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Claude Desktop Integration

Connect your generated MCP server to Claude Desktop for powerful AI conversations about any codebase.

Prerequisites

Step 1: Generate Your MCP Server

First, generate an MCP server for your target repository:

npx @nirholas/github-to-mcp https://github.com/owner/repo -o ~/mcp-servers/my-repo

Step 2: Find Your Config File

Claude Desktop's configuration file location varies by operating system:

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

%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Create if Missing

If the file doesn't exist, create it with an empty JSON object: {}

Step 3: Add Your MCP Server

Edit the config file to add your MCP server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "my-repo": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/Users/yourname/mcp-servers/my-repo/server.mjs"]
    }
  }
}

Multiple Servers

You can add multiple MCP servers:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stripe-sdk": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/Users/yourname/mcp-servers/stripe/server.mjs"]
    },
    "my-project": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/Users/yourname/mcp-servers/my-project/server.mjs"]
    },
    "openai-docs": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/Users/yourname/mcp-servers/openai/server.mjs"]
    }
  }
}

Step 4: Restart Claude Desktop

After editing the config:

  1. Quit Claude Desktop completely
  2. Relaunch Claude Desktop
  3. Look for the tools icon in the chat input

Step 5: Verify Connection

You should see your MCP tools available in Claude. Click the tools icon (🔧) to see:

  • get_readme - Get the repository README
  • list_files - Browse files and directories
  • read_file - Read file contents
  • search_code - Search for code patterns
  • Plus any extracted tools from the repo

Using MCP Tools in Conversations

Once connected, Claude can use your tools automatically:

Example: Explore a Codebase

You: What does this repository do?

Claude: Uses get_readme tool Based on the README, this is a...

Example: Find Code

You: Show me how authentication is implemented

Claude: Uses search_code tool I found authentication in these files... Uses read_file tool Here's the implementation...

Example: Navigate Structure

You: What's in the src directory?

Claude: Uses list_files tool The src directory contains...

Troubleshooting

Tools Not Appearing

  1. Check the config path - Make sure you edited the correct file
  2. Validate JSON - Use a JSON validator to check syntax
  3. Check absolute paths - Paths must be absolute, not relative
  4. Restart Claude - Fully quit and relaunch

Server Errors

Check the server works standalone:

cd ~/mcp-servers/my-repo
npm install
node server.mjs

Permission Issues

Ensure the server file is executable:

chmod +x ~/mcp-servers/my-repo/server.mjs

View Logs

Enable MCP logging in Claude Desktop:

  1. Open Claude Desktop
  2. Go to Settings → Developer
  3. Enable "Show MCP Logs"

Advanced Configuration

Environment Variables

Pass environment variables to your server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "my-repo": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/server.mjs"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_xxxxx",
        "DEBUG": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

Working Directory

Set the working directory:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "my-repo": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["server.mjs"],
      "cwd": "/path/to/my-repo"
    }
  }
}

Using Python Servers

For Python-generated servers:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "my-repo": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["/path/to/server.py"]
    }
  }
}

Best Practices

  1. Use descriptive names - Name servers after their repositories
  2. Keep servers updated - Regenerate when the source repo updates
  3. Organize servers - Keep all servers in a dedicated directory
  4. Document your setup - Note which servers you've added

Next Steps