# Connect Claude Desktop

**Auth:** bearer token, via a local bridge. **Prereq:** familiar deployed over HTTPS (see [deployment](../deployment.md)), plus Node.js (`npx`) on the machine running Claude Desktop.

Claude Desktop's **Connectors** UI can add a remote MCP URL but **cannot attach a bearer header**. So bridge the remote HTTP server to a local stdio command with [`mcp-remote`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/mcp-remote), which forwards the `Authorization` header.

Edit `claude_desktop_config.json`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "familiar": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://familiar.yourdomain.tld/mcp",
        "--header",
        "Authorization: Bearer <your-token>"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

Config file location:

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

Restart Claude Desktop fully (quit, not just close the window). familiar appears in the tools/plug icon.

## Troubleshooting

- **Server fails to start** — ensure Node.js is installed and `npx` is on PATH; the first run downloads `mcp-remote`.
- **401** — fix the token in the `--header` argument, then restart.
- **Want native (no bridge)?** Only the OAuth path is header-free, and Desktop's connector is happiest with bearer via this bridge — keep `mcp-remote` unless you've set up [oauth mode](claude-web.md).