---
title: "Connect a client"
description: "Connect Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor and other MCP clients to your Open edX MCP server."
source: "https://docs.blend-ed.com/openedx-mcp/connect/"
---

# Connect a client

The server speaks **streamable-http** at `https://mcp.<LMS_HOST>/mcp`. Authenticate with your raw MCP key as a Bearer token. The server is stateless — it forwards your key to the facade on every request and holds no secrets.

## Claude Code (CLI)
```
claude mcp add --transport http openedx https://mcp.<LMS_HOST>/mcp \  --header "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_MCP_KEY>"
```
Then `claude mcp list` to confirm, and call `whoami` in a session.

## Claude Desktop
Desktop has no header field, so bridge with `mcp-remote`. Put the header value in `env` — `mcp-remote` splits args on spaces, so `Bearer <key>` inline breaks.

```
{  "mcpServers": {    "openedx": {      "command": "npx",      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.<LMS_HOST>/mcp",               "--header", "Authorization:${AUTH}"],      "env": { "AUTH": "Bearer <YOUR_MCP_KEY>" }    }  }}
```
Config path — macOS: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`, Windows: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`. Restart Desktop after editing.

## Cursor / other MCP clients
Any client that supports a remote streamable-http server with a custom `Authorization` header works directly; clients that only spawn stdio servers can use the same `mcp-remote` bridge shown above.

## Troubleshooting
- **401 “Missing MCP key”** — the `Authorization: Bearer …` header didn’t arrive.
Check the bridge `env` value and that you copied the whole key.
- **403 “requires a staff or superuser account”** — the key’s user is no longer `is_staff` / `is_superuser` . Authority is re-checked live on every call.
- **Missing scope** — the key doesn’t carry the tool’s [scope](/openedx-mcp/security/) . Mint a
new key with the scope ticked.