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 will use the standard SSE Client (@modelcontextprotocol/server-sse-client) 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

Open the Claude Desktop configuration file in your preferred text editor (VS Code, Notepad, etc.).

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

code %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Add Links MCP Server

Copy and paste the configuration below into your mcpServers block.

We use the MCP_SSE_HEADERS environment variable to inject your Authorization header.

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "links-finance": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-sse-client"
      ],
      "env": {
        "MCP_SSE_URL": "[https://dev-backend.thelinks.ai/api/v1/mcp](https://dev-backend.thelinks.ai/api/v1/mcp)",
        "MCP_SSE_HEADERS": "{\"Authorization\": \"Bearer <YOUR_MCP_KEY_OR_BEARER_TOKEN>\"}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Critical: JSON Escaping

The MCP_SSE_HEADERS value is a stringified JSON object.

You must keep the backslashes (\") before the inner quotes.
Replace <YOUR_MCP_KEY_OR_BEARER_TOKEN> with your actual key (e.g., 123-...-sandbox).

Restart Claude

Save the file and fully quit Claude Desktop (Cmd+Q on macOS), then open it again.

Verify Connection

Look for the plug icon (🔌) in the Claude input bar.
Click it to verify links-finance has a green dot.
Type a prompt to test the connection:

"List the recent invoices available in the system."

Troubleshooting

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

1. Check JSON Syntax

The most common error is invalid JSON in the config file. Ensure you haven't missed a comma or unescaped a quote.

Bad: "MCP_SSE_HEADERS": "{"Authorization": "Bearer ..."}" (Missing backslashes)
Good: "MCP_SSE_HEADERS": "{\"Authorization\": \"Bearer ...\"}"

2. Verify MCP Key

Ensure you are using the correct MCP Key format. It should be a UUID with extra key. Do not include extra spaces.

3. Test Node.js

Open your terminal and run:

npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-sse-client --help

If this command fails or asks to install npm, you need to fix your Node.js installation.

Claude Desktop

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