Connecting to Claude Desktop

Integrate your Reeva MCP servers with Claude Desktop for AI-powered conversations with access to your custom tools.

Quick Tip

For ready-to-use configuration snippets, navigate to your server in the Reeva Dashboard and expand the "Connect to MCP Clients" section. Click on "Claude Desktop Configuration" to copy the exact configuration for your server.

Prerequisites

• Claude Desktop installed
• A Reeva server with at least one tool configured
• An API key linked to your server

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Get Your Server Configuration

From the Reeva Dashboard:

1. Go to Servers → Select your server
2. Expand the "Connect to MCP Clients" section
3. Click "Claude Desktop Configuration" and copy the configuration

Your configuration looks like:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "my-server-name": {
      "type": "sse",
      "url": "https://api.joinreeva.com/mcp/server_xxxxx",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_API_KEY_HERE with an API key linked to your server (found in the Linked API Keys section).

2. Open Claude Desktop Config File

macOS:

# Open in your default editor
open ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

# Or with VS Code
code ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

# Or create if it doesn't exist
touch ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows:

# Open in your default editor
notepad %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

# Or with VS Code
code %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Linux:

# Open in your default editor
xdg-open ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

# Or with VS Code
code ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

3. Add Your Server Configuration

If the file is empty or doesn't exist, add the full configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "reeva": {
      "type": "sse",
      "url": "https://api.joinreeva.com/mcp/server_YOUR_SERVER_ID",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

If you already have other MCP servers configured, add your Reeva server to the existing mcpServers object:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "existing-server": {
      "command": "...",
      "args": ["..."]
    },
    "reeva": {
      "type": "sse",
      "url": "https://api.joinreeva.com/mcp/server_YOUR_SERVER_ID",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

4. Save and Restart Claude Desktop

1. Save the configuration file
2. Completely quit Claude Desktop (Cmd+Q on Mac, or right-click tray icon and quit on Windows)
3. Reopen Claude Desktop

5. Verify Connection

Start a new conversation and ask Claude to use your tools:

Search the web for "latest AI developments"

Claude should recognize and use your Reeva tools automatically.

Configuration Examples

Single Server (SSE Transport)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "reeva": {
      "type": "sse",
      "url": "https://api.joinreeva.com/mcp/server_abc123",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Single Server (HTTP Transport)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "reeva": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.joinreeva.com/mcp/server_abc123",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Multiple Servers

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "reeva-research": {
      "type": "sse",
      "url": "https://api.joinreeva.com/mcp/server_abc123",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer research_api_key"
      }
    },
    "reeva-productivity": {
      "type": "sse",
      "url": "https://api.joinreeva.com/mcp/server_xyz789",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer productivity_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

With Descriptive Names

Use names that describe what the server does:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "web-research": {
      "type": "sse",
      "url": "https://api.joinreeva.com/mcp/server_abc123",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer your_api_key"
      }
    },
    "notion-tools": {
      "type": "sse",
      "url": "https://api.joinreeva.com/mcp/server_xyz789",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer your_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Config File Locations

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

Troubleshooting

Server Not Appearing

Problem: Tools not available after restart.

Solutions:

1. ✅ Verify JSON syntax is valid (no trailing commas, proper quotes)
2. ✅ Check that you included the type field ("type": "sse" or "type": "http")
3. ✅ Ensure the Authorization header uses Bearer prefix (with a space after Bearer)
4. ✅ Verify config file is in the correct location for your OS
5. ✅ Completely restart Claude Desktop (not just close the window)

"Authentication Failed"

Problem: Error about authentication when using tools.

Solutions:

1. ✅ Verify your API key format: Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY
2. ✅ Check key hasn't been revoked in dashboard
3. ✅ Ensure API key is linked to the correct server
4. ✅ Generate a new API key if needed

JSON Syntax Errors

Problem: Claude Desktop doesn't recognize the config.

Common issues:

• Missing commas between servers
• Trailing comma after the last server
• Missing quotes around keys or values
• Incorrect bracket nesting

Valid example:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "server1": {
      "type": "sse",
      "url": "https://...",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer key1"
      }
    },
    "server2": {
      "type": "sse",
      "url": "https://...",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer key2"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tools Not Working

Problem: Claude can't access or use your tools.

Solutions:

1. ✅ Verify the server has tools configured in dashboard
2. ✅ Test the server in Reeva Chat first
3. ✅ Check your credit balance
4. ✅ Try using HTTP transport instead of SSE (or vice versa)

Config File Not Found

Problem: The config file doesn't exist.

Solution: Create the file and parent directories if needed:

macOS:

mkdir -p ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude
touch ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows (PowerShell):

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path "$env:APPDATA\Claude"
New-Item -ItemType File -Force -Path "$env:APPDATA\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json"

Best Practices

• ✅ Use descriptive server names: "web-research" not "server1"
• ✅ Keep API keys secure: Don't share config files containing keys
• ✅ Test in Reeva dashboard first: Verify tools work before desktop use
• ✅ Back up your config: Save a copy before making changes
• ✅ Use SSE transport: Recommended for remote server connections

See Also

• Cursor Integration
• Windsurf Integration
• Claude Code Integration
• Troubleshooting Guide