Claude Code

MCP tool integration

HTTP, SSE, stdio, and WebSocket MCP connections, scopes, trust, OAuth, and tool search.

MCP connects Claude Code to external tools and data, including browsers, databases, project-management systems, design tools, and internal APIs.

MCP servers bring external content into context and may perform real operations. Connect only trusted servers and use permissions and hooks for writes.

#Connection methods

Transport	Recommendation	Use case	Command
HTTP	Recommended	Remote SaaS and hosted MCP	`claude mcp add --transport http`
SSE	Legacy	Older MCP services	`claude mcp add --transport sse`
stdio	Recommended	Local scripts, databases, and browsers	`claude mcp add <name> -- <command>`
WebSocket	Specialized	Remote servers that push events	`claude mcp add-json`

#HTTP

claude mcp add --transport http notion https://mcp.notion.com/mcp
claude mcp add --transport http secure-api https://api.example.com/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer your-token"

The configuration type can be http or streamable-http.

#SSE

claude mcp add --transport sse asana https://mcp.asana.com/sse

SSE is a legacy transport. Prefer HTTP for new services.

#Local stdio

claude mcp add --transport stdio airtable \
  --env AIRTABLE_API_KEY=YOUR_KEY \
  -- npx -y airtable-mcp-server

The -- separator matters: it separates Claude Code arguments from the server command.

Claude Code injects CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR into stdio servers so they can find the project root.

#WebSocket

claude mcp add-json events-server \
  '{"type":"ws","url":"wss://mcp.example.com/socket","headers":{"Authorization":"Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"}}'

WebSocket suits servers that push events. HTTP is simpler for ordinary request/response tools.

#Scopes

Scope	Available in	Shared?	Storage
local	Current project	No	Project entry in `~/.claude.json`
project	Current project	Yes	Project-root `.mcp.json`
user	All projects	No	`~/.claude.json`

# Default local scope: current project only
claude mcp add --transport http stripe https://mcp.stripe.com

# Project scope: writes a shareable .mcp.json
claude mcp add --transport http paypal --scope project https://mcp.paypal.com/mcp

# User scope: available across projects
claude mcp add --transport http hubspot --scope user https://mcp.hubspot.com/anthropic

Project .mcp.json triggers a trust confirmation. A cloned repository cannot approve its own servers through committed settings; the user must confirm interactively.

#Management commands

Command	Purpose
`claude mcp list`	List servers, connection states, and pending approvals
`claude mcp get <name>`	Inspect one server
`claude mcp remove <name>`	Remove a server
`claude mcp login <name>`	Complete OAuth login
`claude mcp logout <name>`	Clear OAuth credentials
`/mcp`	Inspect status, authorization, and diagnostics in-session

HTTP/SSE connections reconnect after disconnection. A terminated local stdio process does not automatically restart.

#Tool names and permissions

MCP names have this shape:

mcp__<server>__<tool>

Example:

.claude/settings.json

{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "mcp__github__get_*"
    ],
    "ask": [
      "mcp__database__write_*"
    ],
    "deny": [
      "mcp__dangerous__*"
    ]
  }
}

Use the full prefix when matching MCP tools in hooks:

.claude/settings.json

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "mcp__memory__.*",
        "hooks": [{ "type": "command", "command": "./.claude/hooks/audit-mcp.sh" }]
      }
    ]
  }
}

#Tool search and caching

Claude Code can defer MCP definitions to reduce prompt size and cache invalidation when tools change.

With a custom ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL, defaults are more conservative: tool search may be disabled for a non-first-party gateway. Enabling it on Passion8 depends on forwarding tool_reference and related request fields.

Variable	Effect
`ENABLE_TOOL_SEARCH=true`	Force an attempt to defer tools
`ENABLE_TOOL_SEARCH=auto`	Load small tool sets upfront and defer larger sets
`ENABLE_TOOL_SEARCH=false`	Put all definitions in the prefix

If enabling tool search causes requests to fail, the provider or gateway may not support the required fields. Set ENABLE_TOOL_SEARCH=false while investigating passthrough support.

#Output and timeouts

Variable	Purpose
`MCP_TIMEOUT`	Server startup/connection timeout
`MCP_TOOL_TIMEOUT`	Tool execution timeout
`MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_TOKENS`	Tool output token limit
`CLAUDE_CODE_MCP_TOOL_IDLE_TIMEOUT`	Remote-tool idle timeout

Database, browser, and log tools can return large results. Prefer pagination and filtering over simply increasing the output limit.

#Official references

PreviousSandbox and devcontainers NextHook automation

Support

Need help?

For setup, billing, or model issues, email us. Check the status page for uptime.

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