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Guide

How to connect an MCP server to Claude Desktop

Two paths, one outcome

Claude Desktop connects to MCP servers in two ways. Pick based on where the server lives.

If the server is remote (URL you can curl)

  1. Open Settings → Connectors in Claude Desktop.
  2. Click Add custom connector.
  3. Paste the server URL. For Muninn: https://muninn.ferbutech.no/mcp.
  4. Complete the OAuth sign-in in the browser tab Claude opens.
  5. Back in Claude, toggle on the tools you want.

No config file, no restart. The connector persists across sessions.

If the server is local (a command on your machine)

Local servers are launched by Claude via stdio. They live in claude_desktop_config.json:

  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Add the server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/Users/you/docs"]
    }
  }
}

Save, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop. The server shows up in Connectors with its tools listed.

Which one should I use?

Remote is easier — nothing to install locally, OAuth handles auth, no restarts. Use it whenever the server offers a hosted URL.

Local is for tools that need machine access — reading your filesystem, talking to a local database, running a dev-only bridge. It's also the only option for servers not published as a hosted service.

When it doesn't work

  • Remote: OAuth failing? Sign in to the underlying service in your default browser first, then re-add the connector.
  • Local: run the command yourself in a terminal to confirm it starts. Path issues are the most common cause.
  • Both: check the connector's Enabled tools list. A connector can be "connected" but have every tool switched off.

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