Importing MCP server setup from Claude Desktop to Claude Code

Kashish Hora

Kashish Hora

Co-founder of MCPcat

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Claude Code

The Quick Answer

Import your MCP servers with one command: claude mcp add-from-claude-desktop. Select servers interactively or use -s global for system-wide access. For complex setups, directly edit .claude.json in your home directory. Use /mcp to verify connections after import.

Import Your Servers

# Import servers from Claude Desktop
$claude mcp add-from-claude-desktop
 
# Import globally (available in all projects)
$claude mcp add-from-claude-desktop -s global
 
# Verify your servers are connected
$/mcp

Platform Notes

  • macOS/Windows: Import works automatically from Claude Desktop's configuration

  • Linux: Manual copy required:

    $cp ~/path/to/claude-desktop-config.json ~/.claude.json

Manual Configuration

For complex setups, edit .claude.json directly:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

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