# Claude

Source: https://www.geardex.app/api-docs/mcp-adapter/claude

API access requires the GearDex Studio plan and a scoped Studio API key.

Add the GearDex MCP adapter to Claude Desktop or Claude Code.

The adapter runs on your computer. Claude Desktop and Claude Code can start it. Claude on the web and the Claude phone apps connect only to remote MCP servers, so they cannot use the adapter.

## Claude Desktop

These steps are the same on macOS and Windows. Only the config file location and the command are different.

1. Create a Studio API key in **Settings**, **API & Agents**. For a first test, give the key read scopes only.
2. Install [Node 22 or newer](https://nodejs.org/).
3. Quit Claude and open it again. Claude can then find `npx`.
4. In Claude, open **Settings**, **Developer**.
5. Click **Edit config**. Claude opens the folder that contains `claude_desktop_config.json`.
6. Open `claude_desktop_config.json` in a text editor.
7. **Caution:** If the file already has an `mcpServers` block, do not replace it. Add the `geardex` entry in that block.
   Paste the config for your system into the file.
8. Replace `gdx_live_REPLACE_ME` with your key.
9. Save the file.
10. **Note:** If you only close the window, Claude continues to run with the old config.
    Quit Claude. On macOS, click **Claude**, **Quit** (⌘Q). On Windows, right-click the Claude icon in the system tray and click **Quit**.
11. Open Claude again.
12. Open **Settings**, **Developer**.
13. In the local MCP servers, make sure that the status of `geardex` is **running**.
14. Send a [starter prompt](https://www.geardex.app/api-docs/mcp-adapter#starter-prompts).

### macOS

**Config file**

```text
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
```

**claude\_desktop\_config.json (macOS)**

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "geardex": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "--yes",
        "--package",
        "https://github.com/dylandersen/geardex-public/releases/download/mcp-v0.2.0/geardex-mcp-0.2.0.tgz",
        "geardex-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GEARDEX_STUDIO_API_KEY": "gdx_live_REPLACE_ME"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### Windows

**Config file**

```text
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
```

**claude\_desktop\_config.json (Windows)**

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "geardex": {
      "command": "npx.cmd",
      "args": [
        "--yes",
        "--package",
        "https://github.com/dylandersen/geardex-public/releases/download/mcp-v0.2.0/geardex-mcp-0.2.0.tgz",
        "geardex-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GEARDEX_STUDIO_API_KEY": "gdx_live_REPLACE_ME"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

If GearDex does not show

**Settings** ,  **Developer**  shows the error from the server. The full log is  `mcp-server-geardex.log`  in  `~/Library/Logs/Claude`  (macOS) or  `%APPDATA%\Claude\logs`  (Windows). Usually, Claude cannot find  `npx` . To fix this, replace  `"npx"`  with its full path. To find the path, run  `which npx`  (macOS) or  `where.exe npx`  (Windows).

## Claude Code

1. Create a Studio API key in **Settings**, **API & Agents**. For a first test, give the key read scopes only.
2. Install [Node 22 or newer](https://nodejs.org/).
3. In the command below, replace `gdx_live_REPLACE_ME` with your key.
4. **Note:** On Windows (not WSL), put `cmd /c` before `npx` in the command.
   Run the command in a terminal.
5. Run `claude mcp list`.
6. Make sure that `geardex` shows as connected.
7. Start Claude Code.
8. Send a [starter prompt](https://www.geardex.app/api-docs/mcp-adapter#starter-prompts).

**Add GearDex to Claude Code**

```bash
claude mcp add --transport stdio --scope user geardex \
  --env GEARDEX_STUDIO_API_KEY=gdx_live_REPLACE_ME \
  -- npx --yes --package https://github.com/dylandersen/geardex-public/releases/download/mcp-v0.2.0/geardex-mcp-0.2.0.tgz geardex-mcp
```

With `--scope user`, GearDex is available in all your projects.