---
icon: lucide/rocket
---
# Getting Started
ra-mcp is available as a hosted MCP server — no installation needed. Connect it to your favourite AI client and start searching Swedish historical archives immediately.
**Server URL:**
```
https://riksarkivet-ra-mcp.hf.space/mcp
```
---
## Connect to Claude.ai
Claude.ai supports adding MCP servers directly from the web interface.
1. Open [claude.ai](https://claude.ai) and go to a conversation
2. Click the **:material-puzzle: Integrations** icon (bottom-left of the chat input)
3. Select **Add more integrations...**
4. Choose **Add custom MCP server**
5. Enter:
- **Name:** `ra-mcp`
- **URL:** `https://riksarkivet-ra-mcp.hf.space/mcp`
6. Click **Add**
You should now see `ra-mcp` listed as a connected integration. Try asking:
> *"Search for trolldom in Swedish historical documents"*
## Connect to Claude Code (CLI)
Run a single command:
```bash
claude mcp add --transport http ra-mcp https://riksarkivet-ra-mcp.hf.space/mcp
```
Verify the connection:
```bash
claude mcp list
```
Then inside Claude Code, just ask naturally:
> *"Search for documents mentioning Stockholm from the 1600s"*
## Connect to Claude Desktop
Add this to your Claude Desktop configuration file:
=== "macOS / Linux"
Edit `~/.config/claude/claude_desktop_config.json`:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"ra-mcp": {
"type": "streamable-http",
"url": "https://riksarkivet-ra-mcp.hf.space/mcp"
}
}
}
```
=== "Windows"
Edit `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"ra-mcp": {
"type": "streamable-http",
"url": "https://riksarkivet-ra-mcp.hf.space/mcp"
}
}
}
```
Restart Claude Desktop after saving the file.
## Connect to VS Code / Cursor / Windsurf
Add to your project's `.vscode/mcp.json` (or global settings):
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"ra-mcp": {
"type": "streamable-http",
"url": "https://riksarkivet-ra-mcp.hf.space/mcp"
}
}
}
```
## Connect to ChatGPT / Other MCP Clients
Any MCP-compatible client can connect using streamable HTTP:
| Setting | Value |
|---------|-------|
| **Transport** | Streamable HTTP |
| **URL** | `https://riksarkivet-ra-mcp.hf.space/mcp` |
---
## Adding Plugins
ra-mcp can be combined with other MCP servers to create a richer research environment. A common addition is **HTR transcription** — a server that can transcribe handwritten document images using AI.
### Adding the HTR Transcription Plugin
The [htrflow-mcp](https://huggingface.co/spaces/Riksarkivet/htrflow-mcp) server provides handwritten text recognition (HTR) capabilities, letting your AI assistant transcribe document images directly.
**Server URL:**
```
https://riksarkivet-htrflow-mcp.hf.space/gradio_api/mcp/sse
```
#### Claude.ai
1. Open [claude.ai](https://claude.ai) → **:material-puzzle: Integrations** → **Add more integrations...**
2. **Add custom MCP server**
3. Enter:
- **Name:** `htrflow-mcp`
- **URL:** `https://riksarkivet-htrflow-mcp.hf.space/gradio_api/mcp/sse`
4. Click **Add**
#### Claude Code
```bash
claude mcp add --transport sse htrflow-mcp https://riksarkivet-htrflow-mcp.hf.space/gradio_api/mcp/sse
```
#### Claude Desktop
Add alongside `ra-mcp` in your config file:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"ra-mcp": {
"type": "streamable-http",
"url": "https://riksarkivet-ra-mcp.hf.space/mcp"
},
"htrflow-mcp": {
"url": "https://riksarkivet-htrflow-mcp.hf.space/gradio_api/mcp/sse"
}
}
}
```
#### VS Code / Cursor / Windsurf
Add to `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"ra-mcp": {
"type": "streamable-http",
"url": "https://riksarkivet-ra-mcp.hf.space/mcp"
},
"htrflow-mcp": {
"url": "https://riksarkivet-htrflow-mcp.hf.space/gradio_api/mcp/sse"
}
}
}
```
### Using Both Servers Together
Once both servers are connected, you can combine search and transcription in a single conversation:
1. **Search** for documents using `ra-mcp`
2. **Browse** specific pages to find interesting content
3. **Transcribe** document images using `htrflow-mcp` for pages that need fresh OCR/HTR
> *"Search for trolldom in court records, then transcribe page 12 of the first result"*
---
## Install the CLI
If you want to search and browse directly from your terminal (no AI client needed):
```bash
uv pip install ra-mcp
```
```bash
# Search transcribed documents
ra search "trolldom"
ra search "((Stockholm OR Goteborg) AND troll*)"
# Browse specific pages
ra browse "SE/RA/310187/1" --pages "7,8,52" --search-term "trolldom"
```
## Run Your Own Server
For development or private deployments:
```bash
# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/AI-Riksarkivet/ra-mcp.git
cd ra-mcp
uv sync
# Run MCP server on HTTP
uv run ra serve --port 8000
# Then connect to it
claude mcp add --transport http ra-mcp http://localhost:8000/mcp
```
Or with Docker:
```bash
docker run -p 7860:7860 riksarkivet/ra-mcp
```
## Test with MCP Inspector
For debugging or exploring the tools interactively:
```bash
cat > mcp.json <<'EOF'
{
"mcpServers": {
"ra-mcp": {
"type": "streamable-http",
"url": "https://riksarkivet-ra-mcp.hf.space/mcp"
}
}
}
EOF
npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/inspector --config ./mcp.json
```
Open `http://localhost:6274` in your browser to use the Inspector UI.
