> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.metabind.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Connect to Claude Desktop > Add a Metabind MCP server to Claude Desktop via OAuth — no config files, no API keys 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. ## Two connections, two reasons Most teams configure Claude Desktop *twice* — once for draft, once for production: | Connection | Endpoint | Used for | | ----------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | | `-draft` | `https://mcp.metabind.ai///draft` | Day-to-day development testing | | `` | `https://mcp.metabind.ai//` | End-user access to published tools | This guide covers both. They use the same connection flow — just different URLs. ## Prerequisites * Claude Desktop installed ([download](https://claude.ai/download)). * A Metabind project with at least one published Type. See [Your first MCP App](/guides/getting-started/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. ## 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 ## 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. ## 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. ## 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. ## 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. ## 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." ## Troubleshooting | Symptom | Likely cause | | ----------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Connector shows red, no tools listed | OAuth grant revoked, or the user's Metabind session expired | | Connect click doesn't open the auth popup | Claude Desktop has a stale URL — remove and re-add the connector | | Authorize click does nothing | Pop-up blocker, or the user is not a member of the organization | | Tools listed but every call fails | The 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. ## Related Same OAuth flow, different host. Connect any MCP-compatible client. Why two endpoints exist and when to use each. Per-call observability for debugging.