Connect to remote MCP Servers changeddocs/draft/develop/connect-remote-servers
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2626The process of connecting Claude to a remote MCP server involves adding a Custom Connector through the [Claude interface](https://claude.ai/). This establishes a secure connection between Claude and your chosen remote server.
2727
28<Steps>
29 <Step title="Navigate to Connector Settings">
30 Open Claude Desktop or Claude in your browser, then navigate to the settings page:
28**1. Navigate to Connector Settings**
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32 * **Desktop**: Either use the keyboard shortcut `Ctrl+Comma` or click the top-left menu icon <img src="https://mintcdn.com/mcp/cpXzQjUOzyH0mCNH/images/claude-desktop-hamburger-menu-icon.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=cpXzQjUOzyH0mCNH&q=85&s=66e498f668362c79f829a07b5ce863c8" style={{display: 'inline', margin: 0, height: '1.3em', width: 'auto'}} width="33" height="33" data-path="images/claude-desktop-hamburger-menu-icon.png" />, hover over "File", and select "Settings"
33 * **Browser**: Either use the keyboard shortcut `⌘⇧,` (*macOS*) or click on your profile icon, and select "Settings" from the menu
30Open Claude Desktop or Claude in your browser, then navigate to the settings page:
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35 Once you're in the settings page, click "Connectors" in the sidebar. This displays your currently configured connectors and provides options for adding new ones.
36 </Step>
32* **Desktop**: Either use the keyboard shortcut `Ctrl+Comma` or click the top-left menu icon , hover over "File", and select "Settings"
33* **Browser**: Either use the keyboard shortcut `⌘⇧,` (*macOS*) or click on your profile icon, and select "Settings" from the menu
3734
38 <Step title="Add a Custom Connector">
39 In the Connectors section, click the "Add" button at the top-right of the window, then select "Add custom connector" from the dropdown. This begins the connection process. To follow along, copy/paste the URL below:
35Once you're in the settings page, click "Connectors" in the sidebar. This displays your currently configured connectors and provides options for adding new ones.
4036
41 ```text Example Remote Server theme={null}
42 https://example-server.modelcontextprotocol.io/mcp
43 ```
37**2. Add a Custom Connector**
4438
45 <Frame>
46 <img src="https://mintcdn.com/mcp/4ZXF1PrDkEaJvXpn/images/quickstart-remote/1-add-connector.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=4ZXF1PrDkEaJvXpn&q=85&s=b5ae9b23164875bbaa3aff4c178cdc64" alt="Add custom connector button in Claude settings" width="1038" height="809" data-path="images/quickstart-remote/1-add-connector.png" />
47 </Frame>
39In the Connectors section, click the "Add" button at the top-right of the window, then select "Add custom connector" from the dropdown. This begins the connection process. To follow along, copy/paste the URL below:
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49 A dialog will appear prompting you to enter the remote MCP server URL. This URL should be provided by the server developer or administrator. Enter the complete URL, ensuring it includes the proper protocol (https\://) and any necessary path components.
41```text Example Remote Server theme={null}
42https://example-server.modelcontextprotocol.io/mcp
43```
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51 <Frame>
52 <img src="https://mintcdn.com/mcp/4ZXF1PrDkEaJvXpn/images/quickstart-remote/2-connect.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=4ZXF1PrDkEaJvXpn&q=85&s=0934f16d8e016cade8e560c8f89d011b" alt="Dialog for entering remote MCP server URL" width="1616" height="282" data-path="images/quickstart-remote/2-connect.png" />
53 </Frame>
45
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55 After entering the URL, click "Add" to proceed with the connection.
56 </Step>
47A dialog will appear prompting you to enter the remote MCP server URL. This URL should be provided by the server developer or administrator. Enter the complete URL, ensuring it includes the proper protocol (https\://) and any necessary path components.
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58 <Step title="Complete Authentication">
59 Most remote MCP servers require authentication to ensure secure access to their resources. The authentication process varies depending on the server implementation but commonly involves OAuth, API keys, or username/password combinations.
49
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61 <Frame>
62 <img src="https://mintcdn.com/mcp/4ZXF1PrDkEaJvXpn/images/quickstart-remote/3-auth.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=4ZXF1PrDkEaJvXpn&q=85&s=89af6e1b85718637231388697cc7b015" alt="Authentication screen for remote MCP server" width="490" height="806" data-path="images/quickstart-remote/3-auth.png" />
63 </Frame>
51After entering the URL, click "Add" to proceed with the connection.
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65 Follow the authentication prompts provided by the server. This may redirect you to a third-party authentication provider or display a form within Claude. Once authentication is complete, Claude will establish a secure connection to the remote server.
66 </Step>
53**3. Complete Authentication**
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68 <Step title="Access Resources and Prompts">
69 After successful connection, the remote server’s resources and prompts become available in your Claude conversations. You can access these by clicking the "Add files, connectors, and more /" indicator <img src="https://mintcdn.com/mcp/cpXzQjUOzyH0mCNH/images/claude-add-files-connectors-and-more.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=cpXzQjUOzyH0mCNH&q=85&s=53acf21f6807dd5323b70b84b5d98d8a" style={{display: 'inline', margin: 0, height: '1.3em', width: 'auto'}} width="33" height="33" data-path="images/claude-add-files-connectors-and-more.png" /> in the bottom-left corner of the message input area. Then hover over "Connectors", move the cursor over "Add to Example Remote Server", where hovering displays the attachment menu.
55Most remote MCP servers require authentication to ensure secure access to their resources. The authentication process varies depending on the server implementation but commonly involves OAuth, API keys, or username/password combinations.
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71 <Frame>
72 <img src="https://mintcdn.com/mcp/cpXzQjUOzyH0mCNH/images/quickstart-remote/4-select-resources-menu.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=cpXzQjUOzyH0mCNH&q=85&s=e5fa85174f8acbadbd709bac66f42d5c" alt="Attachment menu showing available resources" width="735" height="378" data-path="images/quickstart-remote/4-select-resources-menu.png" />
73 </Frame>
57
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75 The menu displays all available resources and prompts from your connected server. Select the items you want to include in your conversation. These resources provide Claude with context and information from your external tools.
59Follow the authentication prompts provided by the server. This may redirect you to a third-party authentication provider or display a form within Claude. Once authentication is complete, Claude will establish a secure connection to the remote server.
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77 <Frame>
78 <img src="https://mintcdn.com/mcp/cpXzQjUOzyH0mCNH/images/quickstart-remote/5-select-prompts-resources.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=cpXzQjUOzyH0mCNH&q=85&s=68722669d9e18252756885c703e4f221" alt="Selecting specific resources and prompts from the menu" width="648" height="529" data-path="images/quickstart-remote/5-select-prompts-resources.png" />
79 </Frame>
80 </Step>
61**4. Access Resources and Prompts**
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82 <Step title="Configure Tool Permissions">
83 Remote MCP servers often expose multiple tools with varying capabilities. You can control which tools Claude is allowed to use by configuring permissions in the connector settings. This ensures Claude only performs actions you've explicitly authorized.
63After successful connection, the remote server’s resources and prompts become available in your Claude conversations. You can access these by clicking the "Add files, connectors, and more /" indicator  in the bottom-left corner of the message input area. Then hover over "Connectors", move the cursor over "Add to Example Remote Server", where hovering displays the attachment menu.
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85 <Frame>
86 <img src="https://mintcdn.com/mcp/cpXzQjUOzyH0mCNH/images/quickstart-remote/6-configure-tools.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=cpXzQjUOzyH0mCNH&q=85&s=5cfd8b2c5d06e7e3699eac24c68d090e" alt="Tool permission configuration interface" width="604" height="745" data-path="images/quickstart-remote/6-configure-tools.png" />
87 </Frame>
65
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89 Navigate back to the Connectors settings and click on your connected server. Here you can enable or disable specific tools, set usage limits, and configure other security parameters according to your needs.
90 </Step>
91</Steps>
67The menu displays all available resources and prompts from your connected server. Select the items you want to include in your conversation. These resources provide Claude with context and information from your external tools.
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69
70
71**5. Configure Tool Permissions**
72
73Remote MCP servers often expose multiple tools with varying capabilities. You can control which tools Claude is allowed to use by configuring permissions in the connector settings. This ensures Claude only performs actions you've explicitly authorized.
74
75
76
77Navigate back to the Connectors settings and click on your connected server. Here you can enable or disable specific tools, set usage limits, and configure other security parameters according to your needs.
78
9379## Best Practices for Using Remote MCP Servers
9480
9581When working with remote MCP servers, consider these recommendations to ensure a secure and efficient experience:
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10389Now that you've connected Claude to a remote MCP server, you can explore its capabilities in your conversations. Try using the connected tools to automate tasks, access external data, or integrate with your existing workflows.
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105<CardGroup cols={2}>
106 <Card title="Build your own remote server" icon="cloud" href="/docs/draft/develop/build-server">
107 Create custom remote MCP servers to integrate with proprietary tools and
108 services
109 </Card>
91> **[Build your own remote server](/docs/draft/develop/build-server)**
92>
93> Create custom remote MCP servers to integrate with proprietary tools and
94> services
11095
111 <Card title="Explore available servers" icon="grid" href="https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers">
112 Browse our collection of official and community-created MCP servers
113 </Card>
96> **[Explore available servers](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers)**
97>
98> Browse our collection of official and community-created MCP servers
11499
115 <Card title="Connect local servers" icon="computer" href="/docs/draft/develop/connect-local-servers">
116 Learn how to connect Claude Desktop to local MCP servers for direct system
117 access
118 </Card>
100> **[Connect local servers](/docs/draft/develop/connect-local-servers)**
101>
102> Learn how to connect Claude Desktop to local MCP servers for direct system
103> access
119104
120 <Card title="Understand the architecture" icon="book" href="/docs/draft/learn/architecture">
121 Dive deeper into how MCP works and its architecture
122 </Card>
123</CardGroup>
105> **[Understand the architecture](/docs/draft/learn/architecture)**
106>
107> Dive deeper into how MCP works and its architecture
124108
125109Remote MCP servers unlock powerful possibilities for extending Claude's capabilities. As you become familiar with these integrations, you'll discover new ways to streamline your workflows and accomplish complex tasks more efficiently.
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