How to Set Up Your First MCP Server in 5 Minutes

A quick-start guide to installing and configuring your very first MCP server with Claude Desktop. Get up and running in minutes.

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Set Up Your First MCP Server in 5 Minutes

This guide walks you through installing your first MCP server and connecting it to Claude Desktop.

Prerequisites

▸Node.js 18+ installed on your system
▸Claude Desktop application (download from anthropic.com)
▸Basic familiarity with terminal/command line

Step 1: Install Claude Desktop

Download and install Claude Desktop from the official Anthropic website. This will be your MCP host — the application that connects to MCP servers.

Step 2: Locate Your Configuration File

Claude Desktop stores its MCP configuration in a JSON file:

▸macOS:

code

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

▸Windows:

code

%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Create this file if it doesn't exist.

Step 3: Add Your First Server

Let's start with the filesystem MCP server. Edit your config file:

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "/Users/yourname/Documents"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Replace

code

/Users/yourname/Documents

with the directory you want Claude to access.

Step 4: Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen Claude Desktop. You should see a hammer icon (🔨) in the chat interface indicating available tools.

Step 5: Test It Out

Try asking Claude:

"What files are in my Documents folder?"

Claude will use the filesystem MCP server to list your files and respond with the results.

Troubleshooting

Server not appearing?

▸Check your JSON syntax (use a JSON validator)
▸
Ensure Node.js is installed:
code
```
node --version
```
▸Check Claude Desktop logs for errors

Permission errors?

▸Ensure the directory path exists
▸Check file system permissions

Next Steps

Now that you have your first MCP server running, explore our guides to add database connections, API integrations, and more.