Configure Claude

Prerequisites

Claude connects to your ScaleOut MCP service from Anthropic’s cloud infrastructure. The service must therefore be reachable at a public HTTPS URL with a DNS name and a valid TLS certificate. A URL that is accessible only from your local network will not work.

If your ScaleOut cluster has multiple hosts, configure a load balancer to provide a single public entry point. Use the load balancer’s URL when connecting Claude, and ensure that it routes MCP and authentication requests to the cluster. The installation and configuration of the SSL/TLS certificate and custom DNS name are described in the DNS & Certificate Installation section of the Active Caching User Guide.

Create a Connector in Claude

Claude uses connectors to connect to MCP servers. Please be aware that the actual steps may vary as Claude updates its user interface regularly.

On claude.ai:

  1. Go to claude.ai/customize/connectors (or Settings → Connectors).

  2. Click the + button, then Add custom connector.

  3. Name your connector and enter the remote MCP server’s URL (e.g. if your cluster is at https://example.com, the MCP URL is https://example.com/mcp). Click Continue.

  4. Once connected, pick the option to Sign on now, and use Claude’s published identiy option (Claude will connect using Client ID Metadata Document (CIMD)).

  5. Click Add, then click Connect on the new connector card to go through sign-in/authorization.

  6. In a chat, click the + button and enable the connector so its tools are available for that conversation.

Note

  • Custom connectors using remote MCP are available on Claude, Cowork, Claude Desktop, and Claude Mobile for Free, Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans, though Free users are limited to one custom connector, and the feature is currently in beta.

  • The MCP server needs to be publicly reachable, since Claude connects to it from Anthropic’s cloud infrastructure rather than your local device.

  • Claude Desktop also supports local MCP servers via a JSON config file (see Configuring Claude Desktop), not just remote ones.