Connecting clients

Every server has one MCP URL, https://…/mcp/<server id>, served over Streamable HTTP. Clients authenticate with an API key in the Authorization header, or with OAuth by signing in with your SourceMCP account (see API keys and OAuth). Your server's Connect tab has these snippets with the URL filled in.

Menu names change between client versions; if a step doesn't match, check the client's own MCP docs.

Cursor

Add the server to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (every project) or .cursor/mcp.json (one project):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "acme-api": {
      "url": "https://…/mcp/proj_ab12Cd34Ef56Gh78",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer mcpk_live_…" }
    }
  }
}

For OAuth, leave out headers. Cursor then shows Needs login next to the server; choose it and sign in.

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport http acme-api https://…/mcp/proj_ab12Cd34Ef56Gh78 \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer mcpk_live_…"

For OAuth, leave out --header, then run /mcp in Claude Code, pick the server and choose Authenticate.

Claude (claude.ai, Desktop, mobile)

Claude's custom connectors use OAuth only:

1. Open Settings → Connectors and choose Add custom connector.
2. Paste the MCP URL and choose Connect.
3. Sign in with the SourceMCP account that owns the server, and approve access.

A connector added on claude.ai is available in Claude Desktop and the mobile apps too.

VS Code

Add .vscode/mcp.json to the workspace:

{
  "servers": {
    "acme-api": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://…/mcp/proj_ab12Cd34Ef56Gh78",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer mcpk_live_…" }
    }
  }
}

For OAuth, leave out headers; VS Code asks you to sign in when the server starts.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT connects to remote MCP servers as connectors, with OAuth. Turn on developer mode (Settings → Apps & Connectors → Advanced settings), create a connector with your MCP URL and OAuth as the authentication, then sign in with your SourceMCP account. Connector availability depends on your ChatGPT plan.

Other clients (mcp-remote)

Clients that only start local (stdio) servers can reach SourceMCP through mcp-remote, which runs locally and forwards to the URL:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "acme-api": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://…/mcp/proj_ab12Cd34Ef56Gh78",
        "--header",
        "Authorization:${SOURCEMCP_AUTH}"
      ],
      "env": { "SOURCEMCP_AUTH": "Bearer mcpk_live_…" }
    }
  }
}

The key goes in env, not in args, because some clients mangle spaces inside arguments. Without --header, mcp-remote opens a browser for the OAuth sign-in instead.