No. AFAIK you can only use Remote MCP servers that either don't require auth or implement OAuth. There is currently no way to specify API keys within Claude Desktop, Mobile or Web. Learned this while building my own Remote MCP solution by checking their docs: Transport and Auth Claude supports both SSE- and Streamable HTTP-based remote servers, although support for SSE may be deprecated in the coming months. Claude supports both authless and OAuth-based remote servers. Source: https://support.anthropic.com/en/articles/11503834-building-custom-connectors-via-remote-mcp-servers Answer from Lukaesch on reddit.com
Claude
docs.claude.com › en › docs › agents-and-tools › remote-mcp-servers
Remote MCP servers - Claude Docs
These servers expand the capabilities available to developers and end users by providing remote access to various services and tools through the MCP protocol.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/claudeai › can i connect claude desktop to remote mcp server via api key directly? (no oauth)
r/ClaudeAI on Reddit: Can I connect Claude Desktop to Remote MCP server via API KEY Directly? (No OAuth)
August 13, 2025 -
As the title says, I have an API that supports api keys, but I haven't implemented OAuth flow. I want to expose some of it as MCP tools through an remote MCP server (not a local one installed via node). I want this server to be accessible through Claude Desktop. Is that doable at all? It seems like the only supported way for remote servers is through OAuth flow, if I want to use copied api token directly, I need to go with some local setup e.g. node installation or docker container. Any thoughts?
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No. AFAIK you can only use Remote MCP servers that either don't require auth or implement OAuth. There is currently no way to specify API keys within Claude Desktop, Mobile or Web. Learned this while building my own Remote MCP solution by checking their docs: Transport and Auth Claude supports both SSE- and Streamable HTTP-based remote servers, although support for SSE may be deprecated in the coming months. Claude supports both authless and OAuth-based remote servers. Source: https://support.anthropic.com/en/articles/11503834-building-custom-connectors-via-remote-mcp-servers
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You can use the commands.com mcp gateway. It will handle oauth, stripe, and everything else. Just use the npx command to create the mcp and build in the tools and host wherever you want. Let me know if you need help.
Claude Code Now Supports Remote MCP Servers, No Local Setup Required!
How is this a game changer? We do "claude mcp add --transport sse name url" instead of "claude mcp add name mcp-proxy url". I see the convenience, but how is this a game changer? More on reddit.com
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June 18, 2025Remote MCP Support in Claude Code
That said, the original spec needed some rapid iteration. With https support finally in relatively good shape, I hope we'll be able to take a year to let the API dust settle. Spec updates every three months are really tough, especially when not versioned, thoroughly documented, or archived properly More on news.ycombinator.com
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May 20, 2025Remote MCP SSE servers on Claude desktop app now available
This is just a workaround. It is not that hard to implement support for HTTP SSE More on reddit.com
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December 14, 2024Google Oauth for remote MCP server with Claude Desktop
I got it working with the Cloudflare library . What error are you seeing and can you authenticate with the MCP Inspector ? More on reddit.com
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February 5, 2025Will Claude automatically recognize my MCP server after integration?
Yes, once integrated, Claude will automatically recognize and use your MCP server based on your prompts.
weavely.ai
weavely.ai › blog › claude-mcp
How to add MCP servers to Claude (free and paid)
Can I set up integrations in Claude for free?
Yes, you can manually configure integrations via a JSON file on Claude’s free tier. However, this is only available in the Claude desktop app.
weavely.ai
weavely.ai › blog › claude-mcp
How to add MCP servers to Claude (free and paid)
How easy is it to set up integrations on Claude’s paid tier?
Very easy, just go to Settings → Integrations, press "+ Add Custom Integration" and enter your MCP server's URL.
weavely.ai
weavely.ai › blog › claude-mcp
How to add MCP servers to Claude (free and paid)
Videos
17:58
Claude Code MCP: How to Add MCP Servers (Complete Guide) - YouTube
09:14
Easy connect Claude AI desktop to MCP servers (For Windows) - YouTube
r/Anthropic on Reddit: How to Setup a Remote MCP Server on Render ...
04:42
MCP Setup for Claude - Cursor - Windsurf - VS Code in 4 mins - YouTube
02:40
How to Add MCP Servers to Claude (Free and Paid) - YouTube
Liblab
liblab.com › model context protocol (mcp)
Connect Claude to an MCP Server | Generate SDKs for your API with liblab
1 month ago - Access to Claude (Claude Desktop). ... A local MCP server generated with liblab CLI.
Cloudflare
developers.cloudflare.com › directory › agents › guides › test a remote mcp server
Test a Remote MCP Server · Cloudflare Agents docs
4 weeks ago - Once authenticated (if required), ... ↗ doesn't yet support remote MCP clients, you can use the mcp-remote local proxy ↗ to connect it to your remote MCP server....
Claude
support.claude.com › en › articles › 11175166-getting-started-with-custom-connectors-using-remote-mcp
Getting Started with Custom Connectors Using Remote MCP | Claude Help Center
Optionally, click “Advanced ... for your server. Finish configuring your connector by clicking "Add." ... Navigate to Settings > Connectors. Locate the "Connectors" section. Click "Add custom connector" at the bottom of the section.
Weavely
weavely.ai › blog › claude-mcp
How to add MCP servers to Claude (free and paid)
September 18, 2025 - Yes, you can manually configure ... in the Claude desktop app. Very easy, just go to Settings->Integrations, press "+ Add Custom Integration" and enter your MCP server's URL....
Natoma
natoma.ai › blog › how-to-enabling-mcp-in-claude-desktop
Enable MCP in Claude Desktop: Step-by-Step Guide | Natoma
June 16, 2025 - Learn how to enable Model Context Protocol (MCP) in Claude Desktop. Step-by-step guide covers local, hosted, and remote server setup options. Get started today.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/claudeai › claude code now supports remote mcp servers, no local setup required!
r/ClaudeAI on Reddit: Claude Code Now Supports Remote MCP Servers, No Local Setup Required!
June 18, 2025 -
Just saw this update and had to share, Claude Code can now connect directly to remote MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers, which is a game changer for developers using cc.
What this means:
Zero local configuration.. pull context from your tools straight into Claude Code
Direct integration.. with external services and APIs
Streamlined workflow.. for developers working with multiple tools and data sources
This basically eliminates the friction of setting up local MCP servers just to get Claude Code to work with your existing toolchain. You can now connect to remote servers and pull in context from databases, APIs, documentation systems, and more without any local setup hassle.
For anyone who's been using Claude Code for development work, you know how powerful it can be.
Perfect for:
Pulling live data from APIs
Accessing remote documentation
Integrating with cloud services
Working with team-shared resources
More details on Anthropic's site: https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-code-remote-mcp
Medium
medium.com › the-context-layer › anthropic-just-launched-remote-mcp-support-in-claude-desktop-1f7657e9fc55
Anthropic Just Launched Remote MCP Support In Claude Desktop! | by Jannis | The Context Layer | Medium
June 4, 2025 - Remote MCP changes this by allowing Claude to work seamlessly with remote MCP servers across the web and desktop apps, with developers able to build and host servers that enhance Claude’s capabilities while users can discover and connect any number of these to Claude!
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
How to Add Claude MCP Integrations (Remote MCP Server Tutorial) - YouTube
Try out Riza's MCP server: https://docs.riza.io/getting-started/mcp-serversAnthropic announced support for remote MCP servers -- or integrations -- in the we...
Published May 1, 2025
Anthropic
anthropic.com › news › claude-code-remote-mcp
Remote MCP support in Claude Code
June 18, 2025 - Remote MCP servers offer a lower maintenance alternative to local servers: just add the vendor’s URL to Claude Code—no manual setup required.
Claude Docs
platform.claude.com › docs › en › agents-and-tools › remote-mcp-servers
Remote MCP servers - Claude Docs
Several companies have deployed remote MCP servers that developers can connect to via the Anthropic MCP connector API.
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
How to Use MCP Servers with Claude Desktop | Real-Time AI Integration - YouTube
In this video, I walk you through the basics of getting started with MCP servers using Claude Desktop as the client. Whether you're new to MCP servers or jus...
Published May 5, 2025
Hacker News
news.ycombinator.com › item
Remote MCP Support in Claude Code | Hacker News
May 20, 2025 - That said, the original spec needed some rapid iteration. With https support finally in relatively good shape, I hope we'll be able to take a year to let the API dust settle. Spec updates every three months are really tough, especially when not versioned, thoroughly documented, or archived properly
Reddit
reddit.com › r/claudeai › remote mcp sse servers on claude desktop app now available
r/ClaudeAI on Reddit: Remote MCP SSE servers on Claude desktop app now available
December 14, 2024 - If you want to not have to have ... nothing installed:) ... Got it. MCP feels so hacky tbh ... Claude Code Now Supports Remote MCP Servers, No Local Setup Required!...
Apidog
apidog.com › blog › claude-ai-remote-mcp-server
How to Connect Claude AI to a Remote MCP Server
July 18, 2025 - ... This folder will be your workspace for Claude AI and MCP integrations. Let’s start by connecting Claude AI to Atlassian’s remote MCP server, which lets Claude interact with Jira and Confluence.