Claude Desktop

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

Prerequisites

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

Claude Desktop installed
A Mixedbread account

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.

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Connectors.
Click Add custom connector.
Enter the Mixedbread MCP server URL:
```
https://www.mcp.mixedbread.com/api/mcp
```
Click Add.
You will be redirected to sign in to your Mixedbread account and authorize Claude Desktop.
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:

Node.js 22+ installed
A Mixedbread API key from our platform

Steps:

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
Open and edit configuration:
- Open Claude Desktop → Settings
- Navigate to Developer in the sidebar
- Click Edit Config

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.

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.

Open a new conversation in Claude Desktop.
Click Search & Tools in the input field and verify that Mixedbread is connected.
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.