Connect MCP with Claude Desktop

Set up Architect’s MCP server in Claude Desktop to read docs and call the Customer API from chat

Prerequisites

• A Claude Desktop app installed (download here)
• An Architect account with access to a workspace

Setup

1. Open Claude Desktop settings

   Open Claude Desktop and go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config.

   This opens the claude_desktop_config.json file in your text editor.

2. Add the Architect MCP server

   Add the following to the mcpServers section of your config file.

   If this is your first MCP server (empty or new config file):

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "architect": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": [
           "mcp-remote",
           "https://mcp.tryarchitect.com/mcp"
         ]
       }
     }
   }
   

   If you already have other MCP servers, add "architect" inside the existing mcpServers object. Make sure there’s a comma between each server entry:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "some-other-server": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": ["other-server"]
       },
       "architect": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": [
           "mcp-remote",
           "https://mcp.tryarchitect.com/mcp"
         ]
       }
     }
   }
   

   Common error: If you see Expected ',' or '}' after property value in JSON, you’re missing a comma between server entries. Every server block must be separated by a comma — but the last entry must not have a trailing comma.

   This uses mcp-remote to bridge Claude Desktop’s local transport to Architect’s remote MCP server.

   You need Node.js installed for npx to work.

3. Restart Claude Desktop

   Close and reopen Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect.

4. Authenticate with Architect

   The first time you use an Architect tool, Claude Desktop will open a browser window asking you to sign in to your Architect account. Once signed in, your session is saved and you won’t need to sign in again.

5. Start using Architect tools

   You can now ask Claude to interact with your Architect workspace. Start by exploring the docs:

   • “Use architect_docs to show me the available API endpoints”
   • “Look up how to create a page via the Architect API”
   • “List my pages using the Architect API”
   • “Create a new prospect via the Architect API”

Available tools

Once connected, Claude Desktop has access to two Architect MCP tools:

Tool	Description
architect_docs	Read Architect MCP docs plus targeted Customer API reference slices before you make a request.
architect_api	Call Customer API endpoints for the authenticated tenant after you know the exact method, path, and payload.

The recommended workflow is: use architect_docs first to understand what’s available, then use architect_api to execute.

Example workflows

Explore the API and list pages

"Use architect_docs to find out how to list pages, 
then list all my pages using architect_api."

Claude will:

1. Call architect_docs to look up the correct API endpoint
2. Call architect_api with a GET request to list your pages
3. Display the results

Create a prospect via the API

"Look up how to create a prospect in the Architect API docs, 
then create one for Jane Doe at [e-mail]."

Troubleshooting

Error: 'invalid_type' or 'command is required'

Claude Desktop doesn’t support remote url configs directly. Make sure your config uses "command": "npx" with "args": ["mcp-remote", "https://mcp.tryarchitect.com/mcp"] — not a "url" field. See the config example above.

Error: Expected ',' or '}' after property value in JSON

Your claude_desktop_config.json has a JSON syntax error. This usually means you’re missing a comma between MCP server entries. Make sure each server block is separated by a comma, and that the last entry does not have a trailing comma. Use a JSON validator to check your file.

Claude says it can't find Architect tools

Make sure you’ve added the server config to claude_desktop_config.json and restarted Claude Desktop. Verify Node.js is installed by running node --version in your terminal.

Authentication keeps failing

Try removing and re-adding the MCP server config, then restart Claude Desktop. If the issue persists, make sure your Architect account has access to at least one workspace.

Tools return 'missing required scope' errors

When you authenticate, make sure to grant all requested permissions. If you need to re-authorize, remove the Architect server from your config, restart Claude Desktop, re-add it, and authenticate again.