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This guide provides step-by-step instructions for using the DataLinks MCP server within Claude Desktop. DataLinks provides an MCP endpoint that Claude can use once it is configured locally. The process involves:
  1. Installing Claude Desktop
  2. Installing required system dependencies
  3. Locating the Claude config folder and file
  4. Adding the DataLinks MCP configuration
  5. Restarting Claude Desktop
  6. Verifying the connection

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Step 1: Install Claude Desktop

  1. Open your browser and go to https://claude.com/download
  2. Download the installer for your operating system:
    • Windows: .exe
    • macOS: .dmg
    • Linux: .AppImage or .deb depending on your distribution
  3. Run the installer and follow the on screen instructions.
  4. Launch Claude Desktop and sign in with your Anthropic account.

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Step 2: Install required dependencies

Claude Desktop relies on external tools to run MCP servers. These must be installed separately.

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Windows

  • Install Node.js (required)
    • Download from https://nodejs.org
    • Choose the LTS version
    • Restart your computer after installation
  • Confirm installation: 
    node--version
npx--version

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macOS

  • Install Node.js
    • Option 1: Download from https://nodejs.org
    • Option 2: Use Homebrew (Don’t have Homebrew? For install instructions, see brew.sh) 
      brew install node
  • Confirm installation: 
    node -v
npx -v

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Linux

  • Install Node.js using your package manager Ubuntu or Debian: 
    sudo apt update
sudo apt install nodejs npm
    Fedora: 
    sudo dnf install nodejs
  • Confirm installation: 
    node--version
npx--version

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Step 3: Locate the Claude Desktop config folder and open the config file

Claude Desktop reads MCP settings from a local configuration file. This can accessed by following these steps:
  1. Open Claude Desktop.
  2. Click your profile icon in the bottom-left corner of the app.
  3. Click Settings.
  4. Click Developer at the bottom of the left menu.
  5. Click the Edit Config button.
This should open your file location in your file explorer. Look for a JSON file titled claude_desktop_config or something similar.

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Typical config location by platform

  • Windows: %APPDATA%\\Claude\\
  • macOS: ~/Library/ApplicationSupport/Claude/
  • Linux: ~/.config/Claude/
If the folder does not exist yet, start Claude Desktop once and close it. The folder will be created automatically.
  1. Inside the Claude folder, open the file called claude_desktop_config.json (or similar).
  2. Paste the following configuration into the file: 
    {
  "mcpServers": {
    "datalinks": {
      "command": "C:\\\\PROGRA~1\\\\nodejs\\\\npx.cmd",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "<https://mcp.datalinks.com/mcp/>",
        "--header",
        "Authorization:Bearer <your-token-here>"
      ]
    }
  }
}
  3. Replace <your-token-here> with your DataLinks API token.

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Notes for macOS and Linux

  • Update the command path to your system’s npx location.
  • Common values include: 
    /usr/local/bin/npx
    or 
    /opt/homebrew/bin/npx
You can find the correct path by running: 
which npx

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Step 5: Restart Claude Desktop

  1. Fully close Claude Desktop. (This means closing it in your application tray icon as well.)
  2. Open it again.
  3. Claude will automatically load the MCP server during startup.
If the configuration is correct, the DataLinks MCP server becomes available for tool based interactions.

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Step 6: Verify the connection

You can verify the setup by asking Claude something like:
Can you confirm that the DataLinks MCP server is available?
If the server fails to load, Claude usually reports an MCP startup error.
Screenshot any errors that appear at startup for troubleshooting later.

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Common troubleshooting

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Check the logs file

Claude Desktop keeps detailed logs that explain what went wrong.

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Log file locations

  • Windows: %APPDATA%\\Claude\\logs
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/logs
  • Linux: ~/.config/Claude/logs
Open the most recent log file and look for MCP related errors.

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Common issues and fixes

Claude does not start the MCP server
  • Confirm Node.js is installed
  • Confirm npx works from the command line
  • Double check the command path in the config file
Authorization errors
  • Verify your DataLinks token is correct
  • Make sure there are no extra spaces in the Authorization header
Windows path errors
  • Ensure the npx.cmd path matches your Node.js installation
  • C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\npx.cmd is common, but it can vary
Nothing happens after restart
  • Check that the config file name is exactly claude_desktop_config.json
  • Confirm the JSON formatting is valid

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Getting help

If you get stuck:
  1. Open the Claude logs file
  2. Copy the content
  3. Paste them into an LLM (such as ChatGPT) along with a short description of what you tried
  4. Also paste any error messages you were able to screenshot
This usually provides clear guidance on what needs to be adjusted. Once the configuration is complete, Claude Desktop can communicate with the DataLinks MCP server and use it as part of its tool workflow.