Connect Claude Code to your other apps with MCP servers

Step 1 of 13

Understand what MCP is

MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. It is an open standard that lets Claude Code use tools from other apps.

An MCP server is a small program that gives Claude new tools. One server lets Claude search your Notion pages. Another lets Claude open and click around a web browser.

Local servers run on your own computer. Remote servers run on the internet at a web address.

Once a server is connected, Claude can read and act on that app directly. You stop copying and pasting between the app and the chat.

Step 2 of 13

Know where each command goes

You will type two kinds of command in this guide.

Commands that start with claude mcp go in your terminal. The terminal is the app where you type text commands.

On a Mac it's called Terminal. On Windows you can use PowerShell.

Commands that start with a slash, like /mcp, go inside Claude Code. You start Claude Code by typing claude in the terminal and pressing Enter.

Open your terminal in your project folder, the folder that holds the files you're working on.

To move into a folder, type cd, a space and the folder's path, then press Enter.

Step 3 of 13

Add your first server

Start with Anthropic's Claude Code documentation server. It searches the official Claude Code docs. It needs no sign-in, so it is the easiest way to test the setup.

Run this in your terminal:

claude mcp add --transport http claude-code-docs https://code.claude.com/docs/mcp

claude mcp add registers a server. --transport http says the server lives at a web address.

claude-code-docs is a name you choose, and the last part is the server's address.

When it works you see a line like Added HTTP MCP server claude-code-docs with URL: https://code.claude.com/docs/mcp to local config, followed by a File modified: line.

Step 4 of 13

Check the server is connected

In your terminal, run:

claude mcp list

Each server shows a status. ✔ Connected means it's ready.

! Needs authentication means you must sign in first. ✘ Failed to connect means the server didn't answer.

You can also check from inside Claude Code. Start it with claude, then type /mcp and press Enter. The panel lists each server, its status and how many tools it gives Claude.

The Added message only means the details were saved. Always run one of these checks before you rely on a new server.

Step 5 of 13

Use the server in a chat

Start Claude Code with claude and paste the prompt below.

Claude normally picks the right tools by itself. Naming the server here makes sure this test goes through it.

The first time Claude uses a server's tool, Claude Code may ask for permission. Read what it wants to do, then approve it.

In Claude's reply, the tool call is labelled with the server name. That label is how you know the answer came from the server.

Step 6 of 13

Choose who gets the server (scopes)

A scope decides where a server loads. There are three.

Local scope is the default. The server works only for you, and only in the current project.

Claude Code saves it in ~/.claude.json. The ~ sign means your home folder.

User scope makes the server work for you in every project. Add --scope user to the command:

claude mcp add --scope user --transport http claude-code-docs https://code.claude.com/docs/mcp

Project scope shares the server with everyone who works on the project. It writes a file called .mcp.json in the project folder. Add --scope project to use it.

You cannot change a server's scope in place. Remove it and add it again at the new scope:

claude mcp remove claude-code-docs --scope local

Step 7 of 13

Add a local server: Playwright for web browsing

Playwright is Microsoft's MCP server for controlling a web browser. Claude can open pages, click and read what is on screen. It runs on your computer and needs no account.

It needs Node.js 18 or later. Node.js is a free program that runs JavaScript tools. Check your version by running node --version in the terminal.

Add the server with this command:

claude mcp add playwright -- npx -y @playwright/mcp@latest

Keep the --. Everything after it is the command Claude Code runs to start the server.

npx downloads and runs the tool, and -y lets it install without asking.

Run claude mcp list. The first check can show ✘ Failed to connect while the download finishes. Wait a moment and run it again until you see ✔ Connected.

Then start Claude Code and try the prompt below. A browser window opens so you can watch it work. Playwright uses the Chrome already on your computer.

Step 8 of 13

Add a remote server that needs sign-in: Notion

Notion runs its own MCP server on the internet. Claude can search, read, create and update pages you have access to.

Add it from your terminal:

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

Run claude mcp list. Notion shows ! Needs authentication. That is expected, because you have not signed in yet.

Start Claude Code with claude and type /mcp. Select notion, press Enter and choose Authenticate.

Your browser opens on Notion's sign-in page. Approve the connection there.

Back in Claude Code, the status changes to connected. You can also sign in from the terminal with claude mcp login notion.

Claude Code stores the sign-in for you and refreshes it automatically.

Step 9 of 13

Add a server that uses a token: GitHub

GitHub is a website that stores code projects. Its MCP server lets Claude read issues and pull requests. A pull request is a proposed change to a project.

GitHub's server needs a personal access token. A token is a long secret password made for one app.

Create one at github.com/settings/personal-access-tokens. Choose a fine-grained token and give it access only to the projects Claude should see.

Then run this in your terminal, swapping in your token:

claude mcp add --transport http github https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/ --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_GITHUB_PAT"

Run /mcp inside Claude Code and check the GitHub row shows a tick. A wrong token shows ✘ with an error such as 401.

The token is saved in ~/.claude.json on your computer. Treat it like a password. Read the guide on keeping API keys safe before you share your screen or your files.

Step 10 of 13

Use the connectors you already have in the Claude app

If you added connectors in the Claude app at claude.ai, they load in Claude Code automatically when you sign in with the same account.

Manage them at claude.ai/customize/connectors. They show up in /mcp like any other server.

To find more servers, browse the Anthropic Directory at claude.ai/directory. You can add any remote server listed there with claude mcp add.

Step 11 of 13

Stay safe: only connect servers you trust

A server can read and change things in the app it connects to. A local server is a program that runs on your computer. Only add servers from companies or people you trust.

Anthropic reviews connectors before listing them in its directory. Anthropic does not security-audit or manage any MCP server, so you still decide what to trust.

Servers that fetch content from the web carry a risk called prompt injection. That is when a web page or document hides instructions meant to trick Claude. Watch what Claude asks permission to do, especially after reading outside content.

When you open a project that someone else made, Claude Code asks before it uses servers from that project's .mcp.json file. Only approve them if you trust where the project came from.

Step 12 of 13

Manage and remove servers

These terminal commands cover day-to-day management:

claude mcp list shows every server and its status.

claude mcp get notion shows the details for one server, including any error.

claude mcp remove notion deletes a server. For remote servers it also deletes the stored sign-in.

Inside Claude Code, /mcp lets you reconnect, sign in again or turn a server off for this project without deleting it.

Step 13 of 13

Fix the most common errors

Start every fix the same way. Run claude mcp list in the terminal, or /mcp inside Claude Code, and read the status next to the server.

Then match what you see to the list below.