# Claude Desktop Integration Guide
This guide shows you how to connect your MCP Document Server to Claude Desktop so Claude can access your work documents.
## Prerequisites
- MCP Document Server running (via Docker or Python)
- Claude Desktop application installed
- Documents directory populated with files
## Method 1: Local STDIO Connection
This method is recommended for local development.
### Step 1: Locate Claude Desktop Config
The configuration file location depends on your OS:
- **macOS**: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
- **Linux**: `~/.config/claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
- **Windows**: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`
### Step 2: Edit Configuration
Create or edit the config file:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"document-server": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"exec",
"-i",
"mcp-document-server",
"python",
"server.py"
],
"env": {
"MCP_TRANSPORT": "stdio",
"DOCUMENTS_PATH": "/documents"
}
}
}
}
```
### Step 3: Restart Claude Desktop
1. Quit Claude Desktop completely
2. Restart the application
3. Look for the MCP server indicator
### Step 4: Test the Connection
In Claude Desktop, try:
```
Can you list the documents available in my document server?
```
Claude should now be able to access your MCP server!
## Method 2: Remote HTTP/SSE Connection
This method is better for remote access (e.g., via Tailscale).
### Step 1: Get Your Server URL
If using Tailscale:
```bash
# Get your Tailscale IP
tailscale ip -4
# Your server URL will be:
# http://<tailscale-ip>:8000
```
### Step 2: Configure Claude Desktop
Edit the Claude Desktop config:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"document-server": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@modelcontextprotocol/server-everything",
"sse",
"http://<your-tailscale-ip>:8000/sse"
]
}
}
}
```
Replace `<your-tailscale-ip>` with your actual IP.
### Step 3: Restart and Test
Same as Method 1, Step 3-4.
## Method 3: Custom MCP Client Script
For more control, create a custom client script.
### Step 1: Create Client Script
Save as `~/mcp-document-client.sh`:
```bash
#!/bin/bash
docker exec -i mcp-document-server python server.py
```
Make it executable:
```bash
chmod +x ~/mcp-document-client.sh
```
### Step 2: Configure Claude Desktop
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"document-server": {
"command": "/home/yourusername/mcp-document-client.sh"
}
}
}
```
## Troubleshooting
### Server Not Appearing in Claude
1. **Check config syntax**: Validate JSON syntax
```bash
# On Linux/Mac
cat ~/.config/claude/claude_desktop_config.json | jq .
```
2. **Check server is running**:
```bash
docker ps | grep mcp-document-server
```
3. **Check logs**:
```bash
docker-compose logs -f
```
### Claude Can't Access Documents
1. **Verify documents exist**:
```bash
ls -la ./documents/
```
2. **Check permissions**:
```bash
# Documents should be readable
chmod 644 ./documents/*
```
3. **Test manually**:
```bash
python test_server.py
```
### Connection Timeout
1. **For STDIO**: Ensure Docker container is running
2. **For HTTP**: Check firewall rules
3. **For Tailscale**: Verify connectivity
```bash
ping <tailscale-ip>
curl http://<tailscale-ip>:8000/health
```
## Advanced Configuration
### Multiple Document Servers
You can run multiple MCP servers for different document sets:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"work-documents": {
"command": "docker",
"args": ["exec", "-i", "mcp-work-docs", "python", "server.py"],
"env": {"DOCUMENTS_PATH": "/work-documents"}
},
"personal-documents": {
"command": "docker",
"args": ["exec", "-i", "mcp-personal-docs", "python", "server.py"],
"env": {"DOCUMENTS_PATH": "/personal-documents"}
}
}
}
```
### With Authentication
If you add authentication to your server:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"document-server": {
"command": "docker",
"args": ["exec", "-i", "mcp-document-server", "python", "server.py"],
"env": {
"MCP_AUTH_TOKEN": "your-secret-token-here"
}
}
}
}
```
## Usage Examples
Once configured, you can ask Claude:
### List Documents
```
Can you list all the documents in my work folder?
```
### Read a Document
```
Can you read the contents of projects/Q4-report.pdf?
```
### Search Documents
```
Search my documents for "quarterly review"
```
### Analyze Documents
```
Read the strategic plan document and summarize the key initiatives for FY26
```
## Security Notes
- Documents are **read-only** - Claude cannot modify them
- Path traversal is prevented - Claude cannot access outside DOCUMENTS_PATH
- Consider using Tailscale for encrypted remote access
- Use authentication tokens for production deployments
## Additional Resources
- [MCP Documentation](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/)
- [Claude Desktop Documentation](https://claude.ai/desktop)
- [Tailscale Setup Guide](https://tailscale.com/kb/)
---
**Questions?** Check the main README.md or server logs for troubleshooting.
