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This guide walks you through connecting the ShingleAI MCP server to Claude Desktop, allowing Claude to access your contacts, messages, and other business data directly.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

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Configuration

Claude Desktop requires the mcp-remote package to connect to SSE-based MCP servers like ShingleAI.

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Step 1: Locate your configuration file

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
If the file doesn’t exist, create it.

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Step 2: Add ShingleAI server

Add the following configuration to your claude_desktop_config.json: 
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "shingleai": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.shingleai.com/sse"
            ],
            "env": {
                "MCP_HEADERS": "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_MCP_KEY"
            }
        }
    }
}
Replace YOUR_MCP_KEY with your actual MCP key.
Avoid committing your MCP key to version control. Use environment variables for better security.
For better security, store your MCP key in an environment variable: 
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "shingleai": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.shingleai.com/sse"
            ],
            "env": {
                "MCP_HEADERS": "Authorization: Bearer ${SHINGLEAI_MCP_KEY}"
            }
        }
    }
}
Then set the environment variable in your shell profile: 
export SHINGLEAI_MCP_KEY=mcp_live_abc123...

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Step 4: Restart Claude Desktop

After saving your configuration, completely quit and restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect.

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Verification

To verify the connection is working:
  1. Open a new conversation in Claude Desktop
  2. Ask Claude: “What ShingleAI tools do you have access to?”
  3. Claude should list the available tools based on your MCP key permissions

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Example Prompts

Once connected, you can ask Claude to interact with your ShingleAI data:
TaskExample Prompt
Find a contact”Find the contact information for John Smith”
Search messages”Show me recent messages about the project proposal”
View conversation”What’s the full email thread with support@example.com?”
Create a contact”Add a new contact for Jane Doe at jane@example.com”

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Troubleshooting

Possible causes:
  • Configuration file not saved correctly
  • Claude Desktop not restarted after configuration change
  • Invalid JSON syntax in configuration file
Solutions:
  1. Verify your JSON syntax using a validator
  2. Completely quit Claude Desktop (not just close the window)
  3. Check that npx is available in your PATH
Possible causes:
  • Invalid or expired MCP key
  • Environment variable not set correctly
Solutions:
  1. Verify your MCP key in the ShingleAI dashboard
  2. Test the key directly: curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY" https://mcp.shingleai.com/health
  3. Ensure environment variables are exported in the correct shell profile
Possible causes:
  • Node.js not installed
  • npm/npx not in PATH
Solutions:
  1. Install Node.js from nodejs.org
  2. Verify installation: npx --version
  3. Restart your terminal and Claude Desktop

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Next Steps

Available Tools

Explore all available MCP tools

Authentication

Configure tool permissions