Salesforce CLI Connect MCP

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides a user-friendly setup wizard for connecting Claude Desktop to Salesforce via the Salesforce CLI.

Overview

This MCP server acts as a setup assistant that guides non-technical users through connecting to Salesforce. It handles:

1. ✅ Checking for Salesforce CLI installation

2. ✅ Installing Salesforce CLI if needed

3. ✅ Opening browser for secure OAuth authentication

4. ✅ Verifying the connection

5. ✅ Providing clear restart instructions

No technical knowledge required - users simply ask Claude to "Help me connect to Salesforce" and the setup wizard guides them through the entire process.

Features

• Automatic Installation: Installs Salesforce CLI if not already present

• Browser-Based Login: Secure OAuth flow through your default browser

• No Plain-Text Credentials: All credentials stored securely via Salesforce CLI

• Individual User Authentication: Each user authenticates with their own Salesforce account

• Configurable: Supports any Salesforce instance URL

• Cross-Platform: Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux

For IT Administrators

Quick Start

1. Install the package globally (optional):

2. Deploy the Claude Desktop configuration to users' machines at:

   • Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

   • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

   • Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

3. Configuration file:

4. Instruct users to:

   • Open Claude Desktop

   • Type: "Help me set up Salesforce" or "Connect to Salesforce"

   • Follow the on-screen instructions

   • Restart Claude Desktop when prompted

That's it! No manual CLI commands or config file editing required by end users.

Configuration Options

Important Notes

• Both MCP servers (connect-to-salesforce and salesforce) should use the same SALESFORCE_INSTANCE_URL

• The org alias must match between the setup MCP and the Salesforce MCP configuration

• Users need Node.js and npm installed on their machines

For End Users

Setup Instructions

1. Open Claude Desktop

2. Ask Claude: "Help me set up Salesforce" or "Connect to Salesforce"

3. Claude will guide you through the setup process

4. A browser window will open for you to log in to Salesforce

5. After successful login, completely close and reopen Claude Desktop

6. You're ready to use Salesforce with Claude!

What Gets Installed

• Salesforce CLI: A command-line tool that securely stores your Salesforce credentials

• Org Connection: Your connection is saved with the alias mcp-server-connect (or custom alias set by IT)

How to Restart Claude Desktop

• Mac: Press Cmd+Q to quit, then reopen Claude Desktop

• Windows: Right-click the Claude icon in the taskbar → "Close window", then reopen

• Linux: Select "Quit" from the menu, then reopen

Using Salesforce with Claude

After setup, you can ask Claude things like:

• "How many accounts are in my Salesforce org?"

• "Show me all opportunities created this month"

• "Find contacts named John"

• "Create a new account for Acme Corp"

• "Update the status of case 00012345"

Technical Details

Requirements

• Node.js 18.0.0 or higher

• NPM (comes with Node.js)

• Claude Desktop

• Active Salesforce account with appropriate permissions

How It Works

1. The MCP server checks if Salesforce CLI is installed

2. If not installed, it automatically installs via npm

3. Runs sf org login web which opens your browser for secure OAuth authentication

4. Verifies the connection by checking org status

5. Stores credentials securely via Salesforce CLI (not in plain text)

Authentication Method

This tool uses Salesforce CLI OAuth (browser-based authentication):

• Opens your default browser to Salesforce login page

• Uses OAuth 2.0 authorization code flow

• Credentials are stored securely by Salesforce CLI

• Each user authenticates with their own account

• No passwords stored in config files

Security

• ✅ Credentials never stored in plain text

• ✅ Authentication uses Salesforce's OAuth flow

• ✅ Credentials managed by Salesforce CLI's secure storage

• ✅ Each user authenticates with their own Salesforce account

• ✅ No shared service accounts

Troubleshooting

"Setup Failed" Message

If setup fails, try these steps:

1. Close Claude Desktop completely

2. Open your terminal/command prompt

3. Run: npm install -g @salesforce/cli

4. Run: sf org login web --instance-url https://your-org.my.salesforce.com --alias mcp-server-connect

5. Restart Claude Desktop

Browser Doesn't Open

• Check your default browser settings

• Try running the manual command above in step 4

• Ensure pop-ups are not blocked

• Contact your IT administrator if issues persist

Connection Not Working After Restart

• Make sure you completely quit Claude Desktop (not just closed the window)

• Verify the org alias by running: sf org list

• You should see mcp-server-connect in the list

• Check that the instance URL in your config matches your Salesforce org

"Invalid JSON" Error

This usually means there's a version mismatch. Try:

1. Update Salesforce CLI: npm install -g @salesforce/cli@latest

2. Restart Claude Desktop

3. Run the setup again

Permission Errors During Installation

On some systems, you may need administrator privileges:

• Windows: Run Command Prompt as Administrator

• Mac/Linux: Use sudo npm install -g @salesforce/cli

Development

Local Testing

Publishing Updates

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Support

For technical support:

• Contact your IT administrator

• File an issue on the GitHub repository

• Check the Salesforce MCP documentation

Related Projects

• Salesforce MCP Server - The main MCP server for Salesforce operations

• Model Context Protocol - Documentation for the MCP standard

License

MIT

Changelog

v1.0.0

• Initial release

• Automatic Salesforce CLI installation

• Browser-based OAuth authentication

• Connection verification

• Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux)