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Claude Desktop is the most common MCP host. Connecting your Metabind project to Claude Desktop lets you test the full chain — AI picks the tool, your tool runs, Claude renders the result — and is also how end users add your tools to their conversations. Claude Desktop authenticates against Metabind with OAuth: you paste a URL, click Connect, approve the requested scopes, and Claude Desktop holds the token from then on. There is no API key to copy or config file to edit.

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Two connections, two reasons

Most teams configure Claude Desktop twice — once for draft, once for production:
ConnectionEndpointUsed for
<project>-drafthttps://mcp.metabind.ai/<org>/<project>/draftDay-to-day development testing
<project>https://mcp.metabind.ai/<org>/<project>End-user access to published tools
This guide covers both. They use the same connection flow — just different URLs.

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Prerequisites

  • Claude Desktop installed (download).
  • A Metabind project with at least one published Type. See Your first MCP App.
  • A Metabind login that has access to the project. The OAuth flow uses your Metabind session, so anyone who connects must be a member of the organization.

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Get the connection URL

In MCP App Studio:
  1. Open the project.
  2. On the Server tab, switch the endpoint dropdown to Production (for the published URL) or Draft (for the working copy).
  3. Copy the URL.
The Server tab in MCP App Studio with the Production/Draft endpoint dropdown open, exposing the connection URLs to copy

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Add the connector in Claude Desktop

  1. Open Claude → Settings → Connectors.
  2. Scroll to Add custom connector, paste the URL from MCP App Studio, and click Add.
  3. The new connector appears with a Connect button. Click it.
Claude Desktop's Settings → Connectors screen with a custom MCP connector listed and a Connect button beside it
Claude Desktop opens an OAuth authorization page on Metabind. Sign in if you aren’t already, then review the requested scopes and click Authorize.
The Metabind OAuth authorization page asking the user to authorize Claude Desktop to access the project — read/modify project data, run MCP tools, and access settings
The popup closes and the connector flips to Connected in Claude Desktop’s settings. Your project’s tools are now available in conversations.

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Verify the connection

In Claude Desktop, open a new conversation and check the connectors list (the icon in the message composer). The Metabind project name should appear with a green status dot. If it shows red, click for the error — usually an expired session or revoked authorization. Once green, ask Claude to use one of your tools: 
You: Show me the running shoes product detail.
Claude: [calls product_detail with appropriate inputs, renders the result]
If the tool runs but returns errors, check the MCP App Studio audit log for the call.

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Switching between draft and production

Add each as a separate custom connector — paste the draft URL, authorize; paste the production URL, authorize. Claude Desktop lists them side-by-side. You can have one or both enabled. For day-to-day:
  • Building? Enable draft, disable production. Conversations route to your latest draft state.
  • Testing publish behavior? Disable draft, enable production. You’re seeing what end users see.
  • Both? Claude Desktop lists tools from both, and the AI may call either. Useful for A/B-style comparisons but confusing if tool names overlap.

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Authorization management

OAuth grants are issued and revoked in two places:
  • Claude Desktop side. Disconnect the connector in Settings → Connectors to drop the local token. Re-authorize whenever you want it back.
  • Metabind side. Open Settings → Authorized apps in MCP App Studio (organization scope) to see every active OAuth grant and revoke any of them. Revocation takes effect on the next request — Claude Desktop’s connector will flip to a failed state until the user re-authorizes.
OAuth scopes are determined by the user’s Metabind role. A Viewer can authorize a connector to read tools and project data; a Developer can also run draft tools; an Admin can do everything the role allows. Connecting on behalf of someone else is not supported — each user authorizes with their own Metabind login.
The OAuth grant is tied to the Metabind session that approved it. Removing a user from the organization invalidates every grant they issued — their connectors stop working on the next call.

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What end users see

When an end user adds your project to Claude Desktop:
  1. They paste the project URL into Claude → Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector.
  2. Claude Desktop opens the Metabind OAuth page.
  3. They sign in to Metabind (or sign up, if invited) and click Authorize.
  4. Your project’s tools and Instructions appear in their available tool palette.
Tools and Instructions show up the same way in Claude Desktop as built-in tools. The user doesn’t need to know they’re rendered through Metabind — the experience is just “Claude can do this thing.”

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Troubleshooting

SymptomLikely cause
Connector shows red, no tools listedOAuth grant revoked, or the user’s Metabind session expired
Connect click doesn’t open the auth popupClaude Desktop has a stale URL — remove and re-add the connector
Authorize click does nothingPop-up blocker, or the user is not a member of the organization
Tools listed but every call failsThe user’s Metabind role doesn’t include the scopes the tool needs
Tools appear stale (old version)Claude Desktop has cached schemas; restart the app to force a re-list
For deeper debugging, every call appears in the project’s audit log with timestamp, input, output, and error.

Connect to ChatGPT

Same OAuth flow, different host.

Custom MCP hosts

Connect any MCP-compatible client.

Draft and production

Why two endpoints exist and when to use each.

Audit logs

Per-call observability for debugging.