Terminal CLI
How to Install MCP Servers in Claude Code
How to add MCP servers to Claude Code from the terminal — the claude mcp add command, project vs user scope, and how to confirm the server connected.
Configuring Claude Code
Project (shared) path
.mcp.json in your project root# Add a server from the terminal
claude mcp add filesystem -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /path/to/allowed/dir
# List configured servers and their status
claude mcp listStep-by-step Installation Guide
- 1
Add the server with the CLI
Run "claude mcp add <name> -- <command> [args...]". Everything after the -- is the command Claude Code runs to launch the server. Use -e KEY=value to pass environment variables.
- 2
Choose a scope
Add --scope project to write the server into a shared .mcp.json your team commits, or --scope user to make it available across all your projects. Local scope (the default) keeps it to the current project for just you.
- 3
Verify the connection
Run "claude mcp list" to see each server and whether it connected. You can also use the /mcp command inside a Claude Code session to inspect available servers and tools.
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