Install Ynab Mcpb in Claude Desktop

What you need first

• Claude Desktop, installed.
• Node.js, which gives the npx command the server starts with.
• Your own value for YOUR_YNAB_ACCESS_TOKEN.

Steps

1. In Claude Desktop, open Settings › Developer and choose Edit Config. It opens claude_desktop_config.json.
2. Add this block. If the file already has mcpServers, add only the entry inside it.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ynab-mcpb": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@dizzlkheinz/[email protected]"],
      "env": { "YNAB_ACCESS_TOKEN": "YOUR_YNAB_ACCESS_TOKEN" }
    }
  }
}

3. Replace YOUR_YNAB_ACCESS_TOKEN with your own value.
4. Save the file, quit Claude Desktop completely and open it again.

Check it worked

Ask Claude Desktop: List the tools of ynab-mcpb.

If it does not start

spawn npx ENOENT

Node.js is not on the PATH that Claude Desktop sees. Install it, or write the full path of npx in the config.

The server starts, but its tools fail

A YOUR_… placeholder is still in the config, or its value is wrong.

Nothing changes after a restart

The file is not valid JSON any more. Look for a missing comma where the block was added.