---
title: Claude Desktop MCP
description: Use claude-recall memory search in Claude Desktop with MCP tools
icon: desktop
---
<Note>
**Availability:** claude-recall MCP tools work with Claude Desktop on macOS and Windows.
</Note>
## Overview
Claude Desktop can access your claude-recall memory database through **MCP tools**. This allows you to search past sessions, decisions, and observations directly from Claude Desktop conversations.
## Prerequisites
Before configuring MCP tools, ensure:
1. **claude-recall is installed** and the worker service is running
2. **MCP server is configured** in Claude Desktop (uses the `mcp-search` MCP server)
### Verify Worker is Running
```bash
curl http://localhost:37777/api/health
# Should return: {"status":"ok"}
```
## Installation
### Step 1: Configure MCP Server
The skill requires the `mcp-search` MCP server. Add this to your Claude Desktop configuration:
<Tabs>
<Tab title="macOS">
Edit `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-search": {
"command": "node",
"args": [
"/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/nhevers/extension/runtime/search-server.cjs"
]
}
}
}
```
</Tab>
<Tab title="Windows">
Edit `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-search": {
"command": "node",
"args": [
"C:\\Users\\YOUR_USERNAME\\.claude\\plugins\\marketplaces\\nhevers\\plugin\\scripts\\search-server.cjs"
]
}
}
}
```
</Tab>
</Tabs>
<Warning>
Replace `YOUR_USERNAME` with your actual username. Restart Claude Desktop after editing the configuration.
</Warning>
### Step 2: Restart Claude Desktop
Close and reopen Claude Desktop for the MCP server configuration to take effect.
## Usage
Once installed, the skill auto-activates when you ask about past work:
```
"What did we do last session?"
"Did we fix this bug before?"
"How did we implement authentication?"
"What decisions did we make about the API?"
"Show me changes to worker-service.ts"
```
## Available MCP Tools
The skill provides three core MCP tools following a 3-layer workflow pattern:
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `search` | Search memory index. Returns compact results with IDs for filtering |
| `timeline` | Get chronological context around a query or observation ID |
| `get_observations` | Fetch full observation details by ID (use after filtering with search/timeline) |
### Token-Efficient Workflow
1. **Search** → Get index with IDs (~50-100 tokens/result)
2. **Timeline** → Get context around interesting results
3. **Get Observations** → Fetch full details ONLY for filtered IDs
This 3-layer approach provides ~10x token savings compared to fetching full details upfront.
## Troubleshooting
### Skill Not Appearing
1. Verify the zip file was properly installed
2. Check Claude Desktop's skill installation logs
3. Restart Claude Desktop
### MCP Server Connection Failed
1. Verify the worker is running: `curl http://localhost:37777/api/health`
2. Check the MCP server path in configuration
3. Look for errors in Claude Desktop logs
<Tabs>
<Tab title="macOS">
```bash
# View Claude Desktop logs
tail -f ~/Library/Logs/Claude/claude.log
```
</Tab>
<Tab title="Windows">
Check `%APPDATA%\Claude\logs\`
</Tab>
</Tabs>
### Search Returns No Results
1. Ensure claude-recall has recorded sessions (check http://localhost:37777)
2. Verify the database exists: `ls ~/.claude-recall/claude-recall.db`
3. Test the API directly: `curl "http://localhost:37777/api/search?query=test"`
## Related
<CardGroup cols={2}>
<Card title="Search Tools" icon="magnifying-glass" href="/usage/search-tools">
Complete search API reference
</Card>
<Card title="Platform Integration" icon="plug" href="/platform-integration">
Build custom integrations
</Card>
</CardGroup>
