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Claude Desktop Integration

Connect Claude Desktop to PlexMCP to access all your MCPs through a single gateway.

Overview​

By connecting Claude Desktop to PlexMCP, you can:

  • Access multiple MCPs through one configuration
  • Manage API access centrally
  • Monitor usage and analytics
  • Share MCPs across your team

Prerequisites​

  • Claude Desktop installed
  • PlexMCP account with at least one MCP registered
  • An API key with access to desired MCPs

Quick Setup​

Step 1: Get Your API Key​

  1. Log in to dashboard.plexmcp.com
  2. Go to API Keys
  3. Create a new key or use an existing one
  4. Copy the key

Step 2: Configure Claude Desktop​

Open your Claude Desktop configuration file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Add the PlexMCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "plexmcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@plexmcp/client"],
      "env": {
        "PLEXMCP_API_KEY": "pk_live_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Restart Claude Desktop​

Quit and reopen Claude Desktop to load the new configuration.

Step 4: Verify Connection​

In Claude Desktop, you should now see tools from your PlexMCP MCPs available.

Configuration Options​

Basic Configuration​

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "plexmcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@plexmcp/client"],
      "env": {
        "PLEXMCP_API_KEY": "pk_live_xxxxx"
      }
    }
  }
}

With Custom Endpoint​

For self-hosted or custom domains:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "plexmcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@plexmcp/client"],
      "env": {
        "PLEXMCP_API_KEY": "pk_live_xxxxx",
        "PLEXMCP_API_URL": "https://api.yourcompany.com"
      }
    }
  }
}

Multiple PlexMCP Accounts​

Connect multiple organizations:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "plexmcp-work": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@plexmcp/client"],
      "env": {
        "PLEXMCP_API_KEY": "pk_live_work_key"
      }
    },
    "plexmcp-personal": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@plexmcp/client"],
      "env": {
        "PLEXMCP_API_KEY": "pk_live_personal_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables​

VariableRequiredDescription
PLEXMCP_API_KEYYesYour PlexMCP API key
PLEXMCP_API_URLNoCustom API URL
PLEXMCP_TIMEOUTNoRequest timeout (ms)
PLEXMCP_DEBUGNoEnable debug logging

Using with Claude​

Once configured, you can use your MCPs naturally in conversation:

Example prompt:

"What's the weather in San Francisco?"

Claude will use the PlexMCP gateway to access your weather MCP.

Example with specific tool:

"Use the calculator MCP to compute 15% of 250"

Troubleshooting​

MCPs Not Appearing​

  1. Check API key: Verify key is valid and has MCP access
  2. Restart Claude: Fully quit and reopen
  3. Check config syntax: Ensure valid JSON
  4. Enable debug mode: Add "PLEXMCP_DEBUG": "true" to env

Connection Errors​

  1. Verify network: Ensure you can reach api.plexmcp.com
  2. Check firewall: Allow outbound HTTPS
  3. Test API key: Try a curl request directly
curl -X GET https://api.plexmcp.com/v1/mcps \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Permission Denied​

  1. Check key permissions: Ensure key has access to required MCPs
  2. Verify MCP is active: Check dashboard for MCP status
  3. Create new key: If unsure, create a fresh key with full access

Slow Performance​

  1. Check MCP health: Verify MCPs are responding quickly
  2. Reduce timeout: Lower timeout if MCPs are slow
  3. Check rate limits: Ensure you're within limits

Updating​

To update the PlexMCP client:

npx @plexmcp/client@latest --help

This will download the latest version.

Logs​

macOS Logs​

tail -f ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log

Debug Mode​

Enable verbose logging:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "plexmcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@plexmcp/client"],
      "env": {
        "PLEXMCP_API_KEY": "pk_live_xxxxx",
        "PLEXMCP_DEBUG": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

Security Notes​

  1. Secure your config file: Contains your API key
  2. Use minimal permissions: Create keys with only needed access
  3. Rotate keys regularly: Update keys every 90 days
  4. Monitor usage: Check dashboard for unexpected activity