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MCP Config Builder

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Generate Claude Desktop and Claude Code MCP server configs visually. Add presets, set env vars, copy JSON.

Target:
Preset:

MCP Servers

Server 1

No env variables. Click + Add to add one.

Preview

Save this file to:

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json  (macOS)
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json  (Windows)
Ctrl+KClear all servers

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https://developertoolkit.dev/tools/mcp-config

How to build an MCP config for Claude Desktop and Claude Code

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is Anthropic's open standard for connecting AI models to the tools and data they need. Instead of copying and pasting file contents or database records into a chat window, an MCP server exposes them directly to Claude. Claude can then read files, query databases, search the web, or interact with APIs as part of a conversation. All of this happens with your explicit configuration and control. The protocol now has broad adoption across the developer community, with maintained servers for filesystems, GitHub, PostgreSQL, browser automation, and web search, plus hundreds of community-built integrations extending it further. Setting up MCP requires editing a JSON config file in the right location. This builder removes that friction. Add your servers using the form. Load a preset for a common integration. Set environment variables like API keys. Then copy the finished JSON. The live preview on the right updates as you type so you always see the exact output before copying it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is MCP (Model Context Protocol)?

MCP is an open protocol created by Anthropic that lets AI models like Claude connect to external tools and data sources. An MCP server is a small program that exposes tools, resources, or prompts over a standardized interface. Claude can then call those tools during a conversation, such as reading files, querying a database, or searching the web.

What is the difference between Claude Desktop and Claude Code config?

They use the same JSON structure, a top-level mcpServers key, just in different files. Claude Desktop stores its config in claude_desktop_config.json in the Claude application support folder. Claude Code (the CLI) stores project-scoped servers in .mcp.json at the project root, or user-scoped servers in ~/.claude.json globally. A server entry that works in one file works in the other with no changes.

What does the mcpServers field contain?

Each entry in mcpServers has a key (the server name as Claude will refer to it) and an object with at least a command field. The command is the executable to run (typically npx, docker, or node). The args array contains command-line arguments. The env object contains environment variables the server needs, such as API keys.

How do I add an API key for a server like GitHub or Brave Search?

Add an env variable in the server's environment section. For example, GitHub uses GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN and Brave Search uses BRAVE_API_KEY. The key is the environment variable name and the value is your secret. The config file is stored locally on your machine and never sent to Claude's servers.

Which MCP servers should I try first?

Filesystem and Memory are the most universally useful and are still maintained directly under the @modelcontextprotocol npm scope. GitHub is excellent for code review and repository exploration and now ships as GitHub's own official server (run via Docker rather than npx). Anthropic archived its original reference implementations for GitHub, PostgreSQL, Brave Search, and Puppeteer, so those integrations are now provided by the vendor (Brave Search, Playwright for browser automation) or maintained community packages (Postgres) instead.

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