Connecting AI Applications to Your MCP Server

This guide explains how to connect AI applications (like Claude, ChatGPT, or your custom AI) to the MCP servers you've deployed on MCP-Cloud.

What Can My MCP Server Do?

Your MCP server acts as a smart bridge between AI applications and external tools or data sources. Once connected, AI applications can:

• Search the web for current information
• Access your files and documents
• Connect to databases
• Interact with tools like GitHub, JIRA, or Slack
• Automate browser tasks
• And much more!

Supported Integrations

Connect your MCP server to these applications and platforms:

• Claude Desktop: Connect directly through the Claude desktop app
• Cursor: Use with the Cursor code editor's AI features
• N8N: Create visual workflows that use your MCP server
• VSCode: Integrate with Visual Studio Code extensions
• Windsurf: Connect to Windsurf AI development environment

Step-by-Step Connection Guides

Connecting with Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop offers the simplest way to connect to your MCP server:

1. Open Claude Desktop app
2. Go to Settings > MCP Servers
3. Copy the Claude Desktop configuration block from your MCP-Cloud dashboard
4. Paste the configuration directly into your Claude Desktop settings
5. Click "Save"
6. Start a new conversation and select your server from the tools menu

Alternative manual setup:

• Click "Add Server" and manually enter your MCP server URL from MCP-Cloud
• Add a name for this connection and your API key if required

Connecting with Cursor

To connect your MCP server to Cursor:

1. Open Cursor
2. Go to Settings > Extensions
3. Search for MCP or model context protocol extensions
4. Install a compatible MCP extension
5. Copy the Cursor configuration block from your MCP-Cloud dashboard
6. Paste the configuration into the extension settings
7. Start using your MCP server tools in Cursor's AI features

Alternative manual setup:

• Manually configure the extension with your MCP server URL and authentication details

Connecting with VSCode

To connect your MCP server to VSCode:

1. Open Visual Studio Code
2. Go to Extensions marketplace
3. Search for MCP or model context protocol extensions
4. Install a compatible MCP extension
5. Copy the VSCode configuration block from your MCP-Cloud dashboard
6. Paste the configuration into the extension settings
7. Use your MCP server through VSCode's AI features

Alternative manual setup:

• Manually configure the extension settings with your MCP server URL and authentication details

Connecting with Windsurf

To connect your MCP server to Windsurf:

1. Open Windsurf
2. Navigate to Settings or Preferences
3. Look for MCP or integration settings
4. Copy the Windsurf configuration block from your MCP-Cloud dashboard
5. Paste the configuration into the MCP settings
6. Save settings and start using your MCP server

Alternative manual setup:

• Manually add your MCP server URL from MCP-Cloud and configure authentication

Using N8N with Your MCP Server

N8N is a powerful workflow automation tool that works great with MCP servers:

1. Sign up for N8N (cloud or self-hosted)
2. Create a new workflow
3. Add an "HTTP Request" node
4. Configure it to connect to your MCP server URL
5. Add your authentication details
6. Set up triggers and actions in your workflow
7. Activate your workflow

Easy Setup with Copy/Paste Configuration

MCP-Cloud makes connecting to your servers incredibly simple by providing ready-to-use configuration code blocks. For each deployed server, you'll find:

• Pre-configured code snippets in your MCP-Cloud dashboard
• One-click copy buttons for instant copying
• Application-specific formats tailored for Claude Desktop, Cursor, VSCode, and other supported clients
• Automatic authentication setup with secure tokens already included

Simply copy the provided configuration block from your dashboard and paste it directly into your application's MCP settings - no manual URL or token entry required!

Connection Requirements

When connecting to your MCP server, you may need:

• Server URL: The full address of your MCP server (provided in your MCP-Cloud dashboard)
• API Key: If you've enabled authentication on your server
• Capabilities List: What functions your server provides (available in your server details page)
• Configuration Block: Ready-to-copy setup code from your MCP-Cloud dashboard

Popular Use Cases

AI Research Assistant

Connect an AI like Claude to a Brave Search MCP server to:

• Get real-time information from the web
• Research topics with current data
• Fact-check information with reliable sources

Document Analysis Helper

Connect an AI to a Google Drive MCP server to:

• Analyze documents stored in your Drive
• Extract information from spreadsheets
• Summarize content from multiple files

Developer Assistant

Connect an AI to a GitHub MCP server to:

• Search through your codebase
• Create and manage issues
• Review pull requests
• Generate documentation

Database Explorer

Connect an AI to a PostgreSQL MCP server to:

• Query your database in natural language
• Generate reports and visualizations
• Analyze trends in your data

Troubleshooting Connections

If you have trouble connecting your AI application to your MCP server:

1. Check the server status in your MCP-Cloud dashboard
2. Verify the URL is correct and includes the full address with https://
3. Confirm authentication details are correct if applicable
4. Check access permissions if using a service that requires specific permissions
5. Test the connection using the built-in tester in your MCP-Cloud dashboard

Need More Help?

• Use the N8N integration guide for detailed workflow automation steps
• Contact our support team through the MCP-Cloud dashboard

Remember, you can always test your server connection directly from the MCP-Cloud dashboard before trying to connect it to an AI application.