Claude Desktop

This guide explains how to connect the Claude Desktop App to the Links MCP Server.

Since the Links MCP runs on a hosted HTTPS endpoint, we use the community standard mcp-remote tool to bridge the connection and securely pass your Bearer Token.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have the following:

Claude Desktop

Download and install the latest Claude Desktop App.

Node.js Installed

Required to run the bridge client. Verify with node -v (v18+ recommended). Download Node.js

Links MCP Key

You need your Bearer Token to authenticate. Get your MCP Key here.

Configuration

Open Config File

You can open the configuration file directly through the Claude app or manually via terminal.

Open Claude Desktop.
Navigate to Settings at User Profile navigation bar.
Go to the Developer tab -> Edit Config.

This will open claude_desktop_config.json in your default text editor (VS Code, Notepad, etc.).

Run the following command to open the file in VS Code (or your default editor):

macOS

code ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows

code %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Add Links MCP Server

Copy and paste the configuration below into your mcpServers block.

We use mcp-remote to handle the HTTPS connection and Authorization header.

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "links-finance": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://dev-backend.thelinks.ai/api/v1/mcp",
        "--header",
        "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_MCP_KEY_OR_BEARER_TOKEN>"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Important

Replace <YOUR_MCP_KEY_OR_BEARER_TOKEN> with your actual key (e.g., 8d4e...-sandbox).

Note: Do not remove the word Bearer before your key.

Restart Claude

Save the file and fully quit Claude Desktop, then open it again.

Verify Connection

You can verify the connection is active in two ways:

1. Check Status

Settings: Go back to Settings > Developer. You should see the links-finance server listed with a blue "running" status.

Input Bar: Click the Connectors (🔌) icon in the chat input area. Ensure links-finance is listed and enabled.

2. Run a Test Prompt Type the following prompt to validate that the tool can fetch real data:

Can you get me chart of account cash detail from links-finance mcp?

Troubleshooting

If the connection fails or the plug icon remains orange/red:

1. Check Syntax

Ensure your JSON is valid. A common mistake is leaving a trailing comma after the last item in the list, or missing quotes.

2. Verify MCP Key

Ensure you haven't accidentally deleted the word Bearer inside the header string.

Bad: "Authorization: 123-abc"
Good: "Authorization: Bearer 123-abc"

Claude Desktop

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