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To connect Docker MCP Toolkit to Claude, enable the Toolkit in Docker Desktop, add MCP servers to a profile, then connect Claude Desktop or Claude Code from Docker Desktop’s MCP Toolkit → Clients screen. Claude Desktop users should restart the app and confirm MCP_DOCKER appears in Search and tools; Claude Code users can check the connection with claude mcp list or inspect tools with /mcp.
The current Docker instructions cover Docker Desktop 4.62 and later, and Docker labels MCP Toolkit Beta. If your interface or commands differ, check your Desktop version before troubleshooting the client. Docker MCP Toolkit overview
What you need before connecting Claude
Docker MCP Toolkit is a Docker Desktop interface for managing containerized MCP servers in profiles and connecting those profiles to AI clients. A profile groups servers for a project or work context. Claude connects to the profile through the Toolkit’s gateway workflow; adding Claude alone does not give it tools until you also add servers to a profile.
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- A current Docker Desktop installation supported by your operating system. The documented Toolkit UI and
docker mcpcommands apply to Docker Desktop 4.62 and later. - Claude Desktop or Claude Code, depending on which client you want to use.
- At least one MCP server added to a Docker Toolkit profile. Some servers require configuration before their tools can work.
Docker’s getting-started flow is to create or select a profile, add servers, connect a client, and verify that the client can use a server. Docker’s setup and verification guide
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Enable Docker MCP Toolkit and prepare a profile
- Install or update Docker Desktop to a version that supports the documented steps: 4.62 or later.
- In Docker Desktop, open Settings → Beta features, enable Docker MCP Toolkit, and apply the setting.
- Open MCP Toolkit. Select an existing profile, such as
defaultif one is present, or create a profile for the project or work context you have in mind. - Open Catalog, add the MCP servers you want to use to that profile, and complete any configuration the Toolkit requests.
- Continue with the Claude Desktop or Claude Code connection route below.
A profile is part of the connection, not just an organizational label: the gateway exposes the servers associated with the profile you configure. Docker’s catalog includes server images, but the catalog’s availability does not mean every server works without setup or authorization. For servers that require OAuth, Docker says authorization can be completed through the Toolkit’s browser flow, which manages those credentials; OAuth is not a prerequisite for connecting Claude in general. Docker MCP Catalog and Toolkit
Connect Claude Desktop from Docker Desktop
- In Docker Desktop, open MCP Toolkit → Clients.
- Find Claude Desktop and select Connect.
- If Claude Desktop was already open, quit and restart it so it reloads the connection.
- In Claude Desktop, open Search and tools from the chat input. Check that
MCP_DOCKERis listed and enabled. - Ask Claude to use a tool from one of the servers you added. Make the prompt specific to that server’s capabilities; for example, if you installed a GitHub server, ask it to retrieve open pull requests from a repository you can access.
Docker’s walkthrough demonstrates this with example servers such as Puppeteer and GitHub Official, but those particular servers are not required to connect Claude. The important checks are that the gateway is listed and a tool from a configured server can be invoked. Docker’s Claude Desktop connection steps
Connect Claude Code
You can use Docker Desktop’s client interface or connect from Claude Code’s CLI. Choose one route for the connection you need; the Claude Code command is not the same as Claude Desktop’s manual JSON configuration.
Option 1: Connect from Docker Desktop
- Open MCP Toolkit → Clients in Docker Desktop.
- Find Claude Code and select Connect.
- Open Claude Code in the relevant project directory and inspect its MCP connections with
/mcp. - Confirm that the Docker gateway and the tools from your selected profile are present, then try a prompt that calls one of those tools.
Option 2: Add the gateway with the Claude Code CLI
Run Docker’s documented command in a terminal:
claude mcp add MCP_DOCKER -s user -- docker mcp gateway runThe -s user option sets the connection at user scope. For a project-specific connection, first change to the relevant project directory and follow the profile-specific approach in Docker’s guide rather than assuming the user-scoped command selects a project profile automatically.
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Check the connection with:
claude mcp listThe expected result includes MCP_DOCKER with a connected status. In Claude Code, use /mcp to inspect the gateway and available server tools. Docker’s integration tutorial covers this workflow and suggests restarting Claude Code if the connection does not appear. Docker’s Claude Code integration tutorial
Choose between the UI, CLI, and manual configuration
| Connection method | Best fit | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Docker Desktop → MCP Toolkit → Clients | Claude Desktop or Claude Code users who want the direct supported UI route | Connects the selected client through Docker Desktop’s Toolkit workflow. |
claude mcp add |
Claude Code users who want a repeatable command or user-scoped connection | Adds the Docker gateway as an MCP server in Claude Code. Check the result with claude mcp list. |
| Manual stdio JSON | Claude Desktop users or other clients that need an explicit gateway configuration | Starts the Docker MCP gateway as a standard input/output (stdio) process, optionally with a named Toolkit profile. |
Docker also documents a named-client command pattern, docker mcp client connect <client> --profile <profile-id>, with options including --global and --profile. Its CLI reference lists claude-code and claude-desktop among supported client names. Check the reference for the exact syntax and options available in your Docker Desktop version. Docker MCP client connect command reference
Configure Claude Desktop manually with stdio
Use manual configuration if you need to specify the gateway command yourself rather than connecting through Docker Desktop’s Clients screen. Docker’s Claude Desktop configuration uses the top-level key mcpServers. Replace my_profile with the actual profile ID from your Toolkit installation.
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"mcpServers": {
"MCP_DOCKER": {
"command": "docker",
"args": ["mcp", "gateway", "run", "--profile", "my_profile"]
}
}
}For a client that expects Docker’s general server configuration shape, the documented stdio form uses a servers object and explicitly sets type to stdio:
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{
"servers": {
"MCP_DOCKER": {
"command": "docker",
"args": ["mcp", "gateway", "run", "--profile", "my_profile"],
"type": "stdio"
}
}
}These are examples of configuration shapes, not a direction to paste both objects into one client. Use the format your client expects, ensure docker is available to the process that launches the client, and use the profile ID you actually created. Docker documents the gateway and manual stdio setup in its CLI guide. Docker MCP CLI and manual setup
Or skip the browser setup
If your goal is to capture website screenshots—not to connect Docker MCP servers to Claude—ScreenshotNeo is a separate screenshot API and MCP server. It does not configure Docker MCP Toolkit or replace the steps above. One GET request returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF; for example, save a screenshot of Docker’s MCP documentation with cURL:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://docs.docker.com/ai/mcp-catalog-and-toolkit/ -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. Cookie banners are accepted and 60+ known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets can be removed before the capture; each step can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits are not billed, with response headers reporting the page verdict and billing status. An MCP server offers take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf to Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up free for ScreenshotNeo.
Verify the connection and diagnose common problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check or do |
|---|---|---|
MCP_DOCKER is missing in Claude Desktop |
Claude Desktop was left running during connection setup, or the client connection was not configured. | Restart Claude Desktop. Reopen Search and tools and check the Toolkit’s Clients screen for the Claude Desktop connection. |
| Claude Code does not list the gateway | The CLI connection was not added, the wrong scope or project context is being checked, or Claude Code has not reloaded the connection. | Run claude mcp list in the applicable context; check Docker Desktop’s connection; restart Claude Code and inspect /mcp. |
| The gateway appears but a server’s tools do not work | The server may not be in the selected profile, or it may need configuration before use. | In MCP Toolkit, verify the intended profile includes the server and complete any fields marked as required. If the server requires OAuth, complete its Toolkit browser authorization flow. |
| The setup screen or command is unavailable | The installed Docker Desktop release may predate the documented Toolkit UI or CLI scope. | Check the Docker Desktop version. The current Toolkit UI and docker mcp CLI instructions cover 4.62 and later; earlier versions may differ. |
| The JSON configuration does not launch the gateway | The client may be using the wrong JSON shape, the profile ID may not match, or the client process may not be able to run docker. |
For Claude Desktop, use mcpServers; for a general stdio configuration, use the client’s expected shape. Confirm the profile ID and that Docker’s CLI is available in the client’s environment. |
Security and resource behavior
Docker states that MCP tools run in separate containers with limits of 1 CPU and 2 GB of memory per tool. Docker also says servers have no host filesystem access by default; users explicitly select servers granted file mounts, and requests containing sensitive information such as secrets are intercepted. These are Docker’s descriptions of Toolkit controls, not an independent security audit or a guarantee that every third-party server is risk-free. Review each server’s permissions and configuration before giving it access to files or sensitive data. Docker’s stated Toolkit controls
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to install the same MCP servers Docker uses in its examples?
No. The example servers illustrate the workflow; choose servers whose tools fit your task and add them to the profile you connect.
Does every MCP server require OAuth?
No. OAuth applies only to servers that require it; Docker describes authorization through the Toolkit browser flow for those servers.
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