Connect Woodander to Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop reads its MCP servers from a config file. For a remote server like Woodander, you use mcp-remote, a small helper that runs through npx and passes your token along.

You need a token first: Get a token. You also need Node.js installed, because npx comes with it.

Edit the config #

In Claude Desktop open Settings → Developer → Edit Config. This opens the claude_desktop_config.json file. Add Woodander under mcpServers:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "woodander": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://woodander.com/mcp",
        "--header",
        "Authorization:Bearer <token>"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Replace <token> with your token. Keep the word Bearer and the space after it, with no space after Authorization:.

The same ready-to-paste snippet is on Settings → API & MCP in your Workspace, and it is the one to trust if it ever differs from this page.

If the file already has other servers, add "woodander" next to them inside the same mcpServers object. Do not create a second mcpServers.

Restart and test #

Quit Claude Desktop completely and open it again. In a new chat you should see Woodander's tools. Ask:

Use Woodander whoami and tell me my plan and the scopes of this token.

If it answers with your plan and scopes, you are connected.

If it does not show up #

• No tools appear. Check the JSON is valid (a missing comma is the usual cause) and that you restarted the app fully.
• npx not found. Install Node.js, then restart.
• 401 error. The token is wrong, expired or revoked. Create a new one.
• 403 error. The token lacks the scope for that tool, or your plan has no API access. See Limits and errors.

Keep the token safe #

The token sits in a file on your computer. Do not sync that file to a public repo. If your laptop is lost, revoke the token in Settings → API & MCP.

Next step #

Try the prompts on the recipes page. Start with a read-only one.