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Getting Started with Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP)

A practical guide to setting up and using Anthropic's MCP with Claude Desktop App, including Brave Search and File System integration

Tools And ResourcesBest PracticesContext Modeling

Introduction

Anthropic recently released their Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard that enables secure two-way connections between data sources and AI tools. In this guide, we'll walk through setting up MCP with the Claude Desktop App and explore some practical use cases.

Setting Up Claude Desktop App with MCP

Initial Setup

  1. Download and install the Claude Desktop App
  2. Create the configuration file:
# On macOS, create config file at:
~/Library/Application Support/CLA/cla-desktop-config.json

Basic Configuration

Here's a basic configuration connecting Brave Search and File System:

{
  "mcp_servers": {
    "brave_search": {
      "type": "brave_search",
      "api_key": "YOUR_BRAVE_API_KEY"
    },
    "file_system": {
      "type": "file_system",
      "root_path": "/your/desired/path"
    }
  }
}

Practical Examples

Example 1: Web Search and File Creation

With MCP configured, you can perform complex operations like:

  • Search the web using Brave Search
  • Process the results
  • Save summaries to your local filesystem

Example prompt:

Search Brave to find information about Anthropic's MCP model context protocol, 
write a summary and save it to my system as mcp_info.md

Example 2: GitHub Integration

Add GitHub capabilities by including the GitHub MCP server:

{
  "mcp_servers": {
    "github": {
      "type": "github",
      "personal_access_token": "YOUR_GITHUB_TOKEN"
    }
  }
}

This enables:

  • Repository searches
  • File operations
  • Repository management

Available MCP Servers

Current pre-built servers include:

  • File System
  • GitHub
  • Google Drive
  • Brave Search
  • Google Maps
  • Fetch

Future Potential

The MCP ecosystem is expanding with:

  • HTTP protocol support coming soon
  • Community-built custom servers
  • Growing toolkit of integrations

Conclusion

Anthropic's Model Context Protocol represents a significant step forward in AI tool integration. While we've only scratched the surface with basic examples, the potential for custom servers and complex integrations makes MCP a powerful tool for AI development.

Resources