IntroductionGetting started

Claude

Claude connects to the MCP server through two clients:

Both support OAuth and API key authentication and require an Ada dashboard account. Available tools depend on your role — see Permissions.

Claude Desktop

Requirements

Add Ada as a custom connector. You do not need Node.js. You do not need mcp-remote. The same connector works in Claude Desktop, claude.ai, and Cowork.

Use this URL. Replace acme-corp.ada.support with your Ada instance domain:

https://acme-corp.ada.support/api/mcp/oauth

Leave OAuth Client ID and OAuth Client Secret blank.

Free, Pro, and Max plans

  1. Open Claude Desktop, or go to claude.ai.
  2. Go to Customize > Connectors.
  3. Click +.
  4. Click Add custom connector.
  5. Enter a name. Example: Ada.
  6. Enter the MCP Server URL.
  7. Click Add.
  8. Click Connect.
  9. Log in with your Ada credentials.

Team and Enterprise plans

A Claude organization Owner or Primary Owner must add the connector first. Other members cannot paste the Ada URL themselves.

If you are a Claude organization Owner or Primary Owner:

  1. Go to Organization settings > Connectors.
  2. Click Add.
  3. Choose Custom. Then choose Web.
  4. Enter the MCP Server URL.
  5. Click Add.

Then connect it yourself. Follow the member steps below.

If you are not a Claude organization Owner or Primary Owner:

  1. Ask a Claude organization Owner to add the Ada URL.
  2. Go to Customize > Connectors.
  3. Find the Ada connector. It has a Custom label.
  4. Click Connect.
  5. Log in with your Ada credentials.

To use Ada in a chat, click +. Then click Connectors. Turn on the Ada connector.

If you cannot add a custom connector, use Option 2: Local helper.

Option 2: Local helper

Use this path only if you cannot add a custom connector. You need Node.js LTS installed locally (see recommendation).

  1. Open Claude Desktop.

  2. Go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config.

  3. Add the following to your claude_desktop_config.json:

    1{
    2  "mcpServers": {
    3    "ada": {
    4      "command": "npx",
    5      "args": ["mcp-remote@0.2.5", "https://acme-corp.ada.support/api/mcp/oauth"]
    6    }
    7  }
    8}

  4. Replace acme-corp.ada.support with your Ada instance domain (see Authentication).

  5. Keep the version pin mcp-remote@0.2.5. Do not remove it.

  6. Restart Claude Desktop.

  7. When prompted, authorize the connection with your Ada credentials.

Claude Desktop can open two browser tabs for one Agent. This is expected.

  1. Complete login in one tab.
  2. Close the other tab.
  3. If Claude still shows a failed connection, restart Claude Desktop.

See Troubleshooting.

Option 3: API key

API key authentication uses a token generated from your Ada dashboard. This is useful for automated setups or when browser-based login is not available. This path also uses the local helper.

  1. Generate an API key from Config > PLATFORM > API keys in your Ada dashboard.

  2. Open Claude Desktop and go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config.

  3. Add the following to your claude_desktop_config.json:

    1{
    2  "mcpServers": {
    3    "ada": {
    4      "command": "npx",
    5      "args": [
    6        "mcp-remote@0.2.5",
    7        "https://acme-corp.ada.support/api/mcp",
    8        "--header",
    9        "Authorization:${AUTH_HEADER}"
    10      ],
    11      "env": {
    12        "AUTH_HEADER": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
    13      }
    14    }
    15  }
    16}

  4. Replace acme-corp.ada.support with your Ada instance domain.

  5. Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your API key.

  6. Restart Claude Desktop.

Claude Code

Requirements

Claude Code connects over HTTP. It does not use a custom connector. It does not use mcp-remote.

Run this command, replacing acme-corp.ada.support with your Ada instance domain:

$claude mcp add --transport http ada https://acme-corp.ada.support/api/mcp/oauth

Then run /mcp inside Claude Code to authenticate in the browser.

Option 2: API key

Generate an API key from Config > PLATFORM > API keys in your Ada dashboard, then run this command, replacing the domain and key:

$claude mcp add --transport http ada https://acme-corp.ada.support/api/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Run /mcp to confirm ada shows connected. Note that Claude Code stores the key in plaintext in ~/.claude.json, scoped to the directory you ran the command in — add -s user to make it available everywhere.

Next steps