How Do I Connect Claude to an MCP Server?

What you need

• A Claude account (Free, Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise — connectors are in beta on all plans)
• The MCP server you want to connect. Either listed in the Claude Connectors Directory (one-click connect, like Hjarni), or available at a URL like https://hjarni.com/mcp (custom connector)

Option 1: Claude.ai (browser)

Claude.ai supports remote MCP servers through Connectors. Available on Free (1 connector), Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans.

Individual plans (Free, Pro, Max)

1. Go to claude.ai and open Customize > Connectors
2. Click + then Add custom connector
3. Enter the MCP server URL (e.g. https://hjarni.com/mcp)
4. Optionally click Advanced settings to enter OAuth credentials
5. Click Add to complete configuration
6. In a conversation, click the + button and select Connectors to enable it

Team and Enterprise plans

On Team and Enterprise plans, only workspace owners can add custom connectors. Members then connect individually with their own account. If your workspace restricts connectors, the same permission covers directory listings, so an admin allows Hjarni once and everyone connects themselves after that.

1. Owner: Go to Organization settings > Connectors, click Add, hover over Custom, select Web, and enter the server URL
2. Member: Go to Customize > Connectors, find the custom connector, and click Connect to authenticate with your own account

Option 2: Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop supports both remote MCP servers (with OAuth) and local servers (via a config file).

Remote servers

For remote servers, the setup is the same as Claude.ai: if the server is in the Connectors Directory (Hjarni is, open the listing and click Connect), use that. Otherwise open Customize > Connectors, add a custom connector with the server URL, and complete the OAuth flow.

Local servers

For local MCP servers, Claude Desktop uses a JSON config file. Open Settings > Developer and click Edit Config to add your server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "your-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "your-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop after saving the config. The server's tools will appear in your next conversation.

Option 3: Claude Code (CLI)

Claude Code adds MCP servers from the command line, no GUI required. To add a remote MCP server to Claude Code, run this in your project directory:

claude mcp add --transport http your-server https://example.com/mcp

Claude Code will handle the OAuth flow in your browser. By default, the server is scoped to the current project only. To make it available across all your projects, add --scope user:

claude mcp add --transport http --scope user your-server https://example.com/mcp

Add Hjarni to Claude Code

Using Hjarni as the knowledge base, the command is:

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

Confirm the server is registered with claude mcp list. Then start Claude Code and run /mcp to complete the OAuth sign-in and check the connection status. To remove the server later, run claude mcp remove hjarni.

Prefer a step-by-step walkthrough with screenshots? See the Hjarni for Claude Code guide, or wire up session auto-capture with Claude Code hooks so every session writes itself back to your notes.

Verifying the connection

Start a new conversation and ask Claude to use one of the server's tools. For example, if you connected Hjarni:

"What notes do I have in Hjarni?"

Claude should respond with your notes or confirm it has access. If you see tool calls in the response, the connection is working.

Troubleshooting

Try it with Hjarni

Hjarni is a knowledge base with a built-in MCP server. Connect it to Claude and your AI can search, read, and create notes across every conversation. Stop re-explaining your context.

Hjarni is in the Claude Connectors Directory: click Connect, sign in, done. Or add it manually: the MCP server URL is https://hjarni.com/mcp. Two minutes either way.

Connect your notes