> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hasmcp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connecting MCP Clients

> How to generate access tokens and configure clients like Claude Desktop and Gemini to use your HasMCP servers.

# Connecting MCP Clients

Once you have built your [MCP Server](/essentials/servers), it acts as a standalone web service waiting for connections. To allow an LLM client (like the Claude Desktop app or the Gemini CLI) to talk to it, you need two things:

1. **A secure access token**.
2. **A configuration snippet** tailored to that client.

## Generating Access Tokens

HasMCP uses time-limited, scoped access tokens to secure your servers. This ensures that even if a configuration file is leaked, the exposure is temporary.

1. Navigate to the **MCP Servers** tab and click on your target server (e.g., `stripe-billing-agent`).
2. Locate the **Generate Token** button in the header.
3. **Set Expiration**: Choose a validity period.
   * **Short-term (1h - 24h)**: Recommended for testing or temporary sessions.
   * **Long-term (30d - 1y)**: Recommended for stable, local deployments on your personal machine.
4. Click **Create Token**.

> **⚠️ Copy Once Policy**: The full token value is displayed **only once** immediately after creation. For security reasons, HasMCP does not store the token at all and check the validity of JWT. Always use short-lived time spans for your own security! If you lose it, you must generate a new one.

## Client Configuration

HasMCP automatically generates the correct JSON configuration for the most common MCP clients. You can find these snippets at the bottom of the **MCP Server Details** page.

### 1. Cursor

The Cursor app supports MCP natively via a configuration file.

**Setup:**

1. Copy the **"common format"** snippet from the HasMCP UI.
2. Open or create the configuration file on your computer:
   * **macOS**: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
   * **Windows**: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`
3. Paste the snippet into the `mcpServers` object.

**Example Configuration:**

```
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stripeAgent": {
      "url": "http://localhost:8887/mcp/<SERVER_ID>",
      "headers": {
        "x-hasmcp-key": "Bearer <YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### 2. Gemini CLI (Google)

For developers building with Google's generative AI tools.

**Setup:**

1. Select the **"gemini-cli"** tab in the HasMCP UI configuration section.
2. Copy the JSON snippet. Note that Gemini uses `httpUrl` instead of `url`.

**Example Configuration:**

```
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stripe-agent": {
      "httpUrl": "http://localhost:8887/mcp/<SERVER_ID>",
      "headers": {
        "x-hasmcp-key": "Bearer <YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### 3. Remote MCP (Bridge)

Some MCP clients do not yet support direct HTTP connections (SSE) and only support local process execution (stdio). In this case, you use `npx` to run a lightweight bridge.

**Setup:**

1. Select the **"using remote-mcp"** tab in the HasMCP UI.
2. This configures the client to run a local Node.js process that forwards traffic to your HasMCP server.

**Setup for Cursor Desktop Free:**

1. Copy the **"using remote-mcp"** snippet from the HasMCP UI.
2. Open or create the configuration file on your computer:
   * **macOS**: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
   * **Windows**: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`
3. Paste the snippet into the `mcpServers` object.

**Example Configuration:**

```
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stripe-agent": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "http://localhost:8887/mcp/<SERVER_ID>",
        "--header",
        "x-hasmcp-key: Bearer <YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN>"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

## Troubleshooting Connections

If your client shows a "Connection Failed" or "Server Error" message:

1. **Check Token Validity**: Ensure your token hasn't expired. You can view active tokens in the Server Details page.
2. **Check Environment Variables**: Go to the HasMCP UI. If you see a red warning box on the Server Details page saying **"Missing Environment Variables"**, the server will reject connections until those secrets are added.
3. **Inspect Logs**: Use the [Server Logs](/essentials/server-logs) feature in HasMCP to see if the request is reaching the server and what error code is being returned (e.g., 401 Unauthorized vs. 500 Internal Error).