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This document walks you through connecting any MCP‑compatible client (Cursor, Claude Desktop, and others) to Elementary’s production remote MCP server. It covers prerequisites, installation of the mcp-remote helper, authentication, and per‑client configuration steps.

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Prerequisites

RequirementWhy it’s needed
Node.js 18 LTS or newermcp-remote (and many editors) run on Node. Verify wit node --version.
npm / npxnpx fetches mcp-remote on demand. Bundled with Node.
Recommended: If you don’t have Node.js installed, we recommend using nvm (Node Version Manager) for easy installation and management: 
# Install nvm (if not already installed)
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash
# Restart your terminal or run: source ~/.bashrc

# Install and use the latest LTS version
nvm install --lts
nvm use --lts

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1 – Generate a personal access token

You can now generate tokens directly from the Elementary UI: go to User → Personal Tokens. Quick steps:
  1. Open the User → Personal Tokens page and click Generate token.
  2. (Optional) Add a name/description.
  3. Copy the token and store it securely — it is shown once. Manage (revoke/rotate) anytime from the same page.

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Security

Tokens are user‑scoped bearer tokens and inherit your workspace permissions. Treat them like passwords — do not share or commit them. Keep them secret, rotate regularly, and revoke immediately if compromised.

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2 – Install mcp-remote (optional)

You don’t have to install anything globally, our configs use npx to fetch the latest version automatically. If you do prefer a global install, use: 
# Optional: global install
npm install -g mcp-remote@latest
Important: mcp-remote expects the server URL as the first argument (flags come after the URL). It does not implement --help; running mcp-remote --help will error because --help is treated as a URL.

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3 – Configure your client

Most MCP‑compatible clients read a JSON config that defines mcpServers. Use one of the following patterns. 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "elementary-remote": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote@latest",
        "https://prod.api.elementary-data.com/mcp/",
        "--header",
        "Authorization:${AUTH_HEADER}"
      ],
      "env": {
        "AUTH_HEADER": "Bearer <AUTH_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}
Why the -y flag?
It makes npx skip the interactive “install this package?” prompt.

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Client‑specific steps

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3.1 Cursor IDE

  1. Settings → Model Context Protocol → Add Custom Server
    or edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global) / <project>/.cursor/mcp.json (workspace).
  2. Paste the JSON above.
  3. Save – Cursor auto‑restarts its MCP agent.

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3.2 Claude Desktop

  1. In the menu bar choose Claude → Settings -> Developer.
  2. Under Local MCP Servers, click Edit.
  3. Paste the JSON block
  4. Restart Claude
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