAuth. Sign in to the service and approve access. Claude stores the token; you won't be prompted again on this machine.
Back in Claude, the connector shows the tools it discovered. Toggle the ones you want.

Option 2 — Local MCP server (stdio)

For an MCP server that runs on your machine (a filesystem tool, a database bridge, an unpublished dev server):

Open ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json on Windows. Create it if it doesn't exist.

Add the server under mcpServers:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "my-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@my-scope/my-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Save and fully quit Claude Desktop (⌘Q on macOS).
Reopen Claude. The server appears in the Connectors list; its tools are ready to use.

How to know it worked

Start a new chat and ask something that would need a tool — "list my notes", "show open PRs", "read package.json". Claude describes the tool call it wants to make, runs it, and shows the result. If it doesn't, the connector is either off for that chat or the tools aren't enabled.

Troubleshooting

Tools don't appear. Reopen Connectors and click the server. Enabled tools have a switch; disabled ones don't show in chats.
OAuth window loops. Sign in to the underlying service in the same browser first, then retry.
Local server not starting. Test the command in a terminal (npx -y @my-scope/my-mcp-server) — if it fails there, Claude can't launch it either.
401 on tool calls. The OAuth token expired. Remove the connector and add it again.

How to add an MCP server to Claude

Option 1 — Remote MCP server (recommended)

Option 2 — Local MCP server (stdio)

How to know it worked

Troubleshooting

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