Claude Desktop Integration

Connect ContextGate MCP Server to Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop natively supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP). This tutorial shows you how to configure ContextGate as an MCP server for instant access to your business data.

Once configured, Claude can directly query your connected apps (Salesforce, QuickBooks, HubSpot, etc.) using natural language. No custom code required.

Prerequisites

  • Claude Desktop app installed (download from claude.ai/download)
  • ContextGate account with at least one connected app
  • Your ContextGate Bearer Token (get it from your workspace)

1 Get Your ContextGate Bearer Token

  1. Log into your ContextGate workspace at contextgate.ai
  2. Navigate to the Install page in the left sidebar
  3. Click View API Token and copy your bearer token

💡 Tip: Your bearer token is available on the Install page in your workspace.

2 Configure Your Toolbox (Optional)

Customize which connections, tools, and datasets Claude can access. This helps you:

  • Control what data is exposed to Claude
  • Create focused toolsets for specific tasks
  • Exclude sensitive connections or datasets

Manage your toolbox on the Install page :

Toolbox Manager Configuration

5 Configure Claude Desktop MCP Settings

Claude Desktop stores MCP server configurations in a JSON file. You'll need to edit this file to add ContextGate.

Location of config file:

macOS:

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows:

%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Configuration format:

Add the following to your configuration file:

Important: Replace YOUR_BEARER_TOKEN_HERE with your actual ContextGate bearer token from Step 1.

4 Restart Claude Desktop

For the configuration to take effect, completely quit Claude Desktop and restart it. The ContextGate MCP server will automatically connect.

Success indicator: You should see "ContextGate" listed in Claude's MCP servers in the bottom-left corner of the app.

4 Test the Integration

Try these example prompts to verify Claude can access your business data:

💼 If you have Salesforce connected:

"Show me my top 5 opportunities by value"

📊 If you have QuickBooks connected:

"What's our accounts receivable aging report?"

📧 If you have HubSpot connected:

"List recent contacts who haven't been emailed in 30 days"

Troubleshooting

❌ ContextGate doesn't appear in MCP servers list

  • Verify the config file path is correct for your OS
  • Check JSON syntax is valid (use a JSON validator)
  • Ensure Claude Desktop was fully restarted (not just minimized)

🔐 Authentication errors

  • Confirm your bearer token is correct and hasn't expired
  • Check that you included "Bearer " prefix in the token
  • Verify your ContextGate account has active connections

🌐 Connection issues

  • Check your internet connection
  • Verify ContextGate API endpoint is accessible
  • Try reconnecting your apps in ContextGate workspace

🚀 Next Steps