# 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)**:
```bash
npm install -g @digitalrupix/connect-to-salesforce-mcp
```
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**:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"connect-to-salesforce": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@digitalrupix/connect-to-salesforce-mcp"],
"env": {
"SALESFORCE_INSTANCE_URL": "https://your-org.my.salesforce.com",
"SALESFORCE_ORG_ALIAS": "mcp-server-connect"
}
},
"salesforce": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@tsmztech/mcp-server-salesforce"],
"env": {
"SALESFORCE_CONNECTION_TYPE": "Salesforce_CLI",
"SALESFORCE_INSTANCE_URL": "https://your-org.my.salesforce.com"
}
}
}
}
```
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
| Environment Variable | Required | Default | Description |
| ------------------------- | -------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------- |
| `SALESFORCE_INSTANCE_URL` | Yes | `https://login.salesforce.com` | Your Salesforce instance URL |
| `SALESFORCE_ORG_ALIAS` | No | `mcp-server-connect` | Alias for the authenticated org |
### 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
```bash
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/jake-hebert/connect-to-salesforce-mcp.git
cd connect-to-salesforce-mcp
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Test locally by adding to Claude Desktop config:
{
"mcpServers": {
"connect-to-salesforce-local": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/index.js"],
"env": {
"SALESFORCE_INSTANCE_URL": "https://your-org.my.salesforce.com",
"SALESFORCE_ORG_ALIAS": "mcp-server-connect"
}
}
}
}
```
### Publishing Updates
```bash
# Update version in package.json
npm version patch # or minor, major
# Publish to npm
npm publish --access public
```
## 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](https://github.com/jake-hebert/connect-to-salesforce-mcp.git)
- Check the [Salesforce MCP documentation](https://github.com/tsmztech/mcp-server-salesforce)
## Related Projects
- [Salesforce MCP Server](https://github.com/tsmztech/mcp-server-salesforce) - The main MCP server for Salesforce operations
- [Model Context Protocol](https://github.com/anthropics/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)
