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MCP servers and skills for Claude Desktop

Setup steps and file locations from Anthropic's own documentation. Checked Nov 14, 2026.

420 MCP servers8 skills

MCP servers

✓ Supported

Add a server

  1. For a packaged local server, open Settings, go to the Extensions area and install it from the directory, or install a .mcpb file under Advanced settings.
  2. For a manual local server, open Settings > Developer and click Edit Config to open claude_desktop_config.json.
  3. Add the server under mcpServers with its command, args and any env values, then save.
  4. Quit Claude Desktop completely and reopen it so the new configuration loads.
  5. For a remote server, go to Customize > Connectors, add a custom connector with the server URL and choose its sign-in option.

Where it's saved

macOS
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Linux
~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.jsonOpened via Settings > Developer > Edit Config.
Remote servers
Customize > Connectors (settings UI)

Anthropic's MCP documentationOpen the config builderHow to connect MCP servers to AI clients

Skills

✓ Supported

A skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file. Claude Desktop finds skills here:

Code tab
~/.claude/skills/Local Code tab sessions.
claude.ai account
Skills enabled on the claude.ai account (uploaded via Customize > Skills)

Anthropic's skills documentationHow to create a skill

All listings

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Questions

Does Claude Desktop support MCP servers?
Yes. Local servers install as desktop extensions or go in claude_desktop_config.json. Remote servers are added as custom connectors in the Connectors settings; Anthropic connects to them from its cloud, and the Free plan allows one.
Does Claude Desktop support skills?
Yes. Skills enabled on your claude.ai account work in the app once code execution is turned on, and local Code tab sessions also load personal skills from ~/.claude/skills/.