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The setup depends on which app you use: Claude Desktop guides you through local extensions, VS Code offers an MCP gallery and JSON configuration, and Cursor reads project or global JSON files. After adding a server, check its status and tools in the host app; a saved config alone does not confirm that it connected.
Before you start
Choose the MCP server you want to connect and follow its own installation instructions. A local server typically needs an executable command and any required arguments; a remote server needs the correct endpoint and authentication. Requirements vary by server and host.
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- Review local servers before running them. VS Code warns that local MCP servers can execute code on your machine. Check the publisher, source, command, arguments, and requested permissions before connecting one. Microsoft’s MCP server guidance explains this risk.
- Keep credentials out of shared files. Use the host’s environment-variable or input mechanisms where available, and avoid committing secret-bearing files to a repository.
Set up an MCP server in Claude Desktop
Anthropic’s current local-server guide centers on desktop extensions rather than a manual JSON recipe. For a reviewed extension, use the extension directory; for a custom extension, install its .mcpb package.
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Install a directory extension
- Open Settings > Extensions.
- Select Browse extensions, choose an extension, and install it.
- Complete any required setup, such as entering API credentials.
Install a custom extension package
- Open Settings > Extensions > Advanced settings.
- In the Extension Developer section, choose Install Extension….
- Select the
.mcpbfile and follow the prompts.
These steps are for local desktop extensions; they are not the separate remote connector flow. Anthropic’s instructions are in Getting Started with Local MCP Servers on Claude Desktop.
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Check that Claude can use it
Beside the chat box, select the plus button and choose Connectors to look for the extension. You can also inspect Developer settings for connection status and server logs. If it is installed but its tools are missing, restart Desktop, then check required fields, credentials, file paths, and permissions.
Set up an MCP server in VS Code
VS Code offers a guided setup as well as manual configuration. Its workspace configuration file and portable configuration file use different top-level keys, so use the schema for the file you choose.
Use the MCP gallery or guided setup
- Open the Extensions view and search for
@mcp. - Choose a server and select Install for user-wide setup or Install in Workspace for the current project.
- Alternatively, open the Command Palette and run MCP: Add Server to follow the guided flow. Use MCP: Browse MCP Servers to browse available servers.
Configure a local server in .vscode/mcp.json
Create or open .vscode/mcp.json in the workspace. The documented shape has a top-level servers object. For example:
{
"servers": {
"myServer": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "<server-package>"]
}
}
}Replace the placeholder command and package with the server author’s documented values. A server entry can also include environment values, a working directory, or an environment file. Ensure the command is available on the system path or specify its full path; verify the required runtime and package instructions with the server author.
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Configure a remote or portable server
A remote HTTP server uses an entry with "type": "http" and its URL. For portable workspace configuration, VS Code also supports a root-level .mcp.json with a top-level mcpServers object. Microsoft’s documentation says the Agent Host reads this portable format; entries from .vscode/mcp.json are forwarded except those requiring interactive input. Check the VS Code MCP configuration reference for schema details.
For remote sessions, configure the server where it should run. User-profile servers run locally, while remote configuration is available for remote environments.
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Verify and manage the connection
Run MCP: List Servers to inspect or manage configured servers and their output. If a server’s available tools have changed, MCP: Reset Cached Tools refreshes the cached tool list. The setup and management steps are documented in Microsoft’s Add and manage MCP servers in VS Code.
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Cursor supports project-specific and global configuration. Both use a top-level mcpServers object, but the file location determines where the server is available.
Choose a configuration scope
.cursor/mcp.jsoninside a project configures tools for that project.~/.cursor/mcp.jsonconfigures tools globally for your user account.
Add a local server
Use the server’s documented command and package in a configuration entry such as this:
{
"mcpServers": {
"myServer": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "<server-package>"]
}
}
}Replace the placeholder with the actual command and package instructions for your server. Local entries may also use env and envFile.
Add a remote server or configure authentication
Remote entries can use a URL and supported authentication. Cursor documents environment-variable interpolation for fields including command, args, env, url, and headers; it also supports OAuth. For static OAuth credentials, use environment variables rather than hardcoding secrets. OAuth provider setup may require different redirect URIs for web/Agents and the desktop app, so follow current instructions from the server and provider rather than reusing a value without checking it. See Cursor’s MCP documentation for its configuration and authentication details.
Check the connection
Inspect Cursor’s MCP settings and the configured server’s status in the client. If the server is unavailable, first check the file path, JSON structure, command or endpoint, and authentication values.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the three setup routes differ
| Host | Documented local setup | Configuration scope and format | Where to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Desktop | Install a reviewed directory extension or a custom .mcpb package through Settings. |
Current local-server guide focuses on desktop extensions; a manual JSON recipe is not stated in that guide. | Connectors view or Developer settings, including status and logs. |
| VS Code | MCP gallery or MCP: Add Server guided flow. | Workspace or user setup; .vscode/mcp.json uses servers, while root .mcp.json uses mcpServers. |
MCP: List Servers and server output. |
| Cursor | Configure a server in mcp.json; official marketplace plugins may offer one-click installation. |
Project .cursor/mcp.json or global ~/.cursor/mcp.json; both use mcpServers. |
MCP settings and the configured server’s status in the client. |
This comparison reflects the vendors’ documented workflows, not a hands-on compatibility test.
Quick Recap
Troubleshoot a server that does not appear or connect
- Check the file and schema. Confirm you edited the intended project or user location and used that host’s expected top-level key. A VS Code
serversfile is not interchangeable with its portablemcpServersformat, and Cursor usesmcpServers. - Check the local command. Confirm the executable exists, is on the path or specified by full path, and that the runtime, arguments, and package match the server’s instructions.
- Check the remote endpoint and sign-in. Verify the URL and the server’s authentication requirements. For OAuth, confirm the provider configuration and redirect URI for the particular Cursor surface you use.
- Check credentials and permissions. Fill required settings, make credentials available through the supported environment or input mechanism, and ensure the client can access any referenced files.
- Restart or inspect logs where appropriate. For Claude Desktop extensions that install but expose no tools, Anthropic specifically recommends restarting Desktop and checking fields, credentials, paths, permissions, and logs. In VS Code, use the server list and output to diagnose startup or tool-list issues.
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