How to add an MCP server to Claude Code

Checked against Claude Code's documentation on Oct 26, 2026. Commands and config blocks are generated from the same install data as each listing page.

1. 1. Choose a server and see what it needs

   Settle two things before typing a command: whether the server needs a key, and how widely Claude Code should share it. The scope you pick decides where the entry is stored.

   • Playwright MCP: runs locally, no key needed.
   • Figma MCP Server: hosted, connect by URL, no key needed.
   • Firecrawl MCP Server: runs locally, can take FIRECRAWL_API_KEY.
   • Where Claude Code can keep a server: local (the default, only you in this project), project (shared through .mcp.json) and user (you, every project).

2. 2. Add a local server (Playwright MCP)

   Playwright MCP goes in with claude mcp add, with its launch command after a double dash. The JSON form is the alternative when you want the entry to travel with the project.

   claude mcp add --transport stdio --scope user playwright-mcp -- npx -y @playwright/mcp@0.0.82

   Copy

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "playwright-mcp": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": [
           "-y",
           "@playwright/mcp@0.0.82"
         ]
       }
     }
   }

   Copy

3. 3. Add a remote server (Figma MCP Server)

   Figma MCP Server uses the http transport, so the command takes a URL where the local one took a launch command. The file version records the same URL with a type field.

   claude mcp add --transport http --scope user figma https://mcp.figma.com/mcp

   Copy

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "figma": {
         "type": "http",
         "url": "https://mcp.figma.com/mcp"
       }
     }
   }

   Copy

   • If the server asks you to sign in, open /mcp inside Claude Code and choose Authenticate, or run claude mcp login with the server name.

4. 4. Keep API keys out of the file (Firecrawl MCP Server)

   Firecrawl MCP Server is the only example here that takes a key. You can pass it with the command, or keep the file clean by pointing to an environment variable and exporting that variable in your shell.

   claude mcp add --transport stdio --env FIRECRAWL_API_KEY=YOUR_FIRECRAWL_API_KEY --scope user firecrawl-mcp-server -- npx -y firecrawl-mcp@3.34.1

   Copy

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "firecrawl-mcp-server": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": [
           "-y",
           "firecrawl-mcp@3.34.1"
         ],
         "env": {
           "FIRECRAWL_API_KEY": "${FIRECRAWL_API_KEY}"
         }
       }
     }
   }

   Copy

   export FIRECRAWL_API_KEY="paste-your-value-here"

   Copy

   • Config values accept ${VAR} and ${VAR:-default}, so a key can stay in your shell environment. An unset variable with no default keeps the literal text and shows a warning in claude mcp list.
   • The command keeps the value in ~/.claude.json; the .mcp.json version refers to an environment variable, so nothing secret is committed.
   • FIRECRAWL_API_KEY (optional): Your API key for Firecrawl.

5. 5. Restart or reload if the server does not appear

   Use this step when the server is missing from the list after you add it. It covers what happens at startup and for servers that come from a shared project file.

   • The docs do not say a restart is needed after claude mcp add. Servers connect at startup and can be reconnected from the /mcp menu.
   • In an interactive session Claude Code asks you to approve servers from a project .mcp.json before it uses them; claude mcp reset-project-choices resets those answers.

claude mcp list