> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://gcore.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connect Claude Code to Gcore MCP Server

Claude Code is the recommended client for Gcore MCP Server due to its deferred schema loading. It fetches tool schemas on demand when they match a query, allowing it to work with all Gcore tools without context window limits.

## Prerequisites

* [Gcore API token](/account-settings/api-tokens) with permissions for the operations to perform
* [uv package manager](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/getting-started/installation/) installed
* Git for Windows (Windows only) — download from [git-scm.com](https://git-scm.com/download/win)

## Step 1. Install Claude Code

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Windows PowerShell">
    ```powershell theme={null}
    irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex
    ```

    After installation, restart PowerShell to update the PATH.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="macOS/Linux">
    ```bash theme={null}
    curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

Verify the installation:

```bash theme={null}
claude --version
```

## Step 2. Authenticate Claude Code

1. Start Claude Code in any directory:

```bash theme={null}
claude
```

2. On first launch, select a color theme and press Enter.

3. Enter the login command:

```
/login
```

4. A browser window opens for authentication. Sign in with a Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise account.

5. If the browser displays an authentication code instead of redirecting automatically, copy the code and paste it into the terminal prompt.

<Note>
  Claude Code requires a paid subscription (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise). Free accounts cannot use Claude Code.
</Note>

## Step 3. Configure Gcore MCP Server

The configuration file defines MCP server connections. Add Gcore MCP Server to enable Gcore API access.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Windows">
    Open the configuration file:

    ```powershell theme={null}
    notepad $env:USERPROFILE\.claude.json
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="macOS/Linux">
    Open the configuration file:

    ```bash theme={null}
    nano ~/.claude.json
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

Add the Gcore MCP Server entry to the `mcpServers` section:

```json theme={null}
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gcore-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from",
        "gcore-mcp-server@git+https://github.com/G-Core/gcore-mcp-server.git",
        "gcore-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GCORE_API_KEY": "your-api-key",
        "GCORE_TOOLS": "*"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

Replace `your-api-key` with the [Gcore API token](/account-settings/api-tokens). Save the file.

<Warning>
  If the configuration file already contains other settings, merge the `mcpServers` section without overwriting existing content. JSON syntax errors cause Claude Code to fail silently.
</Warning>

## Step 4. Verify the connection

Restart Claude Code to load the new configuration:

```bash theme={null}
claude
```

Check that Gcore MCP Server is connected:

```bash theme={null}
claude mcp list
```

The output shows `gcore-mcp-server` with status `Connected`:

```
gcore-mcp-server: uvx --from gcore-mcp-server@... - ✓ Connected
```

Test with a resource query:

```
List my CDN resources
```

A successful response displays CDN resource details, including resource ID, CNAME, status, and configuration.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/gcore/4YySfLk9ZLgMVTEN/images/docs/developer-tools/mcp-server/connect-claude-code-to-gcore-mcp-server/claude-code-cdn-resources.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=4YySfLk9ZLgMVTEN&q=85&s=b67cd7b89678dce2289a1faabe4e3105" alt="Claude Code displaying CDN resource details returned by Gcore MCP Server" width="740" height="912" data-path="images/docs/developer-tools/mcp-server/connect-claude-code-to-gcore-mcp-server/claude-code-cdn-resources.png" />
</Frame>

<Warning>
  If the server shows `Failed to connect`, verify that uv is installed and the API key is valid. Test the API key independently:

  ```bash theme={null}
  curl -H "Authorization: Bearer your-api-key" https://api.gcore.com/cdn/resources
  ```

  A 200 response confirms valid credentials. A 401 response indicates an invalid or expired key.
</Warning>

## Tool search behavior

When a query mentions a product or operation, Claude Code searches tool names and descriptions for matches, loads schemas for matched tools, and executes the appropriate tool. The query "create a CDN resource" triggers a search for `cdn` and `create` patterns, returning only the relevant tool schema rather than loading all tools.

Setting `GCORE_TOOLS=*` enables all available tools. This configuration is appropriate for Claude Code because schemas load only when needed. Other clients require [tool filtering](/developer-tools/mcp-server/filter-tools-with-gcore-tools) to avoid context window limits.