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Claude Desktop Setup

Learn how to connect your deployed ToolBoost MCPs to Claude Desktop.

Overview​

Claude Desktop is Anthropic's official desktop application for Claude. It supports MCP servers natively, allowing you to extend Claude's capabilities with external tools and data sources.

Prerequisites​

  • Claude Desktop installed (Download here)
  • A ToolBoost account with at least one deployed MCP
  • Your project's API key from ToolBoost dashboard

Finding Your Connection URL​

  1. Go to your MCP's detail page on ToolBoost (e.g., toolboost.dev/catalog/author/mcp-name)
  2. Make sure the MCP is deployed to your project
  3. Scroll to the "Use" section in the sidebar
  4. Copy the Connection URL - it looks like:
https://toolboost.dev/server/author/mcp-name/mcp?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY

Configuration Steps​

1. Locate the Config File​

Find Claude Desktop's configuration file on your system:

macOS:

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

Windows:

%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

2. Edit the Configuration​

Open the file in a text editor. If the file doesn't exist, create it.

3. Add Your MCP Server​

Add your MCP server configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "your-mcp-name": {
      "serverUrl": "https://toolboost.dev/server/author/mcp-name/mcp?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"
    }
  }
}

Replace:

  • your-mcp-name - A friendly name for this MCP (use lowercase, no spaces)
  • https://toolboost.dev/server/... - Your actual connection URL from ToolBoost

4. Multiple MCPs​

To add multiple MCPs, add more entries under mcpServers:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "serverUrl": "https://toolboost.dev/server/github/github-mcp-server/mcp?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"
    },
    "filesystem": {
      "serverUrl": "https://toolboost.dev/server/modelcontextprotocol/servers-filesystem/mcp?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"
    },
    "postgres": {
      "serverUrl": "https://toolboost.dev/server/modelcontextprotocol/servers-postgres/mcp?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"
    }
  }
}
tip

Use descriptive names for your MCPs to make them easy to identify in Claude Desktop.

5. Save and Restart​

  1. Save the configuration file
  2. Completely quit Claude Desktop (don't just close the window)
  3. Restart Claude Desktop

Verifying the Connection​

After restarting Claude Desktop:

  1. Open a new conversation
  2. Look for the MCP tools icon (usually in the bottom toolbar or settings)
  3. You should see your MCPs listed

Test with a Command​

Try using your MCP:

For GitHub MCP:

Can you list my GitHub repositories?

For Filesystem MCP:

What files are in my Documents folder?

For Postgres MCP:

Show me the tables in my database.

Claude should use the MCP tools to fulfill these requests!

Common Issues & Solutions​

MCP Not Appearing​

Problem: MCP doesn't show up in Claude Desktop after restart.

Solutions:

  • Verify the JSON syntax is correct (use a JSON validator)
  • Check that you completely quit and restarted Claude Desktop
  • Ensure there are no trailing commas in your JSON
  • Verify your API key is correct

Connection Errors​

Problem: "Failed to connect to MCP server" error.

Solutions:

  • Check your internet connection
  • Verify the connection URL is correct (copy it again from ToolBoost)
  • Ensure your API key hasn't expired or been regenerated
  • Check that the MCP is still deployed in your ToolBoost project

Authentication Failures​

Problem: "Authentication failed" or "Invalid API key" errors.

Solutions:

  • Copy the connection URL directly from ToolBoost (don't type it)
  • Make sure you didn't accidentally modify the API key
  • Check if you regenerated your project's API key recently
  • Verify you're using the correct project

JSON Syntax Errors​

Problem: Claude Desktop won't start or shows config error.

Solution: Validate your JSON:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "example": {
      "serverUrl": "https://..."
    }
  }
}

Common mistakes:

  • Missing commas between entries
  • Trailing comma after last entry
  • Missing or extra braces {}
  • Unmatched quotes

Complete Example​

Here's a complete working configuration with three MCPs:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "serverUrl": "https://toolboost.dev/server/github/github-mcp-server/mcp?api_key=tb_abc123def456"
    },
    "filesystem": {
      "serverUrl": "https://toolboost.dev/server/modelcontextprotocol/servers-filesystem/mcp?api_key=tb_abc123def456"
    },
    "memory": {
      "serverUrl": "https://toolboost.dev/server/modelcontextprotocol/servers-memory/mcp?api_key=tb_abc123def456"
    }
  }
}

Advanced Configuration​

Using Different API Keys​

If you want to use different API keys (from different projects) for different MCPs:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "work-github": {
      "serverUrl": "https://toolboost.dev/server/github/github-mcp-server/mcp?api_key=tb_work_key"
    },
    "personal-github": {
      "serverUrl": "https://toolboost.dev/server/github/github-mcp-server/mcp?api_key=tb_personal_key"
    }
  }
}

Environment-Specific Configuration​

Keep different config files for different environments:

  • claude_desktop_config.json - Production
  • claude_desktop_config.dev.json - Development (rename when needed)

Best Practices​

  1. Use Descriptive Names: Name your MCPs clearly (e.g., github-work, postgres-analytics)
  2. Validate JSON: Always validate your JSON before saving
  3. Backup Config: Keep a backup of your working configuration
  4. Secure API Keys: Never commit your config file to version control
  5. Regular Updates: Check ToolBoost for MCP updates

Next Steps​

Need Help?​