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Overview

Claude Desktop supports MCP (Model Context Protocol) for enhanced AI capabilities through custom connectors. Through Portkey’s MCP Gateway, you can seamlessly connect any MCP server to Claude Desktop without managing infrastructure or authentication.

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Key Benefits

  • Secure Authentication: Portkey handles OAuth flows and token management
  • Unified Authentication: Single OAuth token to rule them all
  • Team Collaboration: Share MCP server configurations, manage access permissions, and ensure everyone on your team has the tools they need—configured correctly, every time
  • Complete Observability: See every request, track latency, monitor errors, and understand usage patterns

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:
  1. Claude Desktop app or web access
  2. Portkey account with workspace access
  3. MCP server registered in Portkey’s MCP Hub

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Quick Setup

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Step 1: Get Your MCP Server URL

  1. Log in to Portkey Dashboard
  2. Navigate to MCP Hub → Your Servers
  3. Copy your server URL: 
    https://mcp.portkey.ai/:workspace-id/:server-id/mcp

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Step 2: Navigate to Connector Settings

  1. Open Claude in your browser or desktop app
  2. Click on your profile icon
  3. Select Settings from the dropdown menu
  4. Click on Connectors in the sidebar

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Step 3: Add Custom Connector

  1. Scroll to the bottom of the Connectors section
  2. Click “Add custom connector” button
  3. Enter your Portkey MCP server URL: 
    https://mcp.portkey.ai/:workspace-id/:server-id/mcp
  4. Click “Add” to proceed

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Step 4: Authentication

Portkey handles all authentication flows automatically:
  1. First Connection: When Claude first connects to an authenticated MCP server, Portkey will:
    • Open your browser for OAuth authorization (if required)
    • Store credentials securely
    • Maintain session state
  2. Subsequent Connections: Authentication tokens are refreshed automatically
  3. Team Access: Workspace members share the same authentication scope based on your Portkey settings

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Using Your Connected Server

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Access Resources and Prompts

  1. Click the paperclip icon in the message input area
  2. The attachment menu displays all available resources from your connected servers
  3. Select the items you want to include in your conversation

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Configure Tool Permissions

  1. Navigate back to Connectors settings
  2. Click on your connected Portkey server
  3. Configure permissions:
    • Enable or disable specific tools
    • Set usage limits
    • Configure security parameters

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Configuration Examples

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Single Server Connection

Add one Portkey MCP server URL at a time through the Claude interface: 
https://mcp.portkey.ai/ws-abc123/linear-def456/mcp

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Multiple Servers

Repeat the connection process for each server you want to add:
  • Linear: https://mcp.portkey.ai/ws-abc123/linear-def456/mcp
  • GitHub: https://mcp.portkey.ai/ws-abc123/github-ghi789/mcp
  • Slack: https://mcp.portkey.ai/ws-abc123/slack-jkl012/mcp

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Support

Need help? We’re here for you: