How to Set Up an MCP Server

A step-by-step guide to configuring a Model Context Protocol server and connecting it to Claude.

Updated Jul 6, 2026Intermediate1 min read

What is MCP?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a standard that enables Claude to securely access external tools and data.

Installing an MCP Server

Node.js-based MCP Server

bash

npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/server-sqlite
npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem

Python-based MCP Server

bash

pip install mcp[cli]
pip install mcp-server-sqlite

Modifying Claude's Configuration File

Edit the Claude configuration file to register an MCP server:

bash

# macOS/Linux
nano ~/.claude/mcp-servers.json

# Windows
notepad %APPDATA%\.claude\mcp-servers.json

Add the following JSON:

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sqlite": {
      "command": "mcp-server-sqlite",
      "args": ["--db", "/path/to/database.db"]
    },
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "mcp-server-filesystem",
      "args": ["/path/to/allowed/directory"]
    }
  }
}

Checking MCP Server Status

bash

claude --mcp-status

Troubleshooting

If the connection fails, check the logs:

bash

claude --debug