Mixedbread

Claude Desktop

Set up the Mixedbread MCP server with Claude Desktop App.

Learn how to set up the Mixedbread MCP server with Claude Desktop.

Prerequisites

Before we configure Claude Desktop, make sure you have the following:

Configuration

You can connect Claude Desktop to the Mixedbread MCP server using either the built-in custom connector or a manual configuration file.

Method 1 — Custom Connector (Recommended)

Claude Desktop supports adding remote MCP servers directly from the UI. This is the simplest way to connect.

  1. Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Connectors.

  2. Click Add custom connector.

  3. Enter the Mixedbread MCP server URL:

    https://www.mcp.mixedbread.com/api/mcp

  4. Click Add.

  5. You will be redirected to sign in to your Mixedbread account and authorize Claude Desktop.

  6. Review the requested permissions and click Authorize.

That's it — no API key or config file needed.

Custom connectors are available on Claude Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans.

Method 2 — Configuration File

If you prefer manual setup or need more control, you can configure the server via the claude_desktop_config.json file.

Additional prerequisites:

Steps:

  1. Locate the configuration file:

    • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
    • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
    • Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

  2. Open and edit configuration:

    • Open Claude Desktop → Settings
    • Navigate to Developer in the sidebar
    • Click Edit Config

  3. Add a Mixedbread server entry

    Add the following to your claude_desktop_config.json:

    {
  "mcpServers": {
    "mixedbread": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote@latest",
        "https://www.mcp.mixedbread.com/api/mcp",
        "--header",
        "Authorization:${MXBAI_AUTH_HEADER}"
      ],
      "env": {
        "MXBAI_AUTH_HEADER": "Bearer YOUR_MIXEDBREAD_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}
    • command runs mcp-remote via npx.
    • args specify the Mixedbread MCP endpoint and authentication header.
    • env sets an environment variable with your API key.

    Replace YOUR_MIXEDBREAD_API_KEY with your actual key from the Mixedbread platform.

  4. Save and restart Claude Desktop:

    • Save the file and fully restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect.

Verification

Now let's confirm the integration is working.

  1. Open a new conversation in Claude Desktop.

  2. Click Search & Tools in the input field and verify that Mixedbread is connected.

  3. Test the connection with a simple command:

    Create a new store called "my-knowledge-base"

Now you can manage your Stores and perform Search directly from Claude Desktop.

References

On this page

PrerequisitesConfigurationMethod 1 — Custom Connector (Recommended)Method 2 — Configuration FileVerificationReferences