How to add an MCP server to Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop reads its MCP servers from claude_desktop_config.json (Settings › Developer › Edit Config) and connects to them over stdio (a local process), Streamable HTTP and HTTP+SSE. 119,785 of the 123,036 servers we can write a config for work in it.

A local server

A local server runs on your machine, started by Claude Desktop from its package. It needs Node.js installed first. For example, Azure MCP Server goes in claude_desktop_config.json (Settings › Developer › Edit Config):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "azure": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@azure/[email protected]", "server", "start"]
    }
  }
}

Every step for this server in Claude Desktop

A remote server

A remote server runs on its publisher's machines, and Claude Desktop connects to its address. Nothing needs installing. For example, Context7 goes in Settings › Connectors › Add custom connector:

https://mcp.context7.com/mcp

Every step for this server in Claude Desktop

Which servers work in Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop cannot send a header to a remote server, so the 3,251 servers that need a key in one do not work in it.

Runs	Servers	In Claude Desktop?
Local (stdio)	85,194	Works
Remote, Streamable HTTP	30,880	Works
Remote, Streamable HTTP, key in a header	3,204	No
Remote, HTTP+SSE	3,711	Works
Remote, HTTP+SSE, key in a header	47	No

If the server does not show up

Matches the official docs The configs follow Claude Desktop's MCP docs, read on 2026-10-31.

Claude Desktop on plug.directory · Best MCP servers for Claude Desktop