Setup guides
Add an MCP server to any AI client
Every client stores MCP servers somewhere different, in a slightly different shape. These guides say exactly where and how — and what to do when it doesn't work.
- How to add an MCP server to Claude CodeClaude Code adds MCP servers from the command line with `claude mcp add`, and also reads a project-level `.mcp.json` you can commit so the whole team gets the same servers.Read the guide
- How to add an MCP server to Claude DesktopClaude Desktop reads servers from `claude_desktop_config.json` (Settings → Developer → Edit Config opens it). It launches local processes only, so remote servers are bridged through `mcp-remote`.Read the guide
- How to add an MCP server to CursorCursor reads `mcp.json` from your project's `.cursor` folder or your home directory, speaks both local (stdio) and remote (HTTP/SSE) servers, and supports one-click install links.Read the guide
- How to add an MCP server to Codex CLIOpenAI's Codex CLI configures MCP servers in TOML, one `[mcp_servers.<name>]` table each. It launches local processes, so remote servers go through `mcp-remote`.Read the guide
- How to add an MCP server to WindsurfWindsurf's Cascade agent reads `mcp_config.json`. Remote servers are keyed as `serverUrl` rather than `url` — the most common reason a copied Cursor config fails here.Read the guide
- How to add an MCP server to ClineCline keeps its servers in `cline_mcp_settings.json`, opened from the MCP Servers panel. Remote servers need an explicit `type` of `streamableHttp` or `sse`.Read the guide
- How to add an MCP server to VS CodeVS Code (Copilot agent mode) reads `.vscode/mcp.json`. Its schema differs from every other client: servers sit under `servers`, not `mcpServers`, and each needs a `type`.Read the guide