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Claude Code can connect to hundreds of external tools and data sources through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open source standard for AI-tool integrations. MCP servers give Claude Code access to your tools, databases, and APIs. Connect a server when you find yourself copying data into chat from another tool, like an issue tracker or a monitoring dashboard. Once connected, Claude can read and act on that system directly instead of working from what you paste. If you’re connecting your first server, start with the MCP quickstart for a step-by-step walkthrough. This page is the full reference.

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What you can do with MCP

With MCP servers connected, you can ask Claude Code to:
  • Implement features from issue trackers: “Add the feature described in JIRA issue ENG-4521 and create a PR on GitHub.”
  • Analyze monitoring data: “Check Sentry and Statsig to check the usage of the feature described in ENG-4521.”
  • Query databases: “Find emails of 10 random users who used feature ENG-4521, based on our PostgreSQL database.”
  • Integrate designs: “Update our standard email template based on the new Figma designs that were posted in Slack”
  • Automate workflows: “Create Gmail drafts inviting these 10 users to a feedback session about the new feature.”
  • React to external events: an MCP server can also act as a channel that pushes messages into your session, so Claude reacts to Telegram messages, Discord chats, or webhook events while you’re away.

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Find and build MCP servers

Browse reviewed connectors in the Anthropic Directory. Directory connectors use the same MCP infrastructure as Claude Code, so you can add any remote server listed there with claude mcp add.
Verify you trust each server before connecting it. Servers that fetch external content can expose you to prompt injection risk.
To build your own server, see the MCP server guide for protocol fundamentals and the Claude connector building docs for authentication, testing, and Directory submission. You can also have Claude scaffold a server for you with the official mcp-server-dev plugin.
1

Install the plugin

In a Claude Code session, run:
If the install fails, match the message Claude Code reports:
  • Marketplace "claude-plugins-official" not found: add the marketplace with /plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-official, then retry the install.
  • The plugin is not found in the marketplace: check the plugin name. Claude Code refreshes a stale marketplace catalog and retries before reporting this, so if you turned off marketplace auto-update, refresh manually with /plugin marketplace update claude-plugins-official and retry the install.
Check the install summary: if it reports Run /reload-plugins to activate., run that command.
2

Run the build skill

Claude asks about your use case and scaffolds a remote HTTP or local stdio server.

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Installing MCP servers

MCP servers can be configured in several ways depending on your needs:

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Option 1: Add a remote HTTP server

HTTP servers are the recommended option for connecting to remote MCP servers. This is the most widely supported transport for cloud-based services.