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

# Connecting with MCP clients

> Configure VS Code, Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, or any Streamable HTTP-compatible client to connect to Cotality MCP.

Most MCP-compatible clients can connect to Cotality MCP with minimal configuration. You need:

1. The target environment's MCP endpoint URL — See [Quick start](../mcp/quickstart/)

2. A valid access token — See [Authentication](../mcp/authentication)

<Warning>
  **Token configuration required** — Cotality MCP does not currently support the OAuth-based MCP authentication server discovery flow. You must include your access token as an `Authorization` header in your client configuration, as shown in the examples below.
</Warning>

***

## Client setup

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="VS Code">
    **1.** Create/edit a `.vscode/mcp.json` file in your project (or open your user-level `settings.json`).

    **2.** Add MCP server configuration:

    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "servers": {
        "cotality-mcp": {
          "type": "http",
          "url": "https://mcp.cotality.com/mcp",
          "headers": {
            "Authorization": "Bearer <access_token>"
          }
        }
      }
    }
    ```

    <Warning>
      **Avoid committing secrets** - If your `.vscode/mcp.json` is checked into version control, use the input-prompt approach below instead. VS Code will prompt you to paste your token at runtime and store it in local memory.
    </Warning>

    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "servers": {
        "cotality-mcp": {
          "type": "http",
          "url": "https://mcp.cotality.com/mcp",
          "headers": {
            "Authorization": "Bearer ${input:mcp-token}"
          }
        }
      },
      "inputs": [
        {
          "id": "mcp-token",
          "type": "promptString",
          "description": "Paste your access token here",
          "password": true
        }
      ]
    }
    ```

    **3.** Reload VS Code. The Cotality MCP tools will appear in your MCP tool list and be available to MCP-aware extensions such as GitHub Copilot.

    **4.** A quick test: ask Copilot to *"list available Cotality MCP tools"*. It should respond with the same tools you see in your MCP tool list.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Claude Code">
    **Option A — CLI command**

    Use `claude mcp add` to register the server in one step:

    ```bash theme={null}
    claude mcp add cotality-mcp \
      https://mcp.cotality.com/mcp \
      --transport http \
      --header "Authorization: Bearer <access_token>"
    ```

    Add the `-s user` flag to make the server available globally across all projects.

    **Option B — Manual configuration**

    Add the server to your project-level `.mcp.json` file (or `~/.claude.json` for global access):

    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "cotality-mcp": {
          "type": "http",
          "url": "https://mcp.cotality.com/mcp",
          "headers": {
            "Authorization": "Bearer <access_token>"
          }
        }
      }
    }
    ```

    **Verify the connection:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    claude mcp list
    ```

    You should see `cotality-mcp` listed. Then start a conversation and ask Claude to *"list available Cotality MCP tools"* to confirm the tools are loaded.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Cursor">
    **1.** Create/edit a `.cursor/mcp.json` file in your project root (project-scoped), or `~/.cursor/mcp.json` for global access across all projects.

    **2.** Add MCP server configuration to the file:

    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "cotality-mcp": {
          "url": "https://mcp.cotality.com/mcp",
          "headers": {
            "Authorization": "Bearer <access_token>"
          }
        }
      }
    }
    ```

    **3.** Restart Cursor or reload the window. The Cotality MCP tools will be available in Cursor's AI chat and composer.

    **4.** To verify, open Cursor's chat and ask the agent to *"list available Cotality MCP tools"*.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Windsurf">
    **1.** Create/edit a `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json` file.

    **2.** Add MCP server configuration:

    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "cotality-mcp": {
          "serverUrl": "https://mcp.cotality.com/mcp",
          "headers": {
            "Authorization": "Bearer <access_token>"
          }
        }
      }
    }
    ```

    **3.** Restart Windsurf or reload the window. The Cotality MCP tools will be available in Windsurf's Cascade AI chat.

    **4.** To verify, open a Cascade conversation and ask *"list available Cotality MCP tools"*.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Other">
    Any client that supports the **Streamable HTTP** MCP transport can connect to Cotality MCP. The general configuration pattern is:

    | Setting       | Value                                  |
    | ------------- | -------------------------------------- |
    | **Transport** | `Streamable HTTP`                      |
    | **URL**       | `https://mcp.cotality.com/mcp`         |
    | **Headers**   | `Authorization: Bearer <access_token>` |

    Refer to your client's documentation for the specific configuration format.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

***

## Troubleshooting

* **`401 Unauthorized`:** Your token may have expired; generate a new one and update it in your client's configuration.
* **Connection refused or timeout:** Check the endpoint URL and ensure your network allows outbound HTTPS connections.
* **Client repeatedly prompts for credentials:** If a token is missing, invalid, or expired, some clients (e.g., VS Code) may fall back to interactive OAuth-based authentication, which Cotality MCP does not currently support. Ensure you have a valid, unexpired token configured and that your client is set to use it.
* **Tools not appearing:** After updating your configuration, fully restart or reload your client. Some clients cache the tool list and require a fresh connection.