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To run a local MCP server with Claude Code, register its launch command as a stdio server with claude mcp add. Put Claude Code options before --, then put the server executable and its arguments after it. Choose whether the configuration is private to this project, shared with the team, or available across your projects; then check its connection in claude mcp list or /mcp.
What “local MCP server” means in Claude Code
MCP, or Model Context Protocol, is an open-source standard for connecting AI applications to tools and other systems, including local files, databases, and workflows. An MCP server is a separate program that exposes defined capabilities to a client such as Claude Code. For a local server, Claude Code starts that program on your machine and communicates with it over standard input and output (stdio).
This is different from connecting to a server at a URL. If a provider gives you a launch command such as npx, uvx, or a local executable, you are configuring a local process. If it gives you a remote endpoint, follow its remote-server instructions instead; a URL is not a local stdio command. This guide covers Claude Code, not every Claude app or client.
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Before you add a server
Install Claude Code using Anthropic’s current platform-specific setup instructions. Open a terminal in your project and run claude to confirm the CLI starts. Claude Code needs an internet connection for its authentication and AI processing even when the MCP server itself runs locally.
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Get the MCP server’s own installation instructions before registering it. You need its executable or launcher, any required arguments, and any required environment variables or credentials. Use software you wrote or trust: registering a local server allows Claude Code to start an executable process, and a server’s available tools may be able to perform actions on your behalf.
Add a local stdio server
Use this general form in a terminal:
claude mcp add <name> [options] -- <command> [args...]Replace <name> with a short identifier for the server. The options before -- configure Claude Code; the command and arguments after it tell Claude Code what process to launch. The separator matters: without it, flags intended for the server can be interpreted as Claude Code options, or vice versa.
Example: launch a server with npx and an API key
If the server provider documents an npx launcher and needs an API_KEY environment variable, the pattern is:
claude mcp add example --env API_KEY=your-key -- npx -y @example/mcp-serverThis is a template, not a claim that a package named @example/mcp-server exists. Substitute the package, command, and variable names from the server provider’s instructions. Keep --env before the separator. The -y flag shown here belongs to npx and appears after --.
A server that does not require extra environment variables may need only its name and launch command:
claude mcp add example -- npx -y <package-name-from-provider>For a different launcher, replace npx -y <package-name-from-provider> with the exact executable and arguments the provider specifies. Do not invent flags or assume a package’s preferred launcher; server installation instructions are authoritative for that server.
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Choose where the configuration lives
Claude Code supports three scopes. Pick based on who should use the server and where:
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local |
Private to the current project | Use when only you need the server for this project. |
project |
Shared through .mcp.json at the project root |
Use when teammates should be able to configure the same server for the project, after reviewing the shared configuration. |
user |
Available across your projects | Use when you want to reuse the server in multiple projects. |
To set a scope, add the corresponding option to the Claude Code command before --; for example:
claude mcp add --scope user example -- npx -y <package-name-from-provider>For the other scopes, use --scope local or --scope project in the same position. Anthropic documents precedence as local, then project, then user when definitions collide. If a server name exists at more than one scope, check the effective configuration rather than assuming the broadest scope wins.
A project configuration can be useful for a team, but inspect its .mcp.json before approving it. Review the executable, arguments, environment settings, and any requested permissions; do not treat a shared file as safe just because it is in a repository. Keep secrets out of committed configuration. Use local scope or an appropriate environment-variable setup for credentials instead of committing them in a shared file.
Confirm that Claude Code can connect
An “Added” message means Claude Code wrote the configuration; it does not by itself prove that the process starts successfully. Check the server state after adding it:
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/mcpto inspect MCP status and handle approval prompts.
A project-scoped server may remain pending approval until you open Claude Code in the trusted workspace and approve it. Review the command and configuration before accepting. If it is not connected, use the status output to guide the checks in the troubleshooting section below.
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Environment variables and secrets
For a value needed when launching a server, Claude Code’s CLI supports --env before the separator, as in the example above. Claude Code also supports variable expansion in .mcp.json for command, arguments, environment, URL, and headers. The documented forms are ${VAR} and ${VAR:-default}.
If a referenced variable has no value and no default, the reference can remain unresolved and produce a warning. Set the variable in the environment Claude Code inherits, or supply an appropriate fallback. A fallback should be suitable for the setting; do not put a real secret in a committed default.
Do not assume every credential variable can be forwarded to a remote server’s URL or headers. Claude Code deliberately prevents a number of its own and provider credential variables from being forwarded to those fields. For a remote server, follow the documented authentication method rather than trying to route Claude Code’s own credentials through configuration.
Windows, macOS, Linux, and WSL
The shape of the claude mcp add command is the same, but shells and executable paths differ. Follow the current Claude Code setup instructions for the environment in which you are running it. Anthropic’s MCP instructions specify wrapping an npx launch with cmd /c on native Windows:
claude mcp add my-server -- cmd /c npx -y @some/packageReplace @some/package with the server package from its provider. WSL is also supported for Claude Code; treat WSL and native Windows as separate environments when installing prerequisites or setting paths. A program installed in one environment is not automatically available in the other.
Local stdio versus other MCP directions
A local stdio server is the setup described in this guide: Claude Code launches an executable process on your machine. If your server provider instead supplies a remote endpoint, its transport and authentication instructions apply; do not pass a URL where the local command belongs.
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There is also a different direction of connection: claude mcp serve makes Claude Code available as an MCP server to another client. It is not the command for adding a third-party local server to Claude Code.
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The server says “Added” but is disconnected
Check claude mcp list and claude mcp get <name>. Confirm that the command exists in the same environment where Claude Code runs, the arguments match the server provider’s instructions, and required environment variables are set. A configuration entry can be present even if its process cannot start.
A project server is pending approval
Open Claude Code in the relevant workspace and inspect /mcp. Review the project server’s command, arguments, and environment in .mcp.json, then approve only if you trust the executable and the requested capabilities.
Claude Code interprets a server flag as its own
Check the position of --. Claude Code options such as --env belong before it; the server executable and its flags belong after it.
The launcher or package cannot be found
Check that the launcher is installed and available on the PATH seen by Claude Code. On Windows, use the documented cmd /c wrapper for an npx command where applicable. On WSL, verify prerequisites and paths inside WSL rather than assuming native Windows installations are visible.
Startup takes longer than the timeout
If the process needs more time to start, Anthropic documents MCP_TIMEOUT for increasing the startup timeout. For example, set it to 10000 for ten seconds in the environment used to launch Claude Code. Increase it only to address a genuine slow start; it will not fix a wrong command, missing credential, or failed server process.
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A variable-expansion warning appears
Check the variable spelling and whether it is set in Claude Code’s environment. Use ${VAR:-default} only when a fallback is valid for that configuration. Avoid committing credentials as defaults.
Security and reliability checks before relying on a server
Anthropic says it does not audit or operate MCP servers and recommends configuring permissions for them. Treat every server as software running with the access available to its process, and evaluate both the server provider and the specific tools it exposes. Anthropic’s security guidance and the Claude Code MCP documentation explain the relevant trust and configuration considerations.
- Use a server from a provider you trust, and inspect installation guidance before running a new package or binary.
- For team-shared project configuration, review
.mcp.jsonbefore approval and avoid putting secrets in the file. - Grant only the permissions needed for the workflow and be cautious with tools that can modify data or trigger external actions.
- Keep the command, scope, and environment settings documented for your project so connection failures can be diagnosed consistently.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does a local MCP server work without an internet connection?
The server process can run locally, but Claude Code still needs an internet connection for its authentication and AI processing.
Is `claude mcp serve` how I add a server to Claude Code?
No. It exposes Claude Code as an MCP server to another client; use `claude mcp add` to register a third-party server with Claude Code.
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A URL-based remote server is a different configuration from a local stdio process. Follow the server provider’s remote transport and authentication instructions.
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